How to uninstall applications on a mac everything you need to know

Deleting an app removes it from your Mac hard drive and makes the storage space it was using available for other items. You can delete apps from Launchpad or the Finder.

Use Launchpad to delete an app

Launchpad offers a convenient way to delete apps that were downloaded from the App Store.

1. To open Launchpad, click it in the Dock or open it from your Applications folder. You can also pinch closed with your thumb and three fingers on your trackpad.
2. If you don’t see the app in Launchpad, type its name in the search field at the top of the screen. Or swipe right or left with two fingers on your trackpad to show the next or previous page.
3. Press and hold the Option (⌥) key, or click and hold any app until the apps jiggle.
4. Click next to the app that you want to delete, then click Delete to confirm. The app is deleted immediately. Apps that don’t show either didn’t come from the App Store or are required by your Mac. To delete an app that didn’t come from the App Store, use the Finder instead.

Deleting an app doesn’t cancel any subscription you may have purchased with that app. Learn how to cancel subscriptions for apps that were downloaded from the App Store.

Use the Finder to delete an app

1. Locate the app in the Finder. Most apps are in your Applications folder, which you can open by clicking Applications in the sidebar of any Finder window. Or use Spotlight to find the app, then press and hold the Command (⌘) key while double-clicking the app in Spotlight.
2. Drag the app to the Trash, or select the app and choose File > Move to Trash.
3. If you’re asked for a user name and password, enter the name and password of an administrator account on your Mac. This is probably the name and password you use to log in to your Mac.
4. To delete the app, choose Finder > Empty Trash.

Learn more

To use an app again after deleting it, either reinstall it or restore it from a backup.

• To reinstall apps that were installed as part of macOS, reinstall macOS. This applies to apps such as Safari, iTunes, Books, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and FaceTime.
• You can also redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books that were installed from the App Store, iTunes Store, or Apple Books.

Apple is one of the premier and most sought after brand when it comes to technology. Their signature iPhone, iPad, iPod, and MacBook invite a long queue whenever a new version is launched. It is, therefore, no wonder that a lot of people might end up facing the same problem, specifically memory issue in phone, tab or laptops.

It is not possible to upgrade to a new model every time there is a new launch, however, what is feasible is that you can make space in your iPhone or MacBook for it to function smoothly.

More often than not, people download many apps on their mobile or laptop which in the long run occupy more space than is essential. This causes the system to slow down, interrupting essential work. Handing over your phone to a kid or an adolescent can often lead to a memory shortage in your Mac, leading you to frustration as applications may take an eternity to open.

This issue can be taken care of by not just deleting the apps but also uninstalling them. However, not all people are tech savvy and can manage to uninstall unwanted apps on MacBook. Here’s a guide to help you clean up disc space on your Mac.

Table of Contents

Tips for Uninstalling Apps on Mac

Uninstalling apps is sometimes essential for upgrading to a better and latest software. Though uninstalling software on Mac OS X is as simple as deleting the program in the applications folder, the residual files keep occupying disc space. It is therefore extremely important to remove all components of the application from the system.

The various components include, apart from the application, the help products, hidden files and/or kernel extensions. Many Mac users are found guilty of downloading a large number of apps which often go unused, just occupying a large amount of storage space.

You can easily find out large Mac programs which you hardly use and uninstall them to free disc space in your system. Here are a few important tips to help you uninstall programs on Mac.

• While installing any new app or program on your Mac, make a note of the uninstalling instructions.
• Ensure that the trash is empty or doesn’t contain any file you would require later before you initiate the uninstalling process.
• Always log on as the computer’s administrator while uninstalling apps.
• If opting for 3 rd party uninstall, read the fine print, as some developers charge for their software.
• Often file sharing takes place between suites of software from a single developer. In this case, it is important to remove files carefully as it may affect other programs too.
• If even after uninstalling of program, the icon is still seen in the dock, you can simply drag it off the dock to remove it completely.
• You can leave the preference files in case you ever want to reinstall the same software at a later time. In this case, you would not be required to set the preferences.

1] How is Deleting Apps in Mac Different from that in Windows?

Having a number of apps on the system invariably leads to it slowing down. In the case of Windows, programs are installed and often even removed using special installing systems.

