How to Uninstall Apps on Mac
Like anyone else, macOS users need to be responsible stewards over their hard drives, including the programs that reside on them. Whether it's as sophisticated as a hardware virtualization tool like Parallels Desktop or as bare-bones as a word processor like TextEdit, tracking what software is present and pruning unwanted applications makes for a more secure, tidier, and easier-to-use computer-owning experience. When the time comes for removing an unwanted program, macOS users can do so quickly and have two primary tools for their convenience: Finder and Launchpad.
Finder is the macOS equivalent of Windows Explorer (or File Explorer), an all-purpose file-manager and graphical user interface that's the default for the operating system in question. The majority of installed programs are visible in Finder's Applications section in the sidebar. To remove a program:
- Scroll through Applications until you find its icon, and click it.
- Hold the mouse-press down and drag the icon to the Trash icon.
- Empty the Trash, if desired.
Emptying the Trash is a usually-permanent data deletion step, although some advanced recovery tools specialize in the limited recovery of 'emptied' data.
Users also can search for the specific program by typing its name in Finder's search field. Alternately, they may bring up the Spotlight search feature with the Command-Space Bar keyboard combination, perform the search, and then double-click the application while also holding the Command button.
Users may see prompts for a name and password. This request usually occurs when the program requires administrator privileges for removal. Provide the credentials for the computer's admin account (probably, the same combination that you use for logging into the Mac in the first place).
There also is another default application for removing programs from a Mac: Launchpad. This GUI intentionally resembles mobile iOS devices' interface, and some users may consider it more comfortable or faster than the Finder interface. Although Launchpad primarily is an application launcher, it also can remove programs. Since Launchpad isn't open by default, users should start by launching it from the Finder's Application section or the Dock. Users with trackpads also can get to the Launchpad by making a 'pinching' motion with their thumbs and three fingers.
Like Finder, type the program's name into the search field or manually search for it (scrolling through additional pages could be necessary). Then, either click and hold the click on the program's icon or hold down the Option key on your keyboard. The 'X' button on the program's interface will create a Yes/No prompt for deleting it. Note that not all programs will show an 'X' deletion button. The option only appears on non-essential programs from the official application Store. Users still may delete non-Store programs by going through Finder, as per the above instructions.
The macOS operating system also treats some software as essential or mandatory. Users who are sure of what they're doing may remove them anyway, although doing so requires extra steps, such as disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP) and entering terminal commands. Experts discourage it for casual users, and most software is removable by the general procedures covered here.