So if you have trouble with removing Google Play Music app on your Mac, probably you're using a third party client software. We'll take Google Play Music Desktop Player as am example to show you how to uninstall it from your Mac. Table of Content: Part 1: How To Manually Uninstall Google Play Music Mac.
Remove Office for Mac applications Open Finder Applications. Command +click to select all of the Office for Mac applications. Ctrl+click an application you selected and click Move to Trash. Click next to the app that you want to delete, then click Delete to confirm. The app is deleted immediately. Apps that don't show either didn't come from the App Store or are required by your Mac. To delete an app that didn't come from the App Store, use the Finder instead. For apps downloaded from the Mac App Store, just go to Launchpad by clicking the icon in the Dock or pinching the thumb and three fingers together on the Trackpad. Find the app you want to remove, hold down its icon until you see it jiggles, then hit the “X” button to delete it.
It is not going to be a hectic one to uninstall programs on Mac OS X. Still, while deleting or uninstalling software, there might be some program-related files left undeleted. Unknowingly, these unwanted files occupy your hard drive space. Hence, I am writing this post with different ways to uninstall programs on Mac OS X without leaving any traces. You won’t see any control panel with ‘Uninstall Programs’ feature like in Windows OS. Still, it is dead easy to do so.
Different Ways To Uninstall Programs On Mac OS X
As a Mac user or beginner, do you have questions – how to uninstall programs on Mac OS X or how do I uninstall programs on Mac OS X completely? Don’t you feel your Mac gets lazy in loading and irritates you while doing urgent chores? It’s up to you to make it clean and refreshed to accompany your speed of working. Format the system uninstalling the storage-stealing unwanted programs and free your Mac.
Here are the various methods to delete or uninstall any software programs on Mac OS. Go with your convenient one.
#1 Uninstall Programs On Mac OS Manually
Manually, you can entirely delete or remove the programs on Mac OS X. Before that, I advise you to know about the Mac OS catalog system and file storage system. So, you can make sure that you are not deleting any other system files. If you have any specific app or program to uninstall, locate the app in the Applications folder. Open ‘Finder’ >> Applications >> click on the app that you want to uninstall.
For an instant, here I am about to uninstall XMind program from my Mac OS AirBook. Either you can drag and drop the app to the Trash (available at the Dock). Or right click on the app and select ‘Move to Trash’. That’s it. So simple isn’t it?
If you aren’t accessing the Mac OS system in the admin role, then you will be asked for the admin login name and password to trash programs.
But it is not done to the whole. There might be some obsolete files that are hidden in the subfolders. Go to the ‘Library Folder’ via ‘Finder’. Using the Search function, look for the files and folders with the name of the uninstalled program. Here it is XMind, as we uninstalled it just now, manually.
Now, you may see some enclosing folders like LaunchAgents, Preferences, Application Support, Logs, Cookies, etc. Move all these files and folders to Trash. Finally, Empty the Trash.
If you didn’t find anything like above while searching in the Library Folder, then it is well and good. Since not all the programs would leave its support files. Still, I recommend you to check it once after uninstalling a program on Mac OS X.
Mac clean up after deleted apps without. If you still see the deleted program again starting out, then there might be some extensions left undeleted. Go to System (in your hard drive) >> Extensions Folder >> locate the files (with the name of the deleted program) that end with text. Send those files to Trash and Empty the Trash once again. Now, the program is uninstalled and its support files are deleted, completely.
#2 Uninstall Mac OS X Programs Using LaunchPad
LaunchPad is the Application Launcher or the interface area in the Mac, where you can see all your installed programs. Launch Pad will be your alternative way to start applications rather using Dock, Finder, Spotlight or Terminal.
Click on F4 to open LaunchPad and locate the app which you want to delete or uninstall. Press the Option key and then click on ‘Delete’ to confirm deleting the selected program. At last, check for its support files if any left undeleted, then remove it as we did above.
