05.08.2020

Can You Remove Unwanted Apple Apps In Mac Os X

Can You Remove Unwanted Apple Apps In Mac Os X 3,9/5 1091 votes

Jan 26, 2020  To delete apps downloaded from the App Store: Click Launchpad on the Dock of your MacBook Air find the app you want to delete press and hold until all the app icons begin to jiggle then click the Delete button to remove it from your MacBook Air (Learn How To Uninstall Spotify Mac).

If you've ever gone through a software installation process, aborted it, and discovered that you have an unwanted process still running on your Mac, here's how to root it out and remove it.

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First up, a gentle warning. One should not, in general, willy-nilly remove an OS X process (a software program) just because you don't recognize it or don't know what it does. OS X is complicated and has many essential processes that shouldn't be tampered with.

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However, let's say that you just installed an OS X application called SPECTRE.app, decided to quit and delete the application completely. But you still see a process running in Activity Monitor called, for example, spectre_daemon or spectred. Some houskeeping utilities are able to find all the support files for an app and remove everything. But let's say you don't have one and don't want to invest in one. You just want the unwanted, left-over process gone.

Moving on. You may suspect, as I did in the example below, that the installation procedure installed and scheduled a recurring support process—or perhaps a daemon. (A daemon is a process that runs in the background and has no user interface. Its name typically ends with the letter 'd' but not always.)

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For example, a developer may need to have some kind of support daemon always running in the background even when the app itself is not running.

Stepping Lightly

Let's say that you're sure that a process you see in Activity Monitor has to go. Killing it from Activity Monitor will work temporarily, but the next time you reboot, it may start up again. That's if the installation has added it to the list of processes that will be started by OS X's process manager called launchd. (If you're curious, here's more on launchd.)

1. The first step is to be sure about the name. Awhile back, I had this unwanted process running on my Mac, shown in Activity Monitor.

2. Find the location of the process on your Mac by clicking the Info icon (small 'i') at the top of Activity Monitor.

Click on the 'Open Files and Ports' tab. The first line or two (underlined below in red) will show the path to the unwanted code on your Mac.

Can You Remove Unwanted Apple Apps In Mac Os X

In this example, it's a daemon inside the wrapper of an application. The Info box has conveniently drilled into the package contents of the app to show the code's location and name: Samsung_Portable_SSD_Daemon. (All apps in OS X are really folders. The Finder presents that folder as an app icon that can be double-clicked. Going into the package contents means looking inside the app's folder to see the files inside.)

3. In this example, a folder was likely created by the installer, and the resulting folder was placed in /Users/john/Library/Application_Support.

Because, in this example, everything associated with that folder had to go, the entire folder named 'PortableSSD' (see above) was deleted. It was safe to do because of its location in Application_Support as its own newly created and recognizable folder. While there may still be a lingering entry in launchd's plist, the code can't be launched at boot after this folder is deleted.

This example was slightly odd because the process code was a daemon embedded in an app, and there will be other variations. That made it stand out, however. You generally wouldn't delete an enclosing folder, not part of your suspicious process, unless you're really, really know what you're doing. (And I mean really.)

Assuming you are certain that the process you find in step #3 is the culprit, you can either delete it outright, wherever you find it, or, if in doubt, (for the sake of forensics) move, not copy, to a flash drive. Either way, launchd can't find it in order to launch it the next time you boot up.

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As always, make sure you have a recent Time Machine backup before embarking on a project like this. If in doubt, consult with an OS X expert.

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.

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