We all like installing new apps on Mac, figuring out how to use them and improving our overall workflow. But the truth is that most of the apps installed on our device won’t be something we use often, or even at all. Narrowing down the best apps and removing the others can be a much better idea. It will allow us to save time, while reclaiming space and not worrying about any issues. With that being said, here’s what you want to know when it comes to reclaiming space on your Mac.
Move the apps to Trash
If you want to know how to delete apps on Mac, a very good idea is to try and move them to trash. You enter the Applications folder, select the app that you want to delete, then press Command + Delete. You can empty the trash and you should be good to go. However, you still need to enter the Library folder and delete agents or all kinds of remaining files that will sometimes be there once you delete an app. That way, you will find it easier to eliminate apps from your device, safely and without that much of a hassle.
Use a Mac cleanup tool
These cleanup tools are excellent because you can delete apps with them automatically. You select the app to uninstall, and the cleanup tool removes the app as well as all of the files related to it. That alone will help quite a bit, and it will only lead to better results in the end. It’s a very good idea to consider this approach, because it totally brings in an excellent result and the outcome as a whole will be second to none.
Uninstalling using Launchpad
A very good way of removing apps from the Mac App Store is via the Launchpad. The idea here is that you enter the Launchpad, find the app that you want to delete, and then you just click and hold on the app until it actually starts shaking. You then click the X at the top-left corner of the app icon and then press Delete. It will help immensely, because you can delete lots of apps this way. However, the method doesn’t remove leftover files, and that’s why you really have to address things in a way that’s effective and comprehensive.
Use the native uninstaller
The thing to note is that these days a lot of apps have their own uninstaller. And that approach is actually a great one, if you want to remove an app. With that being said, the idea of using a native uninstaller is excellent, and it can provide you consistent results. The fact that you can opt for a native uninstaller means the app will automatically remove itself. Will it also remove all the remaining files? Not all the time, so you still have to manually re-check and delete files on your own. But it’s still worth considering, and you have to figure out a powerful way of dealing with that.
Start deleting apps using the Terminal
Using the Terminal isn’t exactly the best option for most people mainly because it can be difficult to do. And if you’re not careful, there is a high chance that you can bring system instability issues. Knowing how to address this issue is not a simple thing, but there are obvious ways of dealing with such problems, and here is what you want to know.
- You go to the Applications folder, you choose Utilities and then open the Terminal
- After that, you enter the command “sudo uninstall file://”
- Drag the app icon into the terminal and then press Return
- You will be asked for the admin credentials
- Then, the app gets deleted
The good thing about this method is that it allows you to delete remaining files as well. So it does bring you a quick way of deleting everything related to the app, which is good in its own right. But as a whole, it’s certainly something to keep in mind, and you will appreciate the outcome a whole lot more than expected.
If an app can’t be removed at all for some reason, you should try to restart your system and then try again. If that still doesn’t work, you may want to back up your Mac, and then disable the System Integrity Protection. Delete the app and enable SIP back again.
Conclusion
It’s always a very difficult situation to not have enough space on your device. But these situations happen more often than you realize. And it’s a very good idea to figure out how to approach such things and implement a cohesive and reliable system to deal with the situation. That’s why we think it’s highly recommended to uninstall your Mac apps this way, as all methods are very useful!
