Step-by-Step Guide: How to Uninstall Apps on Mac for Better System Performance

Introduction

If you’re a frequent Mac user, you may have encountered a situation where your Mac starts slowing down due to an overwhelming number of applications installed on it. Although Macs are powerful enough to handle multiple applications, too many of them can cause performance issues. Uninstalling unnecessary apps from your Mac can significantly improve your system performance and free up valuable disk space. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of uninstalling apps on Mac step-by-step.

Step 1: Determine Which Apps You Want to Uninstall

The first step in uninstalling apps on a Mac is to determine which applications you want to remove. Go through your applications folder and identify the apps that you no longer need or use. Additionally, use third-party apps, such as CleanMyMac, to get a better overview of the installed applications and their usage. This will help you identify large and rarely used applications that can be uninstalled.

Step 2: Uninstalling Apps from the Applications Folder

The most straightforward way to uninstall applications from your Mac is to delete them from the Applications folder. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Applications folder.
2. Click on the app you want to remove.
3. Drag the app to the Trash bin located in the Dock.
4. Right-click the Trash bin and select “Empty Trash” to permanently delete the app.

Note that this method doesn’t remove the app’s associated files, which may still occupy considerable disk space. To remove the associated files, use a third-party uninstaller, as discussed in the next step.

Step 3: Using a Third-Party Uninstaller

Third-party uninstallers, such as AppCleaner and CleanMyMac, are specialized applications that help you uninstall apps and their associated files in one go. To use these apps, follow these steps:

1. Download and install the uninstaller app.
2. Open the app and select the app you want to uninstall.
3. Click on the “Uninstall” or “Remove” button.
4. The app will ask for confirmation to delete associated files, choose “Yes,” and the app and its associated files will be deleted from your Mac.

Step 4: Removing System Applications

Removing system applications can be tricky and should be done only when you’re sure that the app is not essential to the system’s functioning. Warning: it’s crucial to understand that removing some system applications can cause permanent damage to the computer.

If you’re confident that you don’t need a system app anymore and want to remove it from your Mac, you’ll need to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP). This setting protects your system files from modification and needs to be disabled to remove system applications. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Boot your Mac into Recovery mode by restarting your Mac and holding down the Command + R keys.
2. Once in Recovery mode, open Terminal from the Utilities menu.
3. Type the command “csrutil disable” in the terminal and press enter.
4. Restart your Mac.

Now that SIP is disabled, you can remove the system application by following the steps mentioned in Step 2 or Step 3.

Conclusion

Uninstalling apps from your Mac is essential to keep the system performance optimized and free up valuable disk space. By following the steps mentioned in this article, you can uninstall apps from your Mac easily and efficiently. Make sure you’re careful while removing system applications and only remove them if you’re sure that they’re not essential to the system’s functioning. With that, you should now be able to declutter your Mac and enjoy improved system performance.

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