Quick question – how do you uninstall programs on Mac?
Things you should know about Mac app removal: Uninstalling applications in macOS/Mac OS X is quite different from that in Windows operating system. In normal cases Mac users just need to simply drag and drop the target app to the Trash and then empty the Trash to perform the standard uninstallation.
If your answer is to drag the app to the Trash, we’re sorry to say that you’ve been doing it wrong.
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- Macs also have no way to uninstall or install operating system features, so there’s no way to easily remove the many applications Apple included with your Mac. On OS X 10.10 Yosemite and earlier, it was possible to open a terminal window and issue commands to delete these system apps, which are located in the /Applications folder.
You probably know or guess that you can remove apps by dragging them to the Trash bin, but it is not quite so. Dragging normal files like documents and movies to the Trash works fine. But doing the same for apps leaves gigabytes of leftover junk files on your hard drive. We’re going to show you what gets left behind and what you can do to completely uninstall apps from here on out.
How to uninstall on Mac
If you are trying to delete an old application, reinstall a corrupted software or just free up disk space on your Mac, removing all components of the program is important. These include the app, its preferences and support files, and sometimes other hidden files.
To completely uninstall a program on Mac you have to choose one of three options:
Likewise, Apple has teams working on its apps that increasingly have to develop and maintain features across iOS and macOS. Build ios app in macos port. Sometimes that causes work to go more slowly than anybody would like. And that includes apps made by Apple itself.
- Using Trash.
- Using Launchpad.
- Using a native uninstaller
The ways mentioned above include navigating your Mac’s in search of the apps you want to remove and then locating their remaining data. The latter can take even more place than the app itself and can be stored anywhere in your folders.
I prefer clearing my Mac from apps using special software made for this particular task - CleanMyMac X. It’s Uninstaller feature, is an app-killer that sweeps away any program you don’t want on your Mac and clears remaining junk.
Now let’s go ahead and delete some apps!
1. Uninstall Mac apps using Trash
Whether you're running macOS Catalina or an earlier macOS, like Mojave or Sierra, the process of manually uninstalling remains relatively similar. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open Finder.
- Go to Applications.
- Choose the app you want to delete.
- Press Command + Delete (⌘⌫).
- Open Trash.
- Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the window.
And the app is gone.
Even uninstalling apps on macOS Catalina requires getting rid of leftovers, despite the fact that it's the latest and the most sophisticated system for Mac. Apple has done such a good job on macOS 10.15 but left this unfortunate issue unresolved for another year.
To completely remove programs from Mac manually, you have to find all the associated files that come along with the app. That means not just dragging the app icon to the Trash from your Applications folder, but searching the depths of the system files on your Mac.
Software to view live feed on mac macbook pro a1502 display.
We’re going to reveal the locations of the most common files that are associated with apps. To remove the app leftovers from your Mac just navigate to each of these folders and hunt for the app you want to remove. If you find files with the app name you can send them to the Trash.
So, when uninstalling any software, you have to go over each of these folders one by one and remove the following:
- Binary and dock icons are located in
/Applications/
- Application support files are located in
~/Library/Application
- Support Caches can be found in
/Library/Caches/
and~/Library/Caches
- Plugins are located in
~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
- Library can be found in
~/Library/
- App preferences are located in
~/Library/Preferences/
- Crashes are found in
~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
- App saved states are located in
~/Library/Saved Application State/
There are many more hidden files, some of which cannot be accessed by the user. And macOS/OS X will prevent you from deleting some app files.
As you can see, it's not that easy to uninstall applications Mac doesn't need, even when you know what to do. By the way, be sure to look for the name of the app in the file names of the files you remove. Don’t remove anything you don’t know! Do your due diligence before removing something from your system.
When you delete software on Mac manually, be sure only to remove an app file or folder when you’re sure of what it is. Look at the name very carefully before you nuke it. Removing the wrong files could cause problems with your system.
Remember, please be careful when deleting system files — you never know how it will affect your Mac if you remove the wrong ones (or the right ones for that matter!).
2. Uninstall Mac programs with Launchpad
How to uninstall on Mac is using the Launchpad? It's easy and this manual method works like this:
- Click Launchpad icon in your Mac's Dock.
- Find the app you want to delete.
- Click and hold the app until it starts shaking.
- Click X in the top-left corner of the app icon.
- Click Delete.
This will uninstall the app from your Mac. However, keep in mind that after removing the program, you should also delete its leftovers as we've described above.
Can't delete apps on Mac?
Unfortunately, manual methods won’t get everything. Some apps are pre-installed macOS components and protected by the system while others will refuse to delete because they are already open (even though that’s often not true).
