The simplest way to delete an app

Open Finder — the blue and white folder icon in your dock at the bottom of the screen. Click Applications in the left sidebar. Find the app you want to remove, right-click it, and select Move to Trash. That's it. The app is gone.

If you don't see Applications in the sidebar, click Finder at the top left, then Settings, then Sidebar, and check the box next to Applications. Now it will appear.

After you move an app to Trash, it still takes up space on your Mac until you empty the Trash. To do that, right-click the Trash icon in your dock and select Empty Trash. Once you confirm, the app is permanently deleted and the space is freed up.

Key Takeaways

  • The fastest way to delete an app is to open Finder, go to Applications, right-click the app, and select Move to Trash.
  • Moving an app to Trash does not free up space until you empty the Trash from your dock.
  • Some apps leave behind small files in other folders even after you delete them, but these take up very little space.
  • If an app won't delete because it's currently running, quit the app first by clicking its name at the top of the screen and selecting Quit.

What happens to files you created with that app

Deleting an app does not delete the files you made with it. If you wrote a document in Microsoft Word and then delete Word, that document stays on your Mac. You can still open it later if you install Word again, or you can open it with a different program.

Before you delete an app, think about whether you have any files you want to keep. If you do, move them somewhere safe first — your Desktop or a folder in Documents works fine. Then delete the app without worry.

When an app won't delete

Sometimes you'll right-click an app and the Move to Trash option is grayed out or doesn't appear. This usually means the app is currently running. Quit it first: click the app's name at the very top of your screen (next to the Apple logo) and select Quit [App Name]. Then go back to Finder and try deleting it again.

If it still won't delete, the app may be protected by your Mac's security settings. This is rare with apps from the App Store, but it can happen with older software. Try restarting your Mac and attempting the deletion again. If that doesn't work, the app is likely not designed to be removed this way, and you should leave it alone.

Using Launchpad to delete apps

Launchpad is another way to delete apps, though it works the same way underneath. Open Launchpad by clicking its icon in the dock — it looks like a rocket ship — or by pressing the F4 key. Find the app you want to delete, click and hold on it until a small X appears in the corner, then click the X. Confirm that you want to remove it.

Launchpad is faster if you already know what the app looks like but slower if you're searching for it by name. Most people find Finder easier because you can see the full list and search by typing.

Apps from the App Store versus apps you downloaded elsewhere

Apps you downloaded from Apple's App Store delete the same way as any other app — through Finder or Launchpad. Apps you downloaded directly from a company's website also delete the same way. There's no difference in the deletion process.

The only difference is that App Store apps sometimes leave behind a small amount of data (settings, saved games, or preferences) even after you delete them. This data takes up almost no space. If you want to remove it completely, you would need to use a third-party cleaning tool, but this is rarely necessary.

Freeing up space on your Mac

If you're deleting apps to make room on your Mac, remember that moving them to Trash doesn't free up space yet. You must empty the Trash. Also, deleting one or two apps usually doesn't free up much space — most apps take up between 100 megabytes and a few gigabytes. If your Mac is running low on storage, look for large files like old video projects, photo libraries, or backup folders instead.

To see what's taking up the most space, click the Apple logo at the top left, select About This Mac, then click the Storage tab. This shows you a breakdown of what's on your drive. You can click on each category to explore further and find the largest files.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo deleting an app?

Yes, as long as you haven't emptied the Trash. Open your Trash (click the Trash icon in the dock), find the app, right-click it, and select Put Back. The app returns to Applications. If you've already emptied the Trash, the app is gone and you'll need to read it again.

Will deleting an app remove it from my dock?

No. If the app's icon is pinned to your dock, it stays there even after you delete the app. Right-click the icon in the dock and select Remove from Dock to take it off. This doesn't delete the app itself — it just removes the shortcut.

Do I need to uninstall apps, or can I just delete them?

On a Mac, deleting an app is the same as uninstalling it. There's no separate uninstall process like on Windows. Moving the app to Trash and emptying it completely removes the app from your system.

What if the app is built into macOS?

Some apps that come with macOS (like Mail, Calendar, or Reminders) cannot be deleted through the normal method. If you don't use them, you can remove their dock icons and ignore them. Newer versions of macOS allow you to delete some built-in apps, but the option won't appear if your version doesn't support it.