Know how do I uninstall a program on a mac: When you are no longer using an application, the best thing you can do is delete it. But it is not always an easy process with Apple’s macOS operating system. Learn with us how do I uninstall a program on a Mac or MacBook and delete it forever.
Those who have used a Windows computer practically all their lives will especially notice the differences that exist when uninstalling a program on a Mac or MacBook, especially since sometimes the process is not as easy as we would like.
Those who have used a Windows computer for practically all their lives will undoubtedly notice the differences when uninstalling programs on Mac, especially since sometimes the process is not as simple as we would like. After knowing how to format a hard drive on Mac, knowing how to remove viruses on Mac, how to connect the Mac to an external screen, or how to clean the keyboard of the MacBook, today we will address the problem of removing programs on Mac.
And it is that probably more than one will have wondered how to uninstall applications on Mac and will have thought that you just have to throw them in the trash and delete them directly. But it will not be.
Therefore, with this article, we will teach that there is always a way to permanently remove an application, which will help free up storage space and, consequently, improve the performance of your Apple computer.
Not surprisingly, this method could save us from having to format the device from scratch in the future or face such annoying inconveniences as a MacBook that does not start or a Mac that hangs frequently.
Applications on Mac
In macOS, there are two types of applications: those that have their own installer and those that are containers. Within the former, the Adobe package can be mentioned, and in the latter, most (Affinity Photo, Imagewell).
Logically, this affects when uninstalling them. For example, dragging the Photoshop app icon to the trash would leave us with a large number of “junk” files. Something similar happens in container applications, but not as problematic.
Uninstall programs on Mac easily
And it is that in Windows, the user has to use installers specifically designed for each software. This is mainly due to system security reasons since developers, in the beginning, could install parts of their program in different locations on the C: disk of the computer. However, Apple avoided such a problem by separating the system files with the user’s workspace.
With this article, then, we will demonstrate that there is always a way to remove an application permanently. This will help you free up storage space and thus improve the performance of your Apple device.
In fact, this method can save us from having to format the computer from scratch in the future or facing problems as annoying as a Mac that hangs frequently or a MacBook that doesn’t start.
How do I uninstall a program on a Mac or MacBook – With 2 Steps
In Windows, both to install and uninstall programs, the user needs to use installers specifically designed for each software. This is especially so for system security reasons.
In its early days, application developers could install bits of their program here and there on the C: disk of your computer. Instead, in the case of Apple, they avoided that by separating the system files with the user’s workspace.
Step 1. Locate the program in the ‘Applications’ folder
Installed programs are usually automatically saved to the ‘Applications’ folder. To access it, all you have to do is open your ‘ Finder’ folder and select the ‘Applications‘ folder from the menu on the left.
In this folder, you will be able to recognize all the apps using its icon, which will allow you to open the program when you double-click on it. Now, this icon is also a kind of package with all the necessary files that will allow you to use the app.
It is precisely this that in a single icon, all the information related to the program is condensed, which means that to uninstall an application, you only have to transfer the said icon to the ‘Trash.’
To do so, you can simply drag the application to the trash icon in your Dock or select the ‘Move to Trash’ option from the drop-down menu that you will see when you right-click on the icon.
This process works with virtually all programs. In some cases, you may have to confirm the action by entering the password that is associated with the computer administrator‘s user account.
Step 2. Remove preferences
To uninstall programs on Mac, you should also know that when installing an application, the user’s preferences are saved in ‘Library / Preferences,’ so it is recommended to delete this information. Therefore, you have to go to the ‘Library’ folder.
If we have installed a version of the Mac OS X 10.3 or higher operating system, we will probably see that the folder is hidden. To see it, you have to follow these steps:
- Open the ‘Finder’ by clicking on the smiley icon in the Dock.
- Select ‘Go’ from the toolbar at the top of the screen. Then, click on ‘Go to Folder.’
- Finally, type ‘~ / Library’ in the search bar and hit ‘Go.’
Alternatively, this process can be followed:
- Open the Mac ‘Finder’ by clicking the smiley icon in the Dock.
- Hold down the ‘Alt’ key and choose the ‘Go’ option from the drop-down menu that will open at the top of the screen.
- Finally, locate the ‘~ / Library’ folder on the left.
Also, some files are usually also saved in ‘Library / Application Support,’ so it is advisable to do the same procedure also for this type of file.
Exceptions
There are different programs that cannot be uninstalled as easily, such as tools such as MacKeeper or Adobe and Microsoft suites for Mac. Precisely, MacKeeper complicates this process because downloading it installs files in places that are so difficult to access that even its own uninstaller does not, you can delete.
That’s why you have to be careful when uninstalling programs on Mac, since when installing a third-party application, it is recommended to have an antivirus that protects the computer, in addition to knowing how to prevent malicious content (malware) from infecting the Mac.