Due to some flaws in the OS, software developers were able to install fragmented pieces of their apps across the C: boot drive. The obvious disadvantages include security concerns as well as difficulty in uninstalling executable programs in Windows.

Unlike Windows, Mac functions differently. The UNIX way of separating system files in MacOS X launched by Apple in 2001 from user’s working space is different from Windows drastically.

Programs are usually stored in the/Application directory, or stored in

/Library/Preferences. Additional supporting files are stored in

/Library/Application Support and /Library/Application Support. The apps are generally found in the Application folder.

The application can be launched by double-clicking on the app’s icon or clicking once on the shortcut in the Dock. To uninstall any app in MacOS, all you need to do is simply drag the app to the bin (Trash). However, some Mac programs are stubborn and are difficult to get rid of.

2] How to Completely Remove a Program in Mac?

Though deleting programs is extremely easy in Mac compared to Windows, sometimes it is not enough. To make space on your Mac and speed it up, you need to completely delete or uninstall unwanted programs from Mac. This is so because sometimes, apps might have few files scattered around at different places on the Mac.

In such a case, you are required to delete the preference files of the app from the Library folder on your Mac. Follow these steps to completely remove the program from Mac:

1. Access the Library folder (it is hidden by default in Mac OS X 10.6 but can be easily revealed), open the folder and click on the Go drop-down menu seen in the top bar; press and hold the Option/Alt key.
2. Click on the Library option (appears between Home and Computer in the dropdown) to open the folder.
3. Scroll through the entire folder and search for the folder related to the application you wish to uninstall.
4. Open Application Support directories through the finder. Search the folder containing all data relevant to the app you want to delete.

3] Apps for Deleting Programs in Mac

If things were as easy as they sound, life wouldn’t be that difficult. Deleting apps is easier said than done. Finding remnants of the program in obscure corners of the computer, sifting through numerous files looking for a particular folder requires infinite levels of patience.

Some of the files are created by programs on the hard disk which are invisible. Finding and deleting them is a difficult task. However, there are a number of free software programs that can help you with removing any app of your Mac. Some popular one includes Appcleaner, Uninstaller, AppZapper, CleanApp, AppTrap, AppDeleteand RAW App Remover.

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About the author

Ishi Agarwal

Ishi is a Professional Content writer and an Editor. She loves curating articles on various niches to spread awareness among her readers based on her research. When she is not writing, she loves baking and is a professional chocolatier. She researches not only on technical niches but has also written many blogs on fashion, travel and self-help.

Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He’s written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami’s NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times—and that’s just here at How-To Geek. Read more.

Uninstalling an app on a Mac is so easy, you might not even realize how to do it: just drag the app’s icon from the Applications folder into the trash. But what about applications that don’t have shortcuts, built-in system apps, and other corner cases?

This will cover most situations, but not all of them. This method leaves some junk behind, for example, but it’s mostly okay to leave it there. Some other apps may have different uninstall processes, too. So let’s look at all the different things you need to know when it comes to uninstalling applications.

How to Uninstall Most Mac Applications

Most Mac applications are self-contained items that don’t mess with the rest of your system. Uninstalling an application is as simple as opening a Finder window, clicking “Applications” in the sidebar, Control-clicking or right-clicking the application’s icon, and selecting “Move to Trash.”

You can also drag-and-drop an application’s icon to the trash can icon on your dock. Or, open the Launchpad interface and drag-and-drop an application’s icon to the trash can from there.

Most applications will go straight to your trash, and you can then Control-click or right-click the trash can icon on your dock and select “Empty Trash” to get rid of that application and all the other files you’ve deleted.

However, some applications will prompt you for a password when you try to move them to the trash. These applications were installed using the Mac package installer. Uninstalling them will remove whatever system-wide changes they made.

Note that you can’t remove built-in applications by doing this. For example, try to move the Chess app to the trash and you’ll see a message saying, “Chess can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by OS X.”

How to Remove Left Behind Files

The above method doesn’t actually erase an application’s preferences. Erase an application and it will leave preference files left over in your Library folders. Most of the time, these files will use very little space and won’t cause a problem. The preferences will still be available on your Mac, too — this is convenient if you’re uninstalling an app only to replace it with a newer version of the same app, or if you reinstall the app later down the line. It’ll keep all your preferences from when you had it installed before.