So, how to delete the apps on Mac that won't delete? You can try the manual removal after force quitting the app in question (press Command-Option-Esc and if the app is on the list shut it down) or rebooting your Mac.
If you're still unable to delete apps on Mac or if you’re worried you won't do it correctly and want a safer alternative, there’s the easy method of uninstalling apps from your Mac so you don't have to force delete applications. It actually does a better (and safer) job and in a fraction of the time. Read on to learn how to delete apps on Mac automatically.
3. Uninstall apps with CleanMyMac X
When I referred to the easy method of uninstalling apps, I meant using CleanMyMac X. As for me, deleting apps is a pretty tiresome task. I’ve always put away this chore, as it will waste a huge amount of my time. But, my Mac was running low on free storage, so I decided to try CleanMyMac X to fix this problem and uninstall programs on Mac with ease. I used the Uninstaller module to get rid of multiple apps at once. Here’s what you need to do:
- Download CleanMyMac X, install, and launch it (it takes less than a minute).
- Go to Uninstaller.
- Choose All Applications.
- Check the boxes next to the app you want to remove.
- Press Uninstall.
As you can see, CleanMyMac X shows precisely how much place each app takes, so it’s easier to detect the heaviest programs. Another benefit is that you can bulk uninstall programs on Mac without dragging each app and its files to the Trash.
Is it possible to delete system files on Mac?
CleanMyMac X doesn’t let you delete system apps like Safari. Neither of Mac cleaners can do that. But, CleanMyMac X allows you to delete the data associated with system apps and reset them completely. Click CleanMyMac X’s menu in the upper-left corner and choose Preferences. Go to Ignore List and click Uninstaller. Here uncheck the box next to “Ignore system applications.”
Now, you can close Preferences and go back to Uninstaller. Click ► next to the app's icon to show its files. Then check the data you want to delete and choose Reset from the drop-down list next to the app’s icon. Then press Remove.
It will help to clear some space on your Mac. Note that your app logs may also disappear after the reset.
4. Use the native uninstaller
Many applications are designed to clean after themselves. They come with a built-in uninstaller — a self-destroying utility bundled with the main app. This is mostly true for third-party apps that you download from the internet. That’s why native uninstallers remain more of a Windows thing, not much heard of in the Mac world.
The original uninstallers can be found in Finder > Applications. If your app looks like a folder (within the Applications folder) most likely it will have a separate uninstaller. The name will read [Your app] Uninstaller or Uninstall [Your App].
Open the folder, find the launcher, and just follow the onscreen instructions. After the removal is complete, you can enjoy your extra storage space!
Clear app leftovers: preferences files and caches
No sane developer wants people to delete their application. As your desperate ex, they would do everything to stay on your Mac, like planting pieces of their software around your Mac so one day they can return. Support files, preference files, and caches — all these will likely remain even if you’ve deleted the app itself.
Here I’ll show you how to root out these remaining traces. I’ll use the Telegram app as an example.
Delete application support files
Click on Finder > Go to Folder… (in the upper menu).
Paste in: ~/Library/Application Support/Your App Name
In my case its: ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram
Now, delete the content of this folder.
Delete application Preferences
The Preferences folder contains your user settings. These files are tiny but there’s no reason not to delete them, just out of principle.
Click on Finder > Go to Folder…
Paste in: ~/Library/Preferences/
Open the folder. Now type the name of your app in the search bar. Click to search 'Preferences.” Delete the found items.
It is the successor to OS X El Capitan and is a new feature release. https://avatarlucky.netlify.app/macos-sierra-tabs-in-preview-app.html. 2016-7 macOS 10.12.6 (Sierra)macOS Sierra (version 10.12), released September 20, is the thirteenth major release of OS X, renamed macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers.
Delete the caches
In the same vein, you’ll have to delete the remaining app caches.
This time, use the following command to paste in Finder > Go to Folder..
Paste this: ~/Library/Caches/Your App Name
Didn’t write it down, did I! And now it has happened again. My problem is I have forgotten the keystroke that I used to correct the problem. Boot up app for mac.
Note: In some cases, you need to search for the app developer's name, rather than the name of the app.
Delete leftovers with CleanMyMac X
If you’ve been doing a 'spring cleaning' in your Applications folder, chances are some files are still left somewhere in your Mac’s system. CleanMyMac X detects and collects them into the Leftovers tab.
Go to Uninstaller once again and select Leftovers. Select all the remaining files and press Uninstall to say goodbye to the app remains.
Now you are just as good at uninstalling applications on Mac as any Apple engineer. Hopefully, you now have plenty of free space. Don't miss a few related articles below.
These might also interest you:
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- SuperPNG 2.0
How to uninstall SuperPNG 2.0 on Mac computer? If you encounter problem when trying to delete SuperPNG 2.0 as well as its associated components, read through this removal tutorial and learn about how to perfectly remove any unwanted applications on your Mac.
