How to Uninstall Programs for Mac

Unlike in Windows, a Mac does not have the uninstall option. However, you can easily drag the unwanted app’s icon into the trash to get rid of it. Unfortunately, apps store files in other locations on the hard drive, which means if you want to get rid of them, you have to do more than drag them to the trash icon. In this article, we will look at different ways on how to uninstall programs for Mac.

Part 1: How to Uninstall Programs on Mac with Launchpad

You can uninstall programs from your Mac PC using Launchpad. This feature offers an effective and convenient way to remove programs that have been downloaded directly from the App Store. Below is how to delete programs off your Mac using this method:

1. Click the Launchpad icon in the Dock to open it. You can also open it through the Application folder. If you can’t find the icon, you can simply type the name in the search menu at the top of your Mac’s screen or swipe left or right on your trackpad with two fingers to check the previous or next page.
2. Click and hold the ‘⌥’ Option key or press and hold an app until it jiggles.
3. Click the ‘Close’ (x) icon next to the unwanted app and click ‘Delete’ to confirm. The app will be deleted immediately. If the app doesn’t show the ‘Close’ (x) icon, it means that is a necessary app for your Mac or it’s not from the App Store.

You should know that deleting apps does not cancel your subscription on any of the apps. You will have to cancel the subscription from the App Store to stop the purchase.

Part 2: How to Uninstall Programs on Mac in Finder

If you want to uninstall programs that are not downloaded from the App Store, you have to use the Finder. Here is how to uninstall programs on your Mac using Finder.

1. Look for the unwanted program in the Finder by clicking the Applications in the sidebar of the Finder window. You can also use the Spotlight feature to locate the app. To do this, click and hold the ‘Command (⌘)’ key while you double-click the program in Spotlight.
2. Drag the unwanted program to the Trash or choose the app and then select ‘File’ and ‘Move to Trash’.
3. When prompted, provide the username and password of the administrator account. The Administrator’s username and password will usually be the credentials you use while logging in to your Mac computer.
4. Select ‘Finder’ and then ‘Empty Trash’ to delete the app from your computer.

Part 3: How to Delete Apps on Mac that won’t delete

When trying to delete programs from your Mac PC, you may receive the error message – ‘this app can’t be moved to the trash because it’s open’. The reason you receive this error message is usually that the program is still processing in the background. To resolve the issue, you will have to completely close the program. Another reason you may not be able to delete some apps on your Mac is that the app is required by the system. These are built-in programs, such as Face Time, Mail, Safari, and other default programs. If you want to uninstall any of these default apps, you can’t use the Launchpad or the Finder approach. You will need to use an advanced feature.

Guide to Delete Apps on Mac that won’t delete with Terminal

1. Navigate to /Applications/Utilities/ to launch the Terminal.
2. Type in the ‘cd/Applications/’ command to open the applications directly. From here, you can delete the unwanted apps. Here is how to remove programs from your Mac using the Terminal feature:

• For Safari: type in ‘sudo rm –rf Safari.app/
• For Face Time: type in ‘sudo rm –rf Face Time.app/
• For Mail: type in ‘sudo rm –rf Mail.app/
• For QuickTime Player: type in ‘sudo rm –rf QuickTime\ Player.app/

You can use this same formula to delete any program on your Mac system. Note that when you use the Terminal to delete apps, they will be permanently deleted.

Part 4: How to Uninstall Programs on Mac Completely by Cleaning up Temp Files

When you uninstall programs from your Mac PC, you must understand that they are not permanently deleted in the real sense of the word. Rather, they still have their caches and temp files on your Mac. Over time, this can add up and take up storage space, making your computer perform below its optimal level. To permanently remove the caches and temp files, you need advanced software to clean up your Mac computer. We recommend iBeesoft iCleaner for the job.

iBeesoft iCleaner is the best software that you can use to clean up the program leftover. This software is an advanced tool designed for cleaning unwanted files and data from Mac systems. It uses a robust algorithm to help clean temp files and caches to improve its performance and safety.

Step-by-step Guide on How to Remove Caches and Program Temp with iBeesoft iCleaner

1. Download iBeesoft iCleaner software. Next, launch the program and select ‘Start Analyze’. The program will start to analyze the different file types to identify unwanted files and caches. Depending on the volume of the junk files, it may take a few minutes to complete the process. When this process is complete, the program will display the list of all temp files and caches as well as other junk files, including their names, sizes, and locations.
2. Select the file formats that you want to delete and when you are done, click the ‘Clean Junk’ button to delete all selected caches and temp files from your Mac PC.

In this article, we have looked at the different solutions on how to remove programs from your Mac. We’ve also looked at the most recommended software for permanently removing the remnants of deleted apps and programs on your PC.