Uninstall apps
Uninstall Mac apps and the files they leave behind
Dragging an app to the Trash removes the app itself but leaves its caches, preferences and support files in your Library folder. Mint’s Uninstall tab finds those files by the app’s bundle identifier and name, shows each one with its path, and moves the ones you choose to the Trash together with the app.
Removing an app by hand
For an ordinary app you downloaded, Finder is enough. Security tools, VPNs, drivers and hardware utilities often install system components, and those usually come with their own uninstaller, so check the developer’s support page first.
- Quit the app and make sure nothing you are working on still needs it.
- Look on the developer’s website for an official uninstaller and use it if there is one.
- Otherwise, drag the app from Applications to the Trash.
- Restart your Mac if the developer recommends it.
What stays behind
Most apps write to ~/Library as they run, in Application Support, Caches, Preferences, Containers, Saved Application State, WebKit data, logs and launch agents. None of that leaves with the app. Some of it is plain clutter, and some of it, like your preferences, is exactly what you want back if you reinstall later.
A folder with a similar name doesn’t prove it belongs to the app. Developers with several apps often share folders between them, so match files by bundle identifier (something like com.developer.appname) before you delete them.
Uninstalling with Mint
Drop the app onto the Uninstall tab, or click Browse to pick it. Mint scans the usual Library locations and lists every matched file by category, with its path and size. Caches, logs and crash reports start ticked. The app itself, its preferences, support files and containers start unticked, so none of those go unless you tick them. Right-click any row to reveal it in Finder.
If the app or one of its helpers is still running, Mint names them and the button changes to Quit app & move to Trash. Everything you selected goes to the Trash, so you can still put it back. If a file couldn’t be moved, its row tells you why.
Limits worth knowing
Apps that ship with macOS can’t be removed. Mint looks in standard locations, so it can miss files a developer keeps somewhere unusual, and system extensions or drivers are better handled by the developer’s own uninstaller. Uninstall is part of the Direct and Setapp editions. The Mac App Store edition runs in Apple’s sandbox and doesn’t include it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Uninstall available in the Mac App Store edition?
No. It is only in the Direct and Setapp editions, because the sandboxed App Store version can’t reach other apps’ files.
Should I keep an app’s preferences if I plan to reinstall it?
Usually, yes. Preferences and support files hold your settings and local data, so leave them unticked unless you want a clean start.
Can I get an uninstalled app back?
Yes, until you empty the Trash. Mint moves the app and the files you selected there, so you can put them back.
Check an app’s files before you remove it
Drop an app onto Mint’s Uninstall tab, look through what it found, and tick only what should go.