How Do I Properly Uninstall Apps on MacBook Pro?

General
1

I’m a longtime Mac user who has been using Mac since System 6. There’s a question I’ve been thinking about for a long time. In older systems (7 - 9), you can drag an application to the Trash to delete everything related to it. But now, I’m running macOS 15.2. It’s the rule still the same? I know I can drag the app to the Trash to delete it but does this remove everything about it?

2

Dragging an app to the Trash no longer deletes everything associated with it. It only removes the program file, leaving the preference files, logs, caches, cookies, and other support files behind.

3

To properly or completely uninstall apps on your MacBook Pro, you can first look for the built-in Uninstall button for the app. This should remove everything related to the app.

If there isn’t any, drag the app to the Trash to remove its program file.

Then check the following locations to see if there’s leftover. Follow these steps:

  1. In Finder, press the Cmd+Shift+G shortcut.
  2. In the window that appears, type ~/Library and hit Enter.
  3. Within the Library folder, find and delete all files and folders that are associated with the removed app. Check these most common system file storages:

~/Library/Application Support

~/Library/Caches

~/Library/Logs

~/Library/Preferences

~/Library/Containers

~/Library/Cookies

4

If you want a one-stop solution, use iBoysoft Cleaner. This app uninstaller can automatically find the app and files related to it, allowing you to easily uninstall an app completely.