Forum Discussion
What is the best app uninstaller on mac for permanent deletion
Use the built-in Terminal to delete an app that won't delete.
Terminal is the best app uninstaller on mac as it can help remove a stubborn Mac app when Finder refuses to move it to Trash. This method is useful when the app is damaged, locked, stuck in the Applications folder, or still shows an error after you quit it. However, Terminal commands are powerful, so you should type the app path carefully.
Open Terminal on Mac.
Then use this command to force delete an app on mac.
sudo rm -rf /Applications/AppName.appReplace AppName.app with the exact name of the app.
After pressing Return, Terminal may ask for your Mac password. Type your password and press Return again. The password will not appear on the screen while you type it. That is normal.
P.S. If the app name has spaces, Terminal needs the path to be handled correctly. For example:
sudo rm -rf "/Applications/Example App.app"Dragging the app into Terminal usually adds the correct path automatically, so you do not need to worry about quotes or backslashes.
Remove leftover files after deleting the app
Deleting the .app file removes the main app, but it may not remove all related files. Leftover files can remain in the user Library folder.
Common locations include:
~/Library/Application Support/
~/Library/Caches/
~/Library/Preferences/
~/Library/Logs/
~/Library/LaunchAgents/Using Terminal is a strong solution when an app won't delete on Mac through Finder. The safest method is to type sudo rm -rf, add a space, drag the app from the Applications folder into Terminal, and then press Return. After that, check the Library folder for leftovers only if you are sure which files belong to the deleted app.