When deleting an app from the Applications folder, you must drag all the way to trash with no stops and the program must not be running. Force quit if needed. Or Control-click to get a menu to select "move to trash". Empty the trash.
Using google AI produced this long answer, cannot vouch but has a plausibility:
The message "'EA app.app' cannot be evicted" is a specific system notification on macOS that means the operating system is unable to automatically free up local storage space for the EA app's files.
"Eviction," in Apple's terminology related to Optimized Storage (especially with iCloud Drive), refers to the process where macOS automatically purges infrequently used files from your local drive, leaving them stored securely in the cloud to save space.
The message indicates one of several potential issues:
- The application is currently running or in use (even if only in the background), which prevents the system from moving or deleting its associated files.
- A sync error occurred with iCloud if the application's files are managed by iCloud Drive's "Optimise Mac Storage" feature.
- File permissions or system configuration issues might be blocking the process.
- The file is in an unexpected location or there are underlying issues with the file system that prevent normal operation.
Troubleshooting Steps
To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:
- Force Quit the EA app: Click the Apple logo in the top menu bar, select Force Quit, choose the EA app from the list, and click Force Quit.
- Clear the EA app cache: Open the EA app, click on the EA app menu (next to the Apple logo) in the top-left corner, select Help, then App Recovery, and finally click Clear Cache.
- Check application location: Navigate to your main Applications folder (Macintosh HD > Applications) instead of the user-specific one, as sometimes the app is installed in an unexpected place.
- Restart your Mac: A simple restart can often clear temporary issues or processes that are preventing the file management operation.
- Reinstall the EA app: If other methods fail, you can uninstall the app completely from the Applications folder and then reinstall it from the official EA website.
