Uninstall applications
(Updated: )Most Mac users drag apps to the Trash to uninstall them, but this method often leaves behind residual files scattered across your computer.
Using the Applications module in CleanMyMac, you can fully remove apps along with their components, including files that aren't located in the Applications folder. These leftover components can run small service apps, adding unnecessary load to your Mac processor and memory.
By completely uninstalling apps with CleanMyMac, you'll free up disk space and improve your Mac performance.
The App Store version of CleanMyMac can't remove the core binaries of the App Store apps due to restrictions. However, you can delete other related files and manually remove the corresponding app binary later.
To review and uninstall apps:
In CleanMyMac, click Applications in the sidebar.
Click Scan to begin and wait for the results.
To rescan, click Start Over in the upper left, confirm, and click Scan again.
Review scan results:
Apps recommended for quick review and removal (unused for over six months) will appear in a tile.
Click Review to see the details, select the ones you no longer need, then click Uninstall.
To review all apps in detail, click Manage My Applications above the tiles, then go to the Uninstaller category.
Select the apps you no longer need, then click Uninstall.
App details
When reviewing app details, apps are organized into groups. Clicking a group shows all the apps within that group.
You can sort apps in ascending or descending order by size, name, or the last opened date.
For each app, you can view its name, last opened date, and total size (including the size of its resources).
Right-click an app to:
- Select or deselect it along with all associated resources
- Reveal it in Finder
- Get app info
- Add it to the ignore list
- Preview it via Quick Look
To view resources of an app, click the disclosure arrow next to its size.
App groups
Due to macOS restrictions, CleanMyMac can't remove system apps. These apps are added to the ignore list and don't appear in the Uninstaller category.
CleanMyMac organizes apps into the following groups for easier navigation:
- All Applications – all apps installed on your Mac
- Unused – apps you haven't opened in the last six months
- Suspicious – apps from developers or sources in Russia and Belarus, as they may pose a risk to your Mac or data security
- Selected – apps or resources you've selected for removal
- Stores – apps grouped by installation source:
- App Store
- Setapp
- Other
- Vendors – apps from different vendors, such as:
- Apple
- MacPaw
- Microsoft
- Other
