Fully Uninstalling Third Party Apps

AppCleaner from FreeMacSoft is perfectly safe and harmless. I and thousands of Mac users use it since many years without problems.

It is only a specific Find tool that finds the app's related files such as plist's etc, and does not delete, rearrange or optimises anything and does not touch the system in any way. The removal of the found files is up to you.

I have used it across OSX versions from ElCapitan to BigSur for removing free or free trial App's downloaded from the AppStore for comparison purposes, and then retaining only the most appropriate one. By finding the app's related files, that a simple Launchpad delete does not do, it prevents your "Other" storage to grow over the years with useless folders and files.

Most of the AppStore app's have no uninstaller by the way.

Download AppCleaner (free) from FreeMacSoft.net. Very usefull small tool that wil also find most of the additional files that are related to the app and chose to trash them.

Additionaly you can download EasyFind (free) from Devon Technologies to search for files on your Macintosh HD with the app name and/or the developpers name and chose to trash them.

JohanAvie wrote:

How do I fully uninstall third-party apps on a Mac? Could someone please help with possible way(s)/steps to remove all traces of third party apps?

It depends on each app. Each one is different.

Generally speaking, any app that has an installer app will require a dedicated uninstaller app. An app that you download as a zip file and just copy it to the Applications folder can usually be uninstalled by just dragging the app to the trash.

Mac App Store apps are special. You can uninstall any Mac App Store app just by dragging it to the trash. You can also click and hold the icon in LaunchPad. All the icons will start to shake. The icons for all Mac App Store apps will get a little “x” button in the corner. You can click that button to uninstall. That is the same as dragging it to the trash.

Never use any “clean up” or “app zapper” tools. There is absolutely nothing that connects all of the associated files that belong to a specific app. There is metadata that sometimes, but not always, can connect the different files of an app. But this information is not sufficient to guarantee the correct uninstallation of an app.

But since there is no fundamental connection between files, and some of the apparently connected files should not be deleted, those “app zappers” can’t tell when they aren’t deleting enough or when they are deleting too much. This makes their users over-confident in their abilities.

If no uninstaller I have used Appcleaner with no issues as long as it is not part of another app by same developer that may use some of the same files

The Best method is to contact the Developers of the Application in question for Specific Instructions or if they offer and UnInstaller from Only the Developers of this Application.

The general rule is Do Not download and Uninstaller Application as they tend to delated, remove, modify, alter aspects or elements of the Operating System Files along with the application being uninstalled.

That can lead to a more complicated situation and could even lead to a Reinstallation of the Operating System itself to put things right again.

Sorry AppCleaner is not on the AppStore, and it is by no way comparable to CleanMyMac.

I would suggest you go and look it up, download it on FreeMacSoft.net and try it before commenting on it.

I have no connection at all with the developer but I hate to see a perfectly usefull app to be disregarded like that.

It does fill the gaps left by standard Apple procedures.

Correct, usually AppCleaner finds those files, and does not flag them as candidates for deletion.

You should then review them carefully through exposing them in Finder before selecting them for deletion.

As usual the final decission and responsability lies with the user. That is also valid just using standard functions in Finder to act on folders and files in your system.

Tend to, respectfully disagree , with the premise thousands use the App and available on the apple Apps Store.

So is " CleanMyMac " available on the Apple Apps Store.

The first 600 posting all point to the disaster this can cause

https://discussions.apple.com/search?q=cleanmymac

So, due diligence on any application being installed regards of On or Not On the Apple Apps Store

Let us keep things is proper Context " So, due diligence on any application being installed regards of On or Not On the Apple Apps Store "

RogierDG wrote: [...] FreeMacSoft.net and try it before commenting on it.

Aggregate sites like this one are great sources of adware riddled stuff... ouch!

Good point :-)

Just attempted to load the site provided to Test it out and Monterey and Safari 15.1 will not even load this site because and error message saying >>

I do not see your point. Did you have problems with this site? I did not. I used the program for over 5 years, never got any adware on my system.

On my system the site opens with no problem

No difficult - the Apple Secirti seems to to identified this site as . . . join the dots.