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How to uninstall apps on a Mac

It’s not as easy as it sounds. Find out how to uninstall programs on a Mac and do it easily and correctly.
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If you use your Mac actively for a long period of time, the number of installed apps can easily become excessive quite quickly. And let’s be honest, it’s highly unlikely that you use all these apps regularly, and some may not be used at all. As a result of this, the Applications section in Finder can turn into a graveyard of a wide variety of programs; and the majority of them are completely useless.

“It’s not a problem” you may think. But all these programs take up space, not only in Finder, but also on your Mac's hard drive. The answer is obvious, but people still ignore it—however, do you really have a dozen odd gigabytes to spare for storing the rubbish on your Mac? No? Well then, it's time to clean up your Applications folder and free-up your cherished storage space.

What’s the point?

Who can’t uninstall apps on a Mac? If you feel this is a tricky question, you’re absolutely right! On Macs, app removal is implemented much easier than on Windows, but at the same time, it does not work correctly for all applications.

Some apps can be extremely stubborn and refuse to be deleted fully; their icon continues to appear in Launchpad again and again; or you may sometimes notice app leftovers in one of the innumerable subfolders of system folders.

So let’s take a closer look at how to uninstall an app on a Mac and what the easiest, fastest, and most reliable way to do that is.

Launchpad How to uninstall software on a Mac using Launchpad

The most widespread method is to uninstall an app using Launchpad. However, this only works for apps downloaded from the AppStore.

  1. Find Launchpad in the Applications folder and click on it; or click on Launchpad in the Dock. For those users who love using trackpad—just pinch close with your thumb and three fingers on your trackpad.
  2. Find the app you want to uninstall. You can do this by simply looking for it in Launchpad and swiping your menu right or left with 2 fingers. The other way is to type the app name into Search at the top.
  3. Click and hold on the app until it starts to jiggle. You can also use the Option button to do this.
  4. Click on the Close button next to the app you want to uninstall and confirm deletion by clicking Delete.
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Launchpad How to uninstall apps on a Mac using Finder

This is another popular option to get rid of useless apps.

  1. Open Finder in the dock and choose the Applications folder from the left side panel. You can also use Spotlight to find the app you need.
  2. Press and hold the Command button on your keyboard and click twice on the app you want to uninstall, then choose Move to Trash from the menu. You can also simply drag the app to the Trash.
  3. Then empty the Trash to finalize the removal of the app.
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Launchpad How to uninstall programs on Mac using MacKeeper

MacKeeper is a powerful yet easy-to-use app that covers anything Mac. It offers many cleaning features, and deinstallation of useless or unnecessary apps is one of them.

MacKeeper not only effectively deletes the apps you don’t need anymore in a click, but it also gets rid of app leftovers that may be scattered across many unexpected places—manual uninstallation methods can’t guarantee this.

Removing useless apps couldn’t be easier, just take a look:

  1. Open the app and go to the Smart Uninstaller section on the left panel.
  2. Click the Start Scan button—MacKeeper will automatically show you the apps that you use rarely or don’t use at all.
  3. After the scan, click the Applications folder and tick all the apps you want to delete.
  4. Click Remove Selected and poof! All cleared.
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By the way, as well as highly efficient cleaning features, MacKeeper also provides multiple useful tools for Mac security, privacy, and optimization. This allows it to care for your devices in the most efficient way possible and will also prolong the useful lifetime of your Mac.

Time to take your pick?

Using manual methods will undoubtedly save you a few dollars; but it will also waste a lot of your time and cannot guarantee the best results. Choosing MacKeeper will allow you to devote your time to far more enjoyable activities while the app is doing its job. And this job includes not only cleaning but many other important tasks that help keep your Mac safe. It’s your call!

Uninstall apps on a Mac with MacKeeper
  1. Scan your Mac for the apps you don’t use
  2. Choose those you don’t need anymore
  3. Remove them in one click!
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Your macOS version is lower than OS 10.11. We’d like to offer you MacKeeper 4 to solve the cleaning, privacy, and security issues of your macOS.