Uninstall programs from Mac - how does it work?
Uninstall unused programs and apps from your Mac or MacBook to free up space on your hard drive. It's very easy, even without additional software. We'll show you how this works here.
Uninstall programs from macOS X.
To remove software that you did not download from the Mac App Store, do the following:
- Open the "Finder" and select the name of your Mac or MacBook in the left menu bar.
- Click the computer's internal hard drive. By default, this is named "Macintosh HD".
- Select the sub-folder "Programs". There you can see all installed programs.
- Drag and drop the program or program folder into the trash in the dock. This will uninstall the program.
- Then click on the trash with two fingers and select "Empty trash" to finally free up the storage space.
Remove apps from Mac or MacBook
You can remove apps from the Mac App Store in a similar way to iOS using the launchpad. Here's how it works:
- Open the launchpad with the "F4" key.
- Hold down "alt". A small cross appears in the upper left corner of each app and the icons start to shake.
- Click on the cross with the mouse and confirm with a click on "Delete" to remove the corresponding app.
Delete Mac programs using an uninstall tool
Programs leave traces on your Mac even after you delete them. To completely remove a program, you would have to manually search for and delete all auxiliary files. Removing traces is easier with the uninstall program. A free solution is "AppCleaner".
- Install "AppCleaner" and run the program.
- Go to the "Programs" tab and check each program to be deleted. Then click on "Search".
- "AppCleaner" finds all related files and shows them in a list. Click "Delete" to remove the program with all files.
Expert tip: New Mac for more performance
The more programs you use on your MacBook or iMac, the slower your computer will be. But it does not have to be: The latest Mac generations offer enough storage space for thousands of apps and lots of RAM for smooth multitasking.
- Correspondingly equipped iMacs are available for around 1, 000 euros. Our always up-to-date leaderboard with extensive test reports reveals which model you should choose exactly.
- If you prefer to work on the go, get a current MacBook. The best Apple notebooks currently available can be found in our laptop list.
The instructions refer to a MacBook Air 13-inch, Mid 2012 with Mac OS X 10.8.3.