To do this, open up the Library, which Apple keeps a bit hidden. Now you need to remove the app’s residual files. Select the app you want to uninstall and either drag it to the Trash or select Move to Trash.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to remove unwanted apps from your Mac:
But if you want to be a Mac detective, we can help you sleuth out most of them. It can be hard to uncover all of those files from where they’re hiding on your system. Putting the app in the Trash alone does not remove all the other service files that come bundled with the app: cache files, temporary files the app needs to run, installation files, preferences, saved states, containers, and so on. Running any of the tools above with the -help switch will display more options.How to Uninstall Apps on a Mac | Delete Mac Programs | Avast Logo Ameba Icon Security Icon Security White Icon Privacy Icon Performance Icon Privacy Icon Security Icon Performance Icons/45/01 Security/Other-Threats Icons / 32 / Bloatware removal Icons / 32 / Registry Cleaner Win Icons / 32 / CleanUp Icons / Feature / 32 / Mac Icons / 32 / Browser cleanup Icons/32/01 Security/Malware Icons/32/01 Security/Viruses Icons/32/01 Security/Other-Threats Icons/32/01 Security/Passwords Icons/32/01 Security/Ransomware Icons/32/01 Security/Business Icons/32/02 Privacy/Browser Icons/32/02 Privacy/IP adress Icons/32/02 Privacy/VPN Icons/32/02 Privacy/Proxy Icons/32/02 Privacy/Streaming Icons/32/03 Performance/Celaning Icons/32/03 Performance/Drivers Icons/32/03 Performance/Gaming Icons/32/03 Performance/Hardware Icons/32/03 Performance/Speed Icons / 32 / Bloatware removal Icons / 32 / Registry Cleaner Win Icons / 32 / CleanUp Icons / Feature / 32 / Mac Icons / 32 / Browser cleanup Icons/60/02 Privacy/02_Privacy Icons/60/01 Security/01_Security Icons/60/03 Performance/03_Performance Icons/80/01 Security/IoT Icons/80/01 Security/Malware Icons/80/01 Security/Passwords Icons/80/01 Security/Ransomware Icons/80/01 Security/Viruses Icons/80/01 Security/Other-Threats Icons/80/03 Security/Business Icons/80/02 Privacy/Browser Icons/80/02 Privacy/IP adress Icons/80/02 Privacy/VPN Icons/80/02 Privacy/Proxy Icons/80/02 Privacy/Streaming Icons/80/03 Performance/Celaning Icons/80/03 Performance/Drivers Icons/80/03 Performance/Gaming Icons/80/03 Performance/Hardware Icons/80/03 Performance/Speed Icons/80/03 Performance/03_Performance Icons/80/02 Privacy/02_Privacy Without an argument fs_usage will show everything on the system. The last command has to be started after you start your app, because fs_usage takes a process ID, which you can see in the ActivityMonitor, or using pgrep -i textedit, where textedit is your app. See everything about an app: sudo fs_usage `pgrep -i textedit` See an app's file I/O activity: sudo iosnoop -n TextEdit This involves sifting through a lot of 'dirty' low-level calls but can be done using OSX built-in tools.įor example to see what the TextEdit app does, type the following in the Terminal and then launch TextEdit: sudo opensnoop -n TextEdit
The only reliable way to tell where an app is writing its stuff is to trace what it does during installation, startup, and during normal operation. Every app can do their own thing and write to unexpected locations, and there is no way to reliably predict or infer anything, so basically all app cleaning tools are based on common patterns and heuristics, which for some people might work in most cases most of the time.