uninstalling applications completely

Hello macfrombrampton,

Until the introduction of the Mac App Store, the Mac had no installer/uninstaller architecture. Many apps simply cannot be completely uninstalled. A few, very high quality apps come with official uninstallers that will remove all traces of themselves. But apps like this are becoming rare.

Many people use “app zappers” but such tools are misleading. They can miss some components, not just leaving some files still installed, but even leaving some software still running forever in the background. Even worse, these ”app zappers” can delete too many files. Many of the files that an “app zapper” finds are actually operating system metadata files that should never be deleted. Even worse, scam apps often use this kind of “app zapper” feature to lure new customers.

Ideally, you should only install software from the Mac App Store. This software is forbidden from writing files outside of its private container. You can delete a Mac App Store app just by dragging it to the trash.

For any other type of software, you have to make sure you know how to uninstall it before you start. Usually, but not always, if the app is distributed as a stand-alone app that you install by dragging it to your applications folder, then you can usually remove it by dragging the app to the trash. If an app has an installer, and especially if the installer asks for your password, then you will not be able to unistall it by dragging it to the trash. In some cases, scam apps will lie about their uninstallation procedure. Unfortunately, it is impossible for end users to tell when this is happening. When in doubt, stick with the Mac App Store.