How to remove old installers from your Mac
Once an app is installed and working, the DMG or PKG file you downloaded is usually safe to delete, and deleting it doesn’t uninstall the app. Keep an installer only when you’d struggle to get that version again, for example an older release that still runs on an old Mac.
TL;DR
- Short answer. Once an app is installed and working, its DMG or PKG is usually safe to delete, and deleting it doesn’t uninstall the app.
- Keep one when. You’d struggle to get that version again, like an older release that still runs on an old Mac.
- With Mint. An installer whose app is already in Applications goes to Safe to clean, whatever its age. Other downloads wait in Yours, where nothing is ticked.
What DMG and PKG files are
A DMG is a disk image. You open it, drag the app into Applications, and the image has done its job. A PKG is an installer package that walks through setup steps and can place files in several spots on your Mac.
Either way, the file you downloaded is separate from the app it installed. Removing it leaves the app where it is.
Finding old installers in Finder
Most installers end up in Downloads, but check any other folder where you keep software.
- Open Downloads in Finder and search for dmg, then do the same for pkg.
- Switch to list view and sort the results by size or by date.
- Eject any disk image that still shows up in the Finder sidebar.
- Move the installers you no longer need to the Trash, and empty it once you’ve checked that the apps still open.
Installers worth keeping
Keep a copy when the developer no longer offers that version or a paid app is hard to download again. It also makes sense for software you might need to install without an internet connection. Store the license details next to the file, and only keep installers that came from a source you trust.
What Mint adds
Mint looks for DMG and PKG files in Downloads and on the Desktop. When an installer’s name matches an app in your Applications folder, it has done its job, so Mint lists it in Safe to clean at any age, already ticked. Clean deletes it outright, and the app stays installed. A disk image that’s still mounted isn’t listed, so eject it first. An installer or archive you already unpacked in the same folder joins them once it has sat there a while.
Every other sizable file in Downloads, including installers for apps you don’t have, is listed in Yours under Downloaded. On the Desktop and in Documents, only files macOS marked as downloaded count. Nothing in Yours is ticked for you, and you can move those rows to the Trash. In the App Store edition this works in the folders you’ve granted Mint access to.
Frequently asked questions
Can I delete a DMG after installing the app?
Usually, yes. Once the app is in Applications and opens normally, the DMG is only the package it came in. Keep it if you might need that exact version offline.
Does deleting an installer uninstall the app?
No. The installer and the installed app are separate, so the app keeps working. Make sure you select the DMG or PKG file and leave the app itself alone.
Find the installers sitting in your folders
Run a scan in Mint, look over the installers it lists, and remove the ones you won’t need again.