If you absolutely must remove those files (say, if you want to reset an app to its default settings), you can use a handy app called AppCleaner to fully uninstall an app, along with all its extra files. Just launch AppCleaner, search for an application in its main window, and click on it, then click the “Remove” button in the popup window that appears.

How to Uninstall Apps That Don’t Appear in Your Applications Folder

But what about applications that don’t appear here? For example, install the Flash plug-in for Mac OS X, or the Java runtime and browser plug-in for Mac, and neither will appear in your Applications folder.

On Windows, that’s no problem — the Control Panel shows a list of all your installed programs, even ones without shortcuts. On a Mac, there’s no interface that lists all your installed software so it’s tough to even notice if you have this stuff installed.

Some applications must be removed in other ways, and you’ll generally find instructions by simply performing a web search for “uninstall [program name] mac”. For example, Adobe offers a separate uninstaller app you need to download and run to uninstall Flash on a Mac.

Oracle is even worse and doesn’t provide an easy app that will uninstall Java from Mac OS X for you. Instead, Oracle instructs you to run several terminal commands to uninstall Java after installing it. Here’s how to uninstall the Java runtime and development kit.

Come on, Oracle — at least provide a downloadable uninstaller like Adobe does.

Other software applications may provide their own downloadable uninstallers or uninstallation instructions, so perform a web search if you’re not sure how to uninstall something and you’ll find instructions.

How to Uninstall Adware and Other Crapware

Macs are now falling prey to the same epidemic of crapware Windows PCs have to deal with. The same free application download websites that serve this junk up to Windows users are serving similar junk to Mac users.

On a Windows PC, most “reputable” adware provides an uninstaller that sits in the Programs and Features list, allowing users to easily uninstall it for legal reasons. On a Mac, adware programs don’t have a similar place to list themselves in. They may want you to download and run an uninstaller app to remove them, if you can even figure out which ones you have installed.

We recommend the completely free Malwarebytes for Mac if you need to purge your Mac of crapware and even Mac malware. It’ll scan your Mac for junk applications and remove them for you.

How to Remove Built-in System Apps

Macs also have no way to uninstall or install operating system features, so there’s no way to easily remove the many applications Apple included with your Mac.

On OS X 10.10 Yosemite and earlier, it was possible to open a terminal window and issue commands to delete these system apps, which are located in the /Applications folder. For example, running the following command in a terminal window would delete the built-in Chess app. Be very careful when typing the following command:

As of Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan, System Integrity Protection protects these applications and other system files from being modified. This prevents you from deleting them, and it also ensures malware can’t modify these applications and infect them.

If you actually did want to remove any of these built-in apps from your Mac, you’d have to disable System Integrity Protection first. We don’t recommend that. However, you can re-enable SIP after and your Mac won’t mind that you’ve deleted Chess.app and other built-in system apps.

Really, we recommend you don’t do this. Mac OS X may automatically reinstall these applications in the future when you update the system, anyway. They don’t take up much space, and Apple provides no way to get them back beyond reinstalling OS X on your Mac.

By Dylan Lockwood 29 December 2020

Uninstall unwanted applications on your MacBook device with just a few simple steps

You may want to uninstall an application on your MacBook for a number of reasons. Perhaps an application you installed long ago is taking up too much space on your desktop. Maybe you downloaded a game that you no longer play and wish to get rid of it. Whatever your reasoning may be, you need to delete a previously installed application from your MacBook, and this tutorial will show you how to do just that.

Note, for this tutorial, I used a MacBook Air (early 2015) model. This tutorial will work up to the latest modeled MacBook Air: the 2020 MacBook Air with the M1 chip.

How to uninstall apps on a MacBook

First, navigate down to the Finder tab on your toolbar and click on the icon.

Once in the Finder tool, navigate to the top of your screen and click on the Go menu. Once in the Go menu, scroll down to the Applications hyperlink and click on it.

Once you have clicked on the Application hyperlink, scroll down to the application that you wish to uninstall. In this example, I will be deleting the gaming client Steam. Right-click on the icon and scroll down to the “Move to Trash” hyperlink. Click on it.

