How To Delete Apps On Mac That Won’t Delete

To delete apps on a Mac that won’t delete, you need to follow a series of straightforward steps to ensure the app is fully closed and removed from your system. This guide provides clear instructions to help you uninstall stubborn Mac applications efficiently.

Open Force Quit to Close the App

Sometimes apps won’t delete because they are still running in the background.

• Press Command + Option + Escape simultaneously to open the Force Quit Applications window.
• Select the app you want to remove and click Force Quit to close it.
• Alternatively, you can open the Apple menu and select Force Quit.
  Closing the app ensures it’s no longer in use, which is a common reason why deletion attempts fail.

Delete the App via Finder

Once the app is closed:

• Open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder.
• Find the app you want to delete and drag it to the Trash icon in the Dock.
• After dragging the app, right-click the Trash and select Empty Trash to permanently remove the app.

This method works for most apps and is the easiest way to uninstall programs on macOS.

Use Launchpad for Deleting Apps

If the app was installed via the App Store:

• Open Launchpad from the Dock or by pressing the F4 key.
• Click and hold the app’s icon until it starts to jiggle.
• Click the X button that appears on the app to delete it.
  If the X button is not visible, the app may not be deletable via Launchpad, so proceed with Finder or other methods.

Force Delete via Terminal for Stubborn Apps

If the app still refuses to delete, you can use Terminal commands for a force uninstall:

• Open Terminal (press Command + Space, type “Terminal,” and press Enter).
• Type cd /Applications and press Enter to go to the Applications folder.
• To see all apps, type ls and press Enter.
• Find the exact app name (e.g., MyApp.app) and type the command:
  sudo rm -rf MyApp.app
• Enter your administrator password when prompted (no characters will show while typing).
• Press Enter to delete the app forcibly.

Be extremely careful with the rm -rf command—it deletes files permanently and immediately.

Remove Leftover Files Manually

After deleting the app, some configuration files and caches may remain:

• Open Finder and press Command + Shift + G to open the “Go to Folder” window.
• Enter the following paths individually and look for files or folders related to the deleted app, then move them to Trash:
  • ~/Library/Application Support/
  • ~/Library/Caches/
  • ~/Library/Preferences/
  • ~/Library/Saved Application State/
  • ~/Library/Logs/
    Deleting leftover files can help free up space and avoid conflicts if you reinstall the app later.

Restart Your Mac

Sometimes the app’s icon or related processes linger even after deletion. Restarting your Mac will refresh the system and clear residual data.

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Following these steps ensures you completely delete apps on your Mac, even when they initially refuse to uninstall. Remember to always back up important data before using force delete methods and exercise caution when removing files manually.