How to Uninstall TeamViewer

As a broad-purpose, remote control solution that includes e-conferences, file transfer, and remote desktop capabilities, users on either Windows or Mac systems may find more reasons for enjoying TeamViewer than ever before. Despite TeamViewer AG's best efforts, though, there are equally-valid choices elsewhere for controlling computers and managing the communication and data-transferring sides of the equation remotely. Users who try out TeamViewer and find it not living up to its reputation can remove the software in just a minute or two of work.

First, note that TeamViewer Remote Management is separate from the primary TeamViewer software installation. Users can remove the former without removing the latter if desired. Login to the TeamViewer website, select the appropriate device and choose its Properties link. In the General tab, there should be a link to uninstall TeamViewer Remote Management. No further steps are necessary unless the user also wants to remove all TeamViewer software.

For deleting TeamViewer, Windows users may navigate to the Control Panel, use the Settings menu, or go to the TeamViewer's Start menu shortcut. For the third method, right-click the shortcut after clicking the Start button and finding the program. The Uninstall option should be visible immediately.

Both the Control Panel and Settings solutions require navigating to lists of installed software. Open the Control Panel (such as by typing its name in the taskbar and clicking its link) and navigate to 'Uninstall a program' or 'Add or remove programs.' Scroll down to TeamViewer's entry, right-click it and click Uninstall. For the Settings version of this solution, go to Settings and then Apps. Once again, go down the list until you see TeamViewer, but left-click it to see the Uninstall option. Note the presence of a search field and filters, such as by installation date, which can speed up this process.

The macOS port of TeamViewer includes a built-in removal option. Although uninstalling TeamViewer manually is possible entirely, experts recommend against it. Using the official uninstall feature guarantees a more thorough deletion of unwanted TeamViewer components. To do this, open TeamViewer and click the 'TeamViewer' menu option on the top. Click Preferences and navigate to its Advanced tab on the far right. The Uninstall feature is on the bottom of this page. However, before clicking it, notice the 'delete configuration files' option. Checking it also removes configuration components and is ideal for users who know they're not going to want to reinstall TeamViewer again later.

Once again, while a manual removal is possible, macOS users should reserve it for cases of the first solution's failure. Start by deleting TeamViewer like any other application: by opening Finder, going to Applications, and either dragging TeamViewer to the Trash or right-clicking it and sending it to the Trash. Empty the Trash to make it permanent.

Afterward, all that remains is cleaning up additional files and folders, which is optional. Navigate to the user '/Library/Preferences' folder. Delete all files with 'com.teamviewer' in their names and the 'plist' format. Repeat this action for the hard drive's equivalent '/Library/Preferences' location. If you've never done this before, the Library may be hidden. From the View menu, go to Show View Options and check Show Library Folder.

There also is a text terminal command option for unhiding the Library, useful for older versions of OS X:

chflags nohidden ~/Library/

However, no harm will come to your computer by leaving these files alone if you're uncomfortable with these steps. Users who wish to optimize their drive space and practice good software cleanup habits should get used to these solutions as appropriate.