Once the application is in the trash, move down to the trash bin in your toolbar. Right-click on the trash bin.

Once you have right-clicked on the trash bin, you will be prompted with the “Empty Trash” hyperlink. Click on the hyperlink in order to remove your trash.

A prompt asking, “Are you sure you want to permanently erase the items in the Trash?” will appear. Click “Empty Trash.”

After you click on “Empty Trash,“ open your trash bin again to be sure that it was emptied. If your trash bin has been emptied, then the unwanted application was successfully uninstalled.

Lately the update of URL Extractor has been released, supporting the latest macOS. I guess many users have been using it. Meanwhile you may still be using the older version and getting on the path to join them, so this article can be quite helpful – before you install the latest version of URL Extractor, a complete removal is suggested. And since it could be a bit complicated to fully remove URL Extractor, I’ll explain the how this application is installed and how the system manages the files under the following subtitles.

A macOS App contains several types of files, among which these 5 are relatively important:

plist files are the Mac version of preference files. Similar to .ini files on Windows. They contain the preferences for a particular program. For example the bookmarks.plist would contain your bookmarks.

2. framework files

A framework is a hierarchical directory that encapsulates shared resources, such as a dynamic shared library, nib files, image files, localized strings, header files, and reference documentation in a single package. Multiple applications can use all of these resources simultaneously. The system loads them into memory as needed and shares the one copy of the resource among all applications whenever possible.

Most of an app’s functionality is implemented in libraries of executable code. When an app is linked with a library using a static linker, the code that the app uses is copied to the generated executable file. A static linker collects compiled source code, known as object code, and library code into one executable file that is loaded into memory in its entirety at runtime. The kind of library that becomes part of an app’s executable file is known as a static library. Static libraries are collections or archives of object files.

Kext files are essentially drivers for Mac OS X. “Kext” stands for Kernel Extension; kext files “extend” Mac OS X’s kernel, the core part of the operating system, by providing additional code to be loaded when your computer boots.

5. Unix executable files

Executable files contain code that is run when the file is opened. macOS applications, scripts, and macros are all considered executable files. Since these file types run code when opened, unknown executable files, such as those received as e-mail attachements, should not be opened.

During the use of an macOS App, more files can be generated in different folders:

• 1> logs files
• /Library/logs

/Library/logs

• 2> Application Support
• /Library/Application Support

  /Library/Application Support

• 3> Preferences files
• /Library/Preferences

  /Library/Preferences

• 4> Daemons/Agent
• /Library/LaunchAgents
• Library/Application Support

• 5> PreferencePanes
• /Library/PreferencePanes

  /Library/PreferencePanes

• 6> StartupItems files
• /Library/StartupItems

  /Library/StartupItems

• 7> Exetensions files
• /Library/Extensions
• /System/Library/Extensions

If you understand the above knowledge, you’ll know how to completely remove URL Extractor by locating and deleting the associated files/folders.

How to search for files on macOS? Through either the Finder or the Spotlight. Then you need to make sure whether they belong to URL Extractor. If they do, delete them. In general cases, macOS doesn’t display the hidden files/folders as default, but you can still eliminate them by using the “ls -al” and “rm” commands. Most users, however, are not tech-savvy enough to fulfill such tasks. So you may ask: is there a simpler way to remove URL Extractor?

Mac OS X offers no “Uninstall a program” interface like the one available in Windows. You have to uninstall applications by dragging their icons around — but what about applications that don’t have shortcuts, built-in system apps, and other corner cases?

Uninstalling most Mac applications is a simple process. But, for some applications, uninstalling them is much harder than it is on Windows. Thankfully, there aren’t as many ways to uninstall them as there are ways to install applications on a Mac.

Most Mac applications are self-contained items that don’t mess with the rest of your system. Uninstalling an application is as simple as opening a Finder window, clicking “Applications” in the sidebar, Control-clicking or right-clicking the application’s icon, and selecting “Move to Trash.”

You can also drag-and-drop an application’s icon to the trash can icon on your dock. Or, open the Launchpad interface and drag-and-drop an application’s icon to the trash can from there.

Most applications will go straight to your trash, and you can then Control-click or right-click the trash can icon on your dock and select “Empty Trash” to get rid of that application and all the other files you’ve deleted.

