When you want to delete software on a Mac, you might think you just need to drag the app icon from your desktop into the Trash. However, macOS handles application data slightly differently depending on exactly where the app was downloaded from. If you do not delete an app properly, massive hidden cache files and broken preference folders can be left behind, silently eating up gigabytes of your valuable hard drive space.
Method 1: Deleting App Store Apps (Launchpad)
If you downloaded the application directly from the official Mac App Store, it is incredibly easy to remove.
- Click the Launchpad icon in your Dock (the grid of colourful squares) or pinch closed with your thumb and three fingers on your trackpad.
- Find the app you want to delete.
- Click and hold down on the app’s icon until all the icons begin to jiggle.
- A small “X” will appear in the top-left corner of the app. Click it.
- A popup will ask you to confirm. Click Delete.
Method 2: Deleting Internet Apps (Finder)
If you downloaded the software from a website (like Google Chrome or Adobe Creative Cloud), it will not have an “X” in Launchpad. You must delete it via the Finder.
- Open a new Finder window.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on the Applications folder.
- Scroll through the list and find the program you want to remove.
- Right-click (or Control-click) on the app’s icon.
- Select Move to Trash from the dropdown menu.
- You may be prompted to enter your Mac login password to confirm the deletion.
- Finally, right-click the Trash icon in your Dock and select Empty Trash to permanently erase the files and recover your storage space.