Uninstalling apps (mostly from AppStore) on Mac

Apps from the Apple Apps Store generally will uninstall better from the Applications Folder.

Apps from Non Apple Apps Store - check with the Developers of the software. Sometimes the Developer has Specific Instructions for removal and or have an Un-Installer they provide.

To follow on what as been mentioned by learned colleagues in pervious posting regarding Uninstaller to Remove an Application.

Any Third Party Applications that will interfere with the normal operation of the OS, alter, modify, remove or delete or attempt to do so is an invitation for disaster and may require a Reinstallation of the OS.

This includes AntiVirus, Disk Cleaners, Disk Optimizes, UnInstaller etc.

Further, even certain Uninstaller etc. Applications offered on the Apple Apps Store bear close examination before installing them.

At prime example is CMM and do take a moment to read the first 600 posting on these Forums as to the extent of the damages it and those like it can cause.

I used launchpad to delete imovie by pressing the option key. When I go to the appstore, It just says get so it works for uninstalling. The bad thing is that you can't uninstall any app you want.

I recommend that you use finder to delete apps than using that method.

I recommend using app cleaner for Mac it removes everything from an app. I was using opera browser and I didn’t like it and when I went to use app cleaner it showed me all these files in the hard drive that came from opera. https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/

firebird0402 wrote:

I made the switch from Windows to Mac about a year ago and removing apps is an issue on Windows

Then I’ve got some bad news for you. The software installation infrastructure on macOS is easily 30 years behind Windows - and getting worse.

I am researching uninstalling apps issue and i found Apple documentation says to use “Launchpad” to delete apps from the AppStore.

That is correct. Click and hold on any icon in LaunchPad. All the icons will start to shake. Any Mac App Store apps will get a little “X” button in the corner. You can click that button to remove the app. You can also just drag the app from Applications to the trash - makes no difference.

Will this remove all traces?

LOL, no! 😄

This is more complicated than it sounds. Remember, things are complicated. The macOS operating system is easily the most complex system ever made. There are lots of pieces that remain that should NOT be deleted. Often, people uninstall an app to try to fix some problem. I’ve had to do that a number of times over the past couple of years when an update fails. If the uninstall process had truly deleted all traces of the app, I would have lost quite a bit of data. I could have recovered it, because I have a backup, but it wouldn’t be easy. And to be honest, I’m an advanced user. Most people wouldn’t be able to do that at all. But in some cases, people trying to permanently uninstall apps can be left with quite a bit of wasted storage than can ultimately only be removed by erasing the hard drive and reinstalling from scratch.

The moral of the story? The Mac App Store installation, and uninstallation, process is as good as it gets on the Mac.

As for apps not from the App Store it says to use Finder as most apps are in the “Applications” folder.

This is false. The uninstallation process of any app depends entirely on the installation process. If you download a stand-alone app and install it by dragging it to the Applications folder, then, in most cases, you can uninstall by dragging the app from Applications to the Trash. But if the app requires a stand-alone installer, then you cannot remove it by yourself. You must use an uninstaller app or uninstallation instructions provided directly by the developer. Sadly, sometimes no such uninstaller exists. In other cases, the uninstaller simply doesn’t work. Funny enough, the bigger and more expensive then app, the more likely it is that the uninstaller won’t work.

But even those drug-n-drop apps sometimes need uninstaller. The only safe option is to check with the developer before installing an app. If you can’t figure out how to uninstall, or the developer doesn’t respond, don’t you dare install it.

If i need a cleanup app which is the standard for Macs.

No such thing exists. There are many “app zappers” and “clean up” apps, but they don’t work. Indeed, they fundamentally can’t work. Such a thing is impossible in a Mac. There are plenty of people who will tell you otherwise. They are wrong. They have only used these app zappers on simple apps that can be removed by dragging to the trash. They don’t realize how badly they fail on complicated apps. They also don’t understand how much damage they do to system files that should never have been deleted.

If you get an app from the App Store or a "drag and drop" app which you move from the downloads to the Applications folder, you can just drag them to the Trash. Only your data from the app will remain (preference lists, user-configurations, files you created, etc.).

For an App Store App, it cannot store anything on your Mac that would somehow run or interfere with anything else. Drag and drop apps are normally the same.

For drag and drop apps, if it wants to install something on first run, then you will need to contact the developer for uninstall instructions or an uninstall app designed specifically for that app. Check for uninstall instructions prior to running that first run installer. If there aren't any uninstall instructions, don't run that installer.

If you use an installer to install an app, then you will most likely need an uninstaller provided by the developer (or instructions). If you ever want to install such an app, check with the developer for uninstall instructions before installing. If they don't have any, don't install the app at all. Find another solution.

You don't need, nor should ever use any sort of App cleaner or zapper software. It has no idea where the app installed files and only guesses as to what it should delete.

There is no "registry" that must be cleaned or modified when you install/uninstall an app.

There is a finite range of locations an app can install things that are loaded by the OS, so ferreting them out is pretty simple if you have installed something that doesn't have an uninstaller.