#3 Uninstall Programs On Mac OS X With 3rd Party App Uninstallers
All the above things like uninstalling any Mac OS programs, or removing its obsolete support files or deleting extensions were done manually. If you are not ready to spend this much time and attention to do so, then there are much easier ideas. Plenty of third-party App Uninstallers for Mac is available which you can get it from iTunes.
Among which, here I am going to share only the two – but best app uninstalling apps for Mac OS.
AppCleaner – Best Free App Uninstaller For Mac
Mac os stats app. AppCleaner is a highly preferable free uninstall app for Mac available in the marketing. It is enough to just drag and drop the program which you want to uninstall into this AppCleaner. The tool will automatically search and lets you know its scattered files like preferences, caches, etc. Click on Remove to uninstall the program and get rid of all the supportive files, to trash. Empty the Trash, at last.
The great thing is that the AppCleaner tool is available for free. Just download it from iTunes and vanish the unnecessary Mac programs within no time.
CleanMyMac3 – Best Mac Uninstaller 2018
This tool is not only a leading app uninstaller for Mac. CleanMyMac3 is to clean up and optimize your entire Mac system. The tool will scans your system and removes loads of junk files, and makes your Mac system perform faster. It has plenty of built-in tools optimization tools like MacOS cleaner, malware removal, performance monitor, etc.
In its Uninstaller tool, simply select the programs which you want to uninstall. The tool will take the responsibility to uninstall the program and removing its entire obsolete files. It includes cookies, application support, preferences, etc.
#4 Uninstall Mac OS Programs With Native Uninstallers
Some applications will have its own uninstallers. Usually, these native uninstallers should be stored in the Application Folder. If the program that you want to uninstall has such native uninstaller, locate it via Finder. Then, launch it and follow the process steps as per the instructions. Since each one will have unique instructions and removal interface. For an instant, most of the Adobe products will have its native uninstallers like Adobe Flash Player Uninstaller.
There are chances to remove such native uninstallers by mistake. In those cases, you can check the developer’s page and download it to uninstall programs on Mac OS. Else, try any of the above methods to get rid of the app which we discussed above.
I recommend using efficient Mac cleaner apps like CleanMyMac X for the fastest and finest uninstalling apps & cleaning obsolete files.
Final Words About Uninstalling Apps On Mac OS X
Anyways, removing or uninstalling the app from Mac OS is not so complex. Even for Mac beginners, these methods to delete the unnecessary programs on Mac system would be dead-easy. Make sure that you are completely getting rid of all its support files and emptying the trash. Though these support files don’t harm your system, it can occupy your hard drive space.
Why such unwanted files to be dumped in your storage space. Free it up and remove the unnecessary software to speed up your Mac performance.
Whether you’re trying to clear up hard drive space or you just want to get rid of an unused app, uninstalling software is a fairly routine task.
Luckily for Mac users, the uninstallation process is a lot simpler on macOS than it is on other platforms. In fact, it’s literally drag-and-drop simple. There’s no “Uninstall Programs” menu in Control Panel like there is in Windows.
Having said that, there are a couple of ways you can actually go about uninstalling apps. Here’s what you need to know.
Uninstall Mac Apps Via Finder
The traditional method for uninstalling apps is to use Finder. If you’re running a particularly old version of macOS (or OS X), this is the method you’ll use.
- Open a Finder window.
- Click on the Applications folder.
- Select the app you want to uninstall.
- Right-click the application.
- In the menu that pops up, click on Move to Trash.
Alternatively, you can simply drag the application directly to the Trash icon. (It’ll be in the bottom-right corner of the Mac taskbar. You may need to hover over the bottom of the display to get it to show.)
Once the app is sent to Trash, there is one more step you’ll need to take to completely rid your computer of it.
This is also the last time to reinstall an app you’ve recently deleted if you changed your mind. Just drag an app from Trash back to the Applications folder. Or right-click on the app in the Trash folder and click Put Back.