However, some applications will prompt you for a password when you try to move them to the trash. These applications were installed using the Mac package installer. Uninstalling them will remove whatever system-wide changes they made.

Note that you can’t remove built-in applications by doing this. For example, try to move the Chess app to the trash and you’ll see a message saying, “Chess can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by OS X.”

Applications That Don’t Appear Here

But what about applications that don’t appear here? For example, install the Flash plug-in for Mac OS X, or the Java runtime and browser plug-in for Mac, and neither will appear in your Applications folder.

On Windows, that’s no problem — the Control Panel shows a list of all your installed programs, even ones without shortcuts. On a Mac, there’s no interface that lists all your installed software so it’s tough to even notice if you have this stuff installed.

Some applications must be removed in other ways, and you’ll generally find instructions by simply performing a web search for “uninstall [program name] mac”. For example, Adobe offers a separate uninstaller app you need to download and run to uninstall Flash on a Mac.

Oracle is even worse and doesn’t provide an easy app that will uninstall Java from Mac OS X for you. Instead, Oracle instructs you to run several terminal commands to uninstall Java after installing it. Here’s how to uninstall the Java runtime and development kit.

Come on, Oracle — at least provide a downloadable uninstaller like Adobe does

Other software applications may provide their own downloadable uninstallers or uninstallation instructions, so perform a web search if you’re not sure how to uninstall something and you’ll find instructions.

Uninstall Adware and Other Crapware

Macs are now falling prey to the same epidemic of crapware Windows PCs have to deal with. The same free application download websites that serve this junk up to Windows users are serving similar junk to Mac users.

On a Windows PC, most “reputable” adware provides an uninstaller that sits in the Programs and Features list, allowing users to easily uninstall it for legal reasons. On a Mac, adware programs don’t have a similar place to list themselves in. They may want you to download and run an uninstaller app to remove them, if you can even figure out which ones you have installed.

We recommend the completely free Malwarebytes for Mac if you need to purge your Mac of crapware and even Mac malware. It’ll scan your Mac for junk applications and remove them for you.

Remove Built-in System Apps

Macs also have no way to uninstall or install operating system features, so there’s no way to easily remove the many applications Apple included with your Mac.

On OS X 10.10 Yosemite and earlier, it was possible to open a terminal window and issue commands to delete these system apps, which are located in the /Applications folder. For example, running the following command in a terminal window would delete the built-in Chess app. Be very careful when typing the following command:

sudo rm -rf /Applications/Chess.app

As of Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan, System Integrity Protection protects these applications and other system files from being modified. This prevents you from deleting them, and it also ensures malware can’t modify these applications and infect them.

f you actually did want to remove any of these built-in apps from your Mac, you’d have to disable System Integrity Protection first. We don’t recommend that. However, you can re-enable SIP after and your Mac won’t mind that you’ve deleted Chess.app and other built-in system apps.

Really, we recommend you don’t do this. Mac OS X may automatically reinstall these applications in the future when you update the system, anyway. They don’t take up much space, and Apple provides no way to get them back beyond reinstalling OS X on your Mac.

This doesn’t actually erase an application’s preferences. Erase an application and it will leave preference files left over in your Library folders. Most of the time, these files will use very little space and won’t cause a problem. The preferences will still be available on your Mac, too — this is convenient if you’re uninstalling an app only to replace it with a newer version of the same app.

How to Install Applications On a Mac: Everything You Need to Know
Installing software on a Mac is different from installing software on Windows. There isn’t just one way to install applications.. . [Read Article]

How to Uninstall Java on Mac OS X
Java is, and always has been, the source of many woes. And security holes. Lots of security holes. There’s really. [Read Article]

How to Remove Malware and Adware From Your Mac
Yes, Macs can get malware. Beyond traditional viruses, worms, and Trojans, there’s now a thriving ecosystem of adware and spyware. [Read Article]

How to Disable System Integrity Protection on a Mac (and Why You Shouldn’t)
Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan protects system files and processes with a new feature named System Integrity Protection. SIP. [Read Article]

How to Uninstall Most Mac Applications

Most Mac applications are self-contained items that don’t mess with the rest of your system. Uninstalling an application is as simple as opening a Finder window, clicking “Applications” in the sidebar, Control-clicking or right-clicking the application’s icon, and selecting “Move to Trash.”

