How to Uninstall Google Chrome on a Mac

Why Dragging to the Trash is Not Enough

If you have decided to switch from Google Chrome back to Apple’s native Safari browser (perhaps to improve your MacBook’s battery life or enhance your privacy), you will likely want to remove Chrome completely from your machine.

On a Mac, the standard way to uninstall an application is simply to open the Applications folder, click on the app icon, and drag it into the Trash. However, while this method deletes the main Chrome application file, it leaves behind hundreds of megabytes of hidden data.

Google Chrome creates secret folders deep within your Mac’s system library. These folders contain your saved passwords, browsing history, extensions, and cached website files. If you only drag the main app to the Trash, all of this data remains permanently stranded on your hard drive, wasting space. To completely uninstall Google Chrome, you must manually delete these hidden folders as well.

Step 1: Quit Google Chrome Completely

You cannot delete an application while it is still running in the background.

1. Look at the Dock at the bottom of your screen. If the Google Chrome icon has a small dot underneath it, the app is still running.
2. Right-click (or two-finger click) on the Google Chrome icon in the Dock.
3. Select Quit from the pop-up menu.

Pro Tip: If Chrome is frozen and refuses to quit, press Cmd + Option + Esc, select Google Chrome from the Force Quit window, and click Force Quit.

Step 2: Delete the Main Application

Now that the app is closed, you can delete the primary software file.

1. Open a new Finder window.
2. Click on Applications in the left-hand sidebar.
3. Scroll through the list until you find the Google Chrome app icon.
4. Click and drag the icon down into the Trash in your Dock. (Alternatively, right-click the icon and select Move to Trash).
5. If prompted, enter your Mac’s administrator password to confirm the deletion.

Step 3: Delete the Hidden Library Files (Crucial Step)

This is the most important step to ensure the uninstallation is complete. You need to access a hidden system folder where Chrome stores all of your personal data.

1. Click on an empty space on your desktop so the word Finder appears in the top-left corner of the screen next to the Apple logo.
2. Click on the Go menu at the top of the screen.
3. Hold down the Option (Alt) key on your keyboard. While holding the key, a hidden option called Library will magically appear in the dropdown menu.
4. Click on Library.
5. A new Finder window will open showing a large list of system folders. Do not delete anything here randomly, as it can break other apps.
6. Find and open the folder named Application Support.
7. Find and open the folder named Google.
8. Inside this folder, you will see a folder named Chrome. Right-click on it and select Move to Trash.

By deleting this specific Chrome folder, you have successfully removed all your saved bookmarks, history, extensions, and cached files from your Mac.

Step 4: Empty the Trash

The files you deleted are still technically sitting on your hard drive taking up space inside the Trash bin.

Right-click on the Trash icon in your Dock and select Empty Trash. Your Mac is now completely free of Google Chrome and all its associated data.