Things you should know about Mac app removal:
Uninstalling applications in macOS/Mac OS X is quite different from that in Windows operating system. In normal cases Mac users just need to simply drag and drop the target app to the Trash and then empty the Trash to perform the standard uninstallation. Generally speaking, most Mac applications are separate bundles that contain the executable and any associated resources for the app, and therefore users can easily remove any unwanted software (if they are installed properly) from their Macs.
However, a fact is often neglected that, even the stand-alone software may might still leave its configuration and preferences files on multiple system directories after you carry out a basic uninstall. These vestiges can be very small in size, thus leaving them alone may not affect your Mac performance, yet they can also be a large chunks of useless files that occupy a large portion of your hard drive space. In the latter case it is quite necessary to clean out those junk files from your Mac for complete removal.
For some novice users, they may have no idea how to remove SuperPNG 2.0 in a proper way. Even for the experienced users, they may also get lost when trying to uninstall a problematic, stubborn or even malicious application. In this post we will discuss the following questions: (1) What is the correct way to uninstall SuperPNG 2.0? (2) How to ensure all its accompanying components are removed safely? And (3) is there a shortcut for both Mac novices and experts to take to accomplish SuperPNG 2.0 removal effortlessly?
Conventional Steps to Uninstall SuperPNG 2.0 for Mac
Prior to the removal of SuperPNG 2.0, you should first log into your Mac with an administrator account, and turn SuperPNG 2.0 off if it is running. To deactivate an app, right click its icon in the dock and select Quit option (or choose SuperPNG 2.0 > Quit SuperPNG 2.0 on the Menu bar).
Also, you can access the Activity Monitor (located in /Applications/Utilities/ folder), and see if there is any background process pertaining to the app. If SuperPNG 2.0 cannot be quit normally, you can select the app in Activity Monitor, click the large red “Quit Process” button in the left corner and click Force Quit button in the pop-up dialog.
Option 1: Drag SuperPNG 2.0 icon to the Trash
- Open up the Finder, click Applications on the left side, and then select SuperPNG 2.0.
- Drag SuperPNG 2.0 to the Trash (or right click on it and then select Move to Trash option).
- Right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash option to start the uninstall.
This drag-to-delete method works in all versions of Mac OS X. Most 3rd party apps can be smoothly uninstalled in that way, but you cannot delete built-in apps by doing this. Some apps installed using the Mac package installer will prompt you for a password when you try to move it to the Trash. In any case you cannot move SuperPNG 2.0 to the Trash or empty the Trash, try holding the Option key as you choose Empty Trash from the Finder menu, or reboot your Mac and try it again later.
Warming: It is important to point out that, emptying the Trash will instantly wipe off SuperPNG 2.0 as well as other files you’ve thrown into the Trash, and that this act is irrevocable, so make sure you haven’t mistakenly deleted anything before emptying the Trash. Any time you change your mind and wanna undo the deletion of apps or files, just right click the item in the Trash and select Put Back option.
Option 2: Delete SuperPNG 2.0 in the Launchpad
- Open up Launchpad, and type SuperPNG 2.0 in the search box on the top.
- Click and hold SuperPNG 2.0 icon with your mouse button until it starts to wiggle. Then click the “X” that appears on the left upper corner of SuperPNG 2.0 to perform the uninstall.
This tap-and-hold method is applicable for the apps installed through the App Store, and it requires OS X lion or later. Once you click the X icon, the uninstallation of SuperPNG 2.0 will be handled immediately, and there is no need to empty the Trash afterwards. This way cannot uninstall built-in apps as well.
Option 3: Launch SuperPNG 2.0 built-in uninstaller
It is worth mentioning that, some applications for Mac come with their own dedicated uninstallers, e.g. Adobe and Microsoft. Those apps will install additional software to provide extended functions, or place library files and associated application dependencies elsewhere in OS X. You can manually delete all the accompanying components as well, but it would be better to run the specialized uninstaller to fully remove the application alone with its bundled software or associated items.
- Locate the SuperPNG 2.0 installation file and double click to open it up.
- Select the [uninstaller] in the package and double click to run it.
- Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the uninstalling process.
To uninstall the software and plugins that don’t show up in the Application folder or come with a uninstaller, you are supposed to go to their official websites and look for their own downloadable uninstallers or the uninstallation instructions provided there. As for some apps that are built in macOS, you can either run commands in the Terminal to delete it, or try the uninstall tool offered in the last section of this post.