You can also drag-and-drop an application’s icon to the trash can icon on your dock. Or, open the Launchpad interface and drag-and-drop an application’s icon to the trash can from there.

Most applications will go straight to your trash, and you can then Control-click or right-click the trash can icon on your dock and select “Empty Trash” to get rid of that application and all the other files you’ve deleted.

However, some applications will prompt you for a password when you try to move them to the trash. These applications were installed using the Mac package installer. Uninstalling them will remove whatever system-wide changes they made.

Note that you can’t remove built-in applications by doing this. For example, try to move the Chess app to the trash and you’ll see a message saying, “Chess can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by OS X.”

I was surprised by how quickly the hard drive on my Macbook filled up. Without even noticing it, I had quickly built up gigabytes junk files I didn’t know what to do with and apps that I had ended up not using. When I started running out of room for my photos and music, I knew I had to do something.

That’s when I decided to try an uninstaller. An uninstaller is a piece of software designed to remove unwanted items from your hard drive completely. A good uninstaller can even identify files that are associated with an unwanted app and dispose of them, too. I decided to try AppCleaner, a straightforward uninstaller app. Here’s how it went.

AppCleaner features

AppCleaner focuses on one thing: getting rid of unwanted apps and files completely. First and foremost, it’s very easy to use: all you have to do is click, drag, and drop.

Here’s how a basic AppCleaner cleanup works:

1. Open the AppCleaner app from the Dock or the Applications folder.
2. Drag the application you want to delete into the AppCleaner window or switch to the list view to select unwanted apps from a list.
3. Once you’ve selected the unwanted app, check the box next to each file you’d like to remove, then click the “remove” button.
4. Now, your chosen app is fully deleted!

What’s more: AppCleaner’s features don’t stop there. The “list” feature also lets you review Widgets and Plugins, which can take up a significant amount of space on your Mac. This uninstaller stands out for its thoroughness and flexibility; because it doesn’t automate much, you get a lot of individual control over which files you’re deleting.

The app also has tools to help make sure that you delete everything associated with an unwanted app. Its SmartDelete feature can be toggled on and off in the Preferences menu. This handy tool notices when you move an application to the Trash, and automatically detects any files related to that app. Then, it prompts you to delete those files as well.

When using an uninstaller, it’s important to protect the things you do want to keep. If you have applications that you’ll never want to delete, you can tell AppCleaner to ignore them altogether. The software’s Protected Apps list ensures that you won’t delete any crucial apps or files. The list is found in your Preferences tab, and it’s a snap to add and remove applications and their associated files.

What makes AppCleaner Unique?

I found AppCleaner very straightforward and easy to use, making the uninstallation process fast and efficient. Here’s where AppCleaner really stands apart:

1. Control: Rather than deleting all associated files in one stroke, the AppCleaner app lets you individually check files before you remove them. This made the process worry-free—if I wasn’t sure about a file, I could just hang on to it for later.
2. Speed: The drag-and-drop feature made it easy to pull up groups of files and delete them just by pulling the main application file into the AppCleaner window. This definitely beats using Finder to hunt them down individually.
3. Cleanliness: I like a neat desktop, and I like to be able to see what I’m doing. AppCleaner’s compact window lets me keep it open in the background in case I need it without obscuring other windows. Overall, it’s nicely designed and highly responsive.

The one drawback I found was that the app was too focused. Its tools all revolve around uninstalling—while there were times when I would have liked to know how much space I had freed up or which apps were taking up too much energy, AppCleaner didn’t tell me. I found myself at times wishing that there had been a wider set of features combined with the uninstaller, which would have made it a more effective tool.

I like how CleanMyMac X presents the list of apps I have on my Mac and categorizes the files, including apps leftovers, that needs to be removed. Find out more about it here.

Is AppCleaner safe?

When entrusting your files to an uninstaller, it’s always a good idea to make sure the software is safe and secure. AppCleaner is a fairly small and unobtrusive app and is fundamentally safe to use. However, it is a third-party app that has not been authorized by Apple, which means that it may run into compatibility problems with newer iOS operating systems.

