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- Uninstall Software In Macbook
- Uninstall Software In Macbook Air
- Uninstall App In Macbook Pro
- How To Uninstall A Software In Mac
If you put any of the Office applications in your Dock, go to each one and ctrl + click Options Remove from Dock. Restart your Mac to complete the uninstall. Method 3: Uninstall Software on Mac Using Uninstaller Wizard This method uses an uninstaller wizard like Windows to permanently remove the application from your device. If you cannot find an uninstaller wizard in the application folder of the particular program, follow the first method to delete the app permanently. Uninstall Apps Using the Trash Can. The easiest way to uninstall an app or program from your Mac is by using the trash can located on the Dock. Drag the application from wherever it is located on your Mac and drop it on the trash can. When you empty the trash, the application is deleted.
Uninstall software on Mac: Uninstalling programs on a Mac computer is a bit different from Windows PC, where you need to follow a specific installer/uninstaller wizard to remove them. For Mac devices, things are a bit different as Apple has adopted the NeXT OS which maintains a Unix way of separating system files from the files used by the user for personal use and also provides the option to remotely control any iOS device like an iPhone from Mac.
However, removing software programs on a Mac computer is actually much easier than in Windows and there are multiple methods which you can use based on your liking. In this article, we are going to share some of the best methods by which you can easily uninstall software on Mac to make way for newer programs as well as to improve the performance of your device. What makes the uninstallation process really simple is the fact that you do not need to use an uninstaller wizard like Windows, every time you want to uninstall a program on Mac.
Remove Programs from Mac: The Best Methods
There are three very simple methods to remove programs from a Mac computer and we are going to discuss them in detail below. You are free to choose any method you wish but we recommend you to start with the traditional method first and then head over to the others if it does not work for you.
Method 1: Uninstall Software on Mac Using the Trash
This is the simplest method to remove a program from Mac and is also the most widely used. All you need to do is use the trash on your device to simply delete the application. To use this method, follow the steps listed below.
- STEP 1: Click the Finder application on your Mac device to open it
- STEP 2: Click Applications to open the list of apps and search for the program you want to remove
- STEP 3: Once you find the program, click on it once to select it
- STEP 4: Now click on File on the top left corner of the screen to open a drop-down menu
- STEP 5: Click Move to Trash from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can press Command + Delete on your Mac device to perform the same function
- STEP 6: Click and hold the Trash icon for a second to open a popup menu
- STEP 7: Click Empty Trash on the popup menu to remove the program permanently from the system
Method 2: Uninstall Software on Mac Using the Launchpad
This is another popular method to remove programs from your Mac device and it uses the launchpad instead of simply deleting the program using trash. To use this method, follow the steps below:
- STEP 1: Click the Launchpad on your Mac device to open the list of currently installed programs
- STEP 2: Scroll left or right to find the application you want to remove from your device
- STEP 3: Click and hold the app for a moment. It will start shaking
- STEP 4: Click the ‘X’ icon that appears on the top left corner of the app icon
- STEP 5: Now click Delete on the confirmation message that appears to remove the program
NOTE: If the X icon does not appear after you hold the app for a moment, it means this app was not installed from the App Store and cannot be removed using the Launchpad
Method 3: Uninstall Software on Mac Using Uninstaller Wizard
This method uses an uninstaller wizard like Windows to permanently remove the application from your device. If you cannot find an uninstaller wizard in the application folder of the particular program, follow the first method to delete the app permanently.
- STEP 1: Open the Finder application on your Mac device
- STEP 2: Click Applications tab found on the left side of the Finder window
- STEP 3: Double click the application’s folder to open it. You should see an uninstaller wizard inside the folder
- STEP 4: Double click the uninstaller wizard. It will open in a new window
- STEP 5: Now follow the on-screen instructions to remove the program. Also, do not forget to click the Delete Files option to remove the program from your Mac device permanently.
Wrap Up
You can use any of these three methods listed above to uninstall software on Mac but it is important to note that not all apps for Mac come with an uninstaller wizard of its own like Windows. So it would be beneficial to use the trash (the first method) to simply delete them from your device. For others, you can use the second method to uninstall them easily.
Removing programs from a Macintosh can be very easy. In many cases, all you have to do is drag the application's icon to the Trash. Sometimes, though, applications store the files they need to run in other locations on your computer's hard drive, and finding them can take some detective work. If you are used to the uninstall option in Windows, you have a little culture shock — macOS does not have this feature built in.
Why would you want to uninstall a program? For the same reason you occasionally tidy your office or clean your garage. Clutter breeds inefficiency. Applications take up space on your hard disk and can slow your computer. Also, a new version of a program may not work correctly unless you get rid of the old one [source: Ritchie].
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Most of the time, uninstalling is this simple:
- Exit the program you want to delete.
- Open the Applications folder, which you'll find by opening a new window in the Finder (icon with a blue face), or clicking on the hard disk icon.