But to permanently delete apps from your computer, simply right-click the Trash icon in the bottom-right corner of the menu bar. Then, click on Empty Trash. Depending on how much data is in your Trash can, this could take a moment.
Uninstall Mac Apps from Launchpad
The last method is incredibly simple, but OS X Lion and newer versions of the Mac operating system have an easier method.
First, you’ll need to open Launchpad. There are two ways to go about this.
- Click the Launchpad icon in the taskbar. It’s shaped like a gray rocket, or six squares.
- Alternatively, you can use a Multi-Touch gesture. Simply pinch your thumb and three fingers together to display Launchpad.
From here, the process is similar to iOS.
- Click and hold the icon of the app you’d like to uninstall.
- Wait until the app icon begins to jiggle.
- When it does, click the circular black X icon that appears next to it.
- You’ll be a prompt asking you to confirm. Click on Delete.
It’s worth noting that the Launchpad method won’t work on every app. Typically, it’ll only show up on apps that you’ve downloaded from the Mac App Store.
Similarly, unlike iOS, you won’t be able to delete native macOS applications like Safari, Mail or Photos.
Using an Uninstaller for Mac Apps
While these methods will cover the vast majority of apps you interact with on a daily basis, there is another method for certain applications.
Although uncommon, some apps will have their own dedicated uninstallers. This is especially true for app suites like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Cloud.
Basically, these app suites come with an uninstaller app because they tend to install other software or support apps. If you install Photoshop on your Mac, for example, Adobe might install a suite of other apps like Adobe Bridge or Adobe Content Viewer along with it.
To do away with an app suite, you can either hunt down each individual app and delete them separately. Or, you can use the uninstaller app that came with the suite.
Generally, it’s recommended that you use the uninstaller. The official uninstall process will typically clean up app data and other miscellaneous files that might otherwise be left behind.
How to Clean Up Leftover Files
Though this isn’t true across the board, some apps will “leave behind” random bits of data or other files. For the most part, there’s really no harm in this. But these leftover files can take up a bit of space on your drive.
If you’re particularly space-conscious, you might want to go through the process of cleaning them up.
The quickest way to do so is to use a third-party utility app that will automatically locate and delete that leftover data, preference files and caches. An app like AppCleaner is a great choice.
Use AppCleaner to Clean Up Files
AppCleaner is free and incredibly simple to use. Once you download and install it, follow these steps before you uninstall the actual app.
- Open AppCleaner.
- Drag an application to the AppCleaner window.
- It’ll scan and find all associated files.
- Be sure to “check” the files and folders that you want AppCleaner to delete.
- Click the Remove button.
- You’ll usually need to login with an administrator account to authenticate.
Once you do, AppCleaner will move the app and its associated files to the Trash.
AppCleaner also has a “SmartDelete” option that’s located in its Preferences menu. This will save you from having to checkmark each file or folder before AppCleaner removes them.
As with the other methods explained above, you’ll need to empty the Trash before the apps (and their files) are actually deleted from your hard drive.
Manually Clean Up Leftover Files
If you don’t want to use a third-party option, you’ll need to dig around and find those files yourself. It’s not the hardest thing to do, but it requires a bit of know-how.
You will find these leftover bits of data in your Library folder. Here’s how to get to it.
- Open a Finder window.
- Click on the Go menu in the top menu bar.
- Hold down the Option key.
- You’ll see a new folder pop up titled Library.
- Click on Library.
From here, it’s just a matter of searching out the individual leftover files. They might include application support files, preference files, and caches.
How to access apps on mac book. In the Library folder:
- Application support files will be located in the Application Support
- Preference files will be located in the Preferences
- Caches will be located in the Caches
Click on any of the above folders. Then, locate a subfolder named after the app you’ve uninstalled. Occasionally, the folder will be named after the app developer, rather than the app.
Uninstall Software On Mac Os
You can either delete the individual files within that subfolder, or just delete the subfolder itself.
Uninstall An App On Mac Os
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