Delete SuperPNG 2.0 Library Files, Caches & Preferences
Most OS X application are self-contained packages that can be easily uninstalled by dragging them to the Trash, but there are exceptions too. Some of you may wonder if the classic methods mentioned above help remove the associated files or folders created by SuperPNG 2.0. Well, even though completely uninstalling apps on OS X is much more simple than that on Windows, you may need to check if there are support and preference files left on your hard drive after SuperPNG 2.0 has been deleted. SuperPNG 2.0 vestiges may not do much harm to your system but do take up a certain disk space. Therefore, if you are not gonna use SuperPNG 2.0 any more, these remnants can be deleted permanently.
There are tow locations where apps store their preferences and supporting files, and both are named Library. Apart from these files, SuperPNG 2.0 may also scatter its components like login items, startup daemons/agents, or kernel extensions around the system.
To remove all the traces of SuperPNG 2.0 from your Mac, do the following steps:
Part 1. Top Level Library on Hard Disk: /Library
- Open the Finder, click on the Go from the Menu Bar, and select Go to Folder.
- Type the path of the top level Library on hard disk: /Library, and hit Enter key.
- Search for the items with the name of SuperPNG 2.0 in the following locations:
- /Library
- /Library/Caches
- /Library/Preferences
- /Library/Application Support
- /Library/LaunchAgents
- /Library/LaunchDaemons
- /Library/PreferencePanes
- /Library/StartupItems
- Right click the matched files or folders, and select Move to Trash option.
Part 2. User Library inside Home Folder(~/Library)
- Head to Go > Go to Folder, type ~Library in the box and hit Enter key.
- Identify and delete the similar named files or folders in the same set of folders:
- ~/Library
- ~/Library/Caches
- ~/Library/Preferences
- ~/Library/Application Support
- ~/Library/LaunchAgents
- ~/Library/LaunchDaemons
- ~/Library/PreferencePanes
- ~/Library/StartupItems
- Empty the Trash to delete SuperPNG 2.0 leftovers permanently.
Application components may appear in a wide range of locations, including but not limited to the aforementioned file paths. For instance, some antivirus and security software will install additional kernel extensions which are by default located in /System/Library/Extensions. For the leftovers that are not obvious to identify, you might do a Google search for the app components, and perform the removal carefully.
Manually deleting SuperPNG 2.0 leftovers can be a laborious task for inexperienced Mac users. If you are still not sure how to delete app remnants entirely, or you would like to save time in removing SuperPNG 2.0 alone with all its remnants, well, utilizing a professional removal tool is a better option for you, compared with the manual removal.
Effective Solution to Thoroughly Remove SuperPNG 2.0
Look for an all-in-one solution to handling any application removal on your Mac? You might need the help of a specialized and advanced Mac uninstaller, which will spare you from the tedious searching for app vestiges. A outstanding uninstaller should be featured by intuitive interface, easy operation, powerful performance, and satisfactory effects. Now you can get all of these features in Osx Uninstaller.
Utilizing Osx Uninstaller can be the most effective way to remove any corrupted, stubborn and malicious application for your Mac. It will scan your whole system for every piece of target application and then remove them in one click, thus to finally free up your Mac hard disk space. Continue reading to know more about this tool.
Q1: How to remove SuperPNG 2.0 by using Osx Uninstaller?
Step 1. Launch Osx Uninstaller in the Launchpad after quiting SuperPNG 2.0 in the Dock.Step 2. Select SuperPNG 2.0 on the interface and click Run Analysis button to scan SuperPNG 2.0.Step 3. Click Complete Uninstall in Step 2, and click Yes to confirm removal.After you click Yes in the dialog, the uninstall process will be activated immediately, and you will be informed that SuperPNG 2.0 has been successfully removed. The whole process is quite straightforward (3 steps: launch - select - remove), and it may take only a few seconds to complete. Fast and simple, right? Just give it a try now!
Q2: Why is it better to apply Osx Uninstaller?
A clean uninstall of unwanted application is what most computer users desire for, but manually hunting down app stuffs is never an easy job to do. Once you start to use Osx Unisntaller, there is no need to manually locate app files left behind any more. You will save the trouble of crawling over the system looking for ambiguous remnants, and you don’t have to deal with various uninstall problems that may occur.
Osx Uninstaller, an high-efficient uninstall utility designed for Mac, helps remove not only the built-in applications but also the software and plugins that don’t appear in the Application folder. You can download this removal tool for free and try it out first. If you think it meets your demand, you can pay for the full version.
Summary: This guide offers several approaches to uninstall SuperPNG 2.0 on Mac. The manual ways require more time and skills to ensure a clean, complete uninstallation, while the automated uninstaller could handle any app removal smoothly and swiftly.
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Thank you for reading this post. Does it help resolve your uninstall issues? We will be glad if you share your thoughts or any suggestion about this removal guide.