- Drag the icon of the program you want to uninstall to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash.
When files for the application you want to delete are all stored in one location, dragging the icon to the Trash will take care of most of the work. In Mac talk, apps like this are 'bundled.' To see the files in an application's bundle, click on its icon while holding down the Control key. You should see an option that says, 'show package contents.' Uninstalling applications downloaded from the Mac App Store is even easier — just delete the application from the Applications Folder and its accompanying folder in UserLibraryContainers [source: Tanous].
For some other programs, removal is more complicated. When installed, these programs create files in several locations, often in the System Folder. The first step in removing them is to check the program's documentation to see if there is an uninstall utility. If your program has an uninstall utility associated with it, it may have been installed with the program or included on the disk that came with it. If you downloaded a disk image to install the software, sometimes you'll find an uninstaller there. Running an uninstall utility can make removing a program much easier.
You should be aware that removing an unbundled program by moving it into the Trash can leave behind orphan files on your computer. Preferencefiles are usually small and you might want to ignore them if you're just trying to free up disk space. Background files or support files can be larger, especially for multimedia programs like GarageBand [source: MacRumors]. These files are likely to reside in Library folders in your hard drive or Home folder. They will usually be labeled with the name of the program, like Office or Acrobat, or the developer, such as Microsoft or Adobe. You can search for the relevant names using Spotlight, which is included with the Mac OS. Drag the files you find to the trash to get rid of them [source: Tanous]. .
Check out the next page for tips to make your uninstallation go even more smoothly.
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If searching through obscure corners of your computer for what could be hundreds of files sounds like something a machine could do better than you, you're right. There are plenty of software programs that do just that. They're usually your best bet for really cleaning an app off your Mac, and some of them are free. Popular examples include AppTrap, Appcleaner, and AppZapper.
Some of the files that a program might create on your hard disk are invisible. It may be tempting, especially for neat freaks, to find and delete these files. But some files are deliberately hidden because they are essential to the computer's operating system. Deleting the wrong file could land you in deep trouble [source: Landau]. The best advice is not to go where even experienced techies fear to tread. Uninstall utilities can search out and destroy these files, but doing so on your own invites trouble.
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Another important thing to do is empty your Trash when you're finished uninstalling. Moving a program's icon to the Trash doesn't actually remove the files from your hard disk or clear up any space. Only when you empty the Trash is the application really gone.
Uninstall Software In Macbook
Here are some other important tips:
- When you install a program, check to see how to uninstall it. Make a note if it has its own uninstall utility or instructions.
- Before you begin any uninstalling process, check to make sure your Trash is empty or contains nothing you might want to save.
- Log on as your computer's administrator whenever you uninstall. If you're uninstalling at work and don't have administrator privileges, you'll have to consult with your tech people [source: Ritchie].
- If you opt for a third-party uninstall utility, look at the features. Some developers charge for their software, but you may not need the bells and whistles. Free utilities may work fine.
- It often makes sense to leave preference files alone. If you ever reinstall the same software, you won't have to set the preferences.
- Suites of software from a developer, such as the Office suite from Microsoft, often share files. Removing the files of one component may affect the others, so it's good to be cautious with these [source: The X Lab].
- If, after you remove a program, the icon is still in your dock, you can get rid of it by simply dragging it off the dock and letting it go [source: Tech-FAQ].
Removing software from your Mac is a lot less of a hassle than cleaning your office or garage. But clearing away computer clutter and making space on your hard disk can be just as satisfying.
Originally Published: Aug 8, 2011
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Sources
How To Uninstall A Software In Mac
- Landau, Ted. 'Tutorial: Now you see 'em, now you don't: Invisible files in Mac OS X,' cnet.com, May 19, 2004. (Feb. 14, 2019) https://www.cnet.com/news/tutorial-now-you-see-em-now-you-dont-invisible-files-in-mac-os-x/
- FacRumors. 'Uninstalling Applications in Mac OS X,' MacRumors.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) https://web.archive.org/web/20170715163609/http://guides.macrumors.com/Uninstalling_Applications_in_Mac_OS_Xp
- Ritchie, David. 'How to Uninstall Mac Programs,' TheMacLawyer.com. October 13, 2010. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.themaclawyer.com/2010/10/articles/guest-posts/guest-post-how-to-uninstall-mac-programs/
- Tanous, Jim. 'How to Uninstall & Remove Mac OS X Programs and Applications,' The Mac Observer. Feb. 1, 2013. (Feb. 16, 2019) https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/answers/how-to-uninstall-remove-mac-os-x-programs-and-applications
- Tech-FAQ. 'How to Uninstall Programs on a Mac,' Tech-FAQ.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.tech-faq.com/how-to-uninstall-programs-on-a-mac.html
- The X Lab. 'Uninstalling applications,' TheXLab.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/uninstallingapps.html