A good rule of thumb with third-party apps is to try to find them through the App Store first. If like AppCleaner, an app isn’t available through the App Store, the best option is to download it directly from the developer’s website. This can help ensure that you get only the app you’re looking for (and that other distributors haven’t bundled it with unwanted or harmful software).

You can also make the app more secure by ensuring that you’re constantly using the most updated version. AppCleaner has the option to automatically check for updates and prompts you when new versions become available. This is a great way to reduce any vulnerabilities that third-party apps like this one might present.

If you were looking for a versatile cleaning tool, CleanMyMac X can prove useful. It’s fully authorized by Apple, which means it will always remain compatible with iOS Catalina and future operating systems. Plus, CleanMyMac X can actively scan your Mac for malware and other security threats to uninstall. Try it for free here.

AppCleaner review: The verdict

In the end, AppCleaner is great at what it does. It allows you to uninstall your apps for good and prevent the app-related data from cluttering your Mac. If your aim is to delete programs and apps you haven’t used for a while, AppCleaner is the right choice.

For those who want to get a bigger picture of Mac’s hard drive’s health, I recommend using CleanMyMac X. It combines an effective uninstaller with a number of other tools that can be used to analyze your Mac. Its Space Lens tool and Optimization tab, for example, can help you choose which files to delete to help your Mac reach maximum performance.

Lately the update of YaxJournal 1.0.5 has been released, supporting the latest macOS. I guess many users have been using it. Meanwhile you may still be using the older version and getting on the path to join them, so this article can be quite helpful – before you install the latest version of YaxJournal 1.0.5, a complete removal is suggested. And since it could be a bit complicated to fully remove YaxJournal 1.0.5, I’ll explain the how this application is installed and how the system manages the files under the following subtitles.

A macOS App contains several types of files, among which these 5 are relatively important:

plist files are the Mac version of preference files. Similar to .ini files on Windows. They contain the preferences for a particular program. For example the bookmarks.plist would contain your bookmarks.

2. framework files

A framework is a hierarchical directory that encapsulates shared resources, such as a dynamic shared library, nib files, image files, localized strings, header files, and reference documentation in a single package. Multiple applications can use all of these resources simultaneously. The system loads them into memory as needed and shares the one copy of the resource among all applications whenever possible.

Most of an app’s functionality is implemented in libraries of executable code. When an app is linked with a library using a static linker, the code that the app uses is copied to the generated executable file. A static linker collects compiled source code, known as object code, and library code into one executable file that is loaded into memory in its entirety at runtime. The kind of library that becomes part of an app’s executable file is known as a static library. Static libraries are collections or archives of object files.

Kext files are essentially drivers for Mac OS X. “Kext” stands for Kernel Extension; kext files “extend” Mac OS X’s kernel, the core part of the operating system, by providing additional code to be loaded when your computer boots.

5. Unix executable files

Executable files contain code that is run when the file is opened. macOS applications, scripts, and macros are all considered executable files. Since these file types run code when opened, unknown executable files, such as those received as e-mail attachements, should not be opened.

During the use of an macOS App, more files can be generated in different folders:

• 1> logs files
• /Library/logs

/Library/logs

• 2> Application Support
• /Library/Application Support

  /Library/Application Support

• 3> Preferences files
• /Library/Preferences

  /Library/Preferences

• 4> Daemons/Agent
• /Library/LaunchAgents
• Library/Application Support

• 5> PreferencePanes
• /Library/PreferencePanes

  /Library/PreferencePanes

• 6> StartupItems files
• /Library/StartupItems

  /Library/StartupItems

• 7> Exetensions files
• /Library/Extensions
• /System/Library/Extensions

If you understand the above knowledge, you’ll know how to completely remove YaxJournal 1.0.5 by locating and deleting the associated files/folders.

How to search for files on macOS? Through either the Finder or the Spotlight. Then you need to make sure whether they belong to YaxJournal 1.0.5. If they do, delete them. In general cases, macOS doesn’t display the hidden files/folders as default, but you can still eliminate them by using the “ls -al” and “rm” commands. Most users, however, are not tech-savvy enough to fulfill such tasks. So you may ask: is there a simpler way to remove YaxJournal 1.0.5?