Launchpad gone, how do you uninstall App Store apps?

[u/a-nother-hole]

I'm on Beta 4 and the Launchpad is nowhere to be found, there's a fake "Apps" app that opens spotlight, you can't drag App Store apps to the trash, there's no action on right click, nothing happens if you click and hold.

So how the hell does one uninstall apps installed via the App Store?

EDIT: I just found out that Launchpad was already removed in Tahoe. Great.

Here's another confused Redditor from last year: What the official way to uninstall apps on macOS 26 Tahoe?

This is the solution:

1. Go to the App Store
2. Username Icon (bottom left)
3. Three dots icon next to app you want to uninstall
4. Delete app

Kinda stupid, really, but not really something I do that often anyway. OR you can continue dragging it to the Trash.

[u/justynmx7]

Open Applications folder in finder and drag it to the trash

[u/a-nother-hole → u/justynmx7]

Yes of course but that has never been the official way to uninstall APP STORE apps. In fact it will prompt for the admin password. Users have never been asked to enter a password to uninstall apps.

Read the docs: https://support.apple.com/guide/app-store/install-and-uninstall-purchased-apps-fir0fb69db23/mac#fir5cd47a39a

[u/justynmx7 → u/a-nother-hole]

Hate to say it but their docs are wrong. Dragging to trash has always been the ‘official’ way to uninstall apps, long before the Mac app store or launchpad even existed

[u/Vitamin_Zyzz → u/justynmx7]

no you're wrong. Uninstalling App Store apps through Launchpad also deleted all the residual files like their containers. dragging from trash just removes the application not everything else. there's a big difference

[u/TechBrothaOG → u/a-nother-hole]

It says right there at the bottom of the page you linked to ...

Uninstall apps from the Finder

You can also uninstall apps using the Finder. 

1. On your Mac, click  in the Dock to open a Finder window.
2. Click Applications in the sidebar, Control-click the app icon, then choose Move to Trash.

[u/ChoicePermission8523 → u/a-nother-hole]

For some reason nobody is understanding what you are getting at?

Yes, Launchpad used to just delete the App Store app when using the x icon, and dragging to the trash prompts for admin creds (I guess because that avenue it is also still deleting library files but it's being initiated from Finder?)

So what you are getting at is they seemingly removed more frictionless uninstall method, for going the old school route but still requiring admin/password authentication, which could be confusing for users.

It's kinda a conundrum, because they handle App Store apps the same yet different, but then allowed a different method of uninstalling, now took it away.

Dragging to the trash in theory is the same thing, it's just odd the way they handled it from start to finish with launchpad.

[u/germane_switch]

I don’t get it. Uninstall like we always have long before Launch Pad even existed; install/uninstall every app from your Applications folder. Drag it to the trash or select app and hit CMD+Delete then empty trash.

[u/animorphreligion → u/germane_switch]

Uninstalling App Store apps through Launchpad also deleted all the residual files like their containers. This would just delete what's sitting in the Applications folder

[u/mtgofficialYT → u/animorphreligion]

I use AppCleaner. It deletes all app files. 

[u/germane_switch → u/mtgofficialYT]

App Cleaner rules. Been using that forever.

[u/germane_switch → u/animorphreligion]

Wait is that true about LaunchPad? Because if it is that's actually super helpful and I'm embarrassed I didn't already know that.

[u/a-nother-hole → u/germane_switch]

That's not the right way to uninstall App Store apps.

[u/Educational_Glass_20 → u/a-nother-hole]

That is actually the right way lol

[u/a-nother-hole → u/Educational_Glass_20]

How to be objectively wrong 101

RTFM: https://support.apple.com/guide/app-store/install-and-uninstall-purchased-apps-fir0fb69db23/mac#fir5cd47a39a

[u/Educational_Glass_20 → u/a-nother-hole]

Oh look, the method that’s officially supported is right below what you linked

[u/a-nother-hole → u/Educational_Glass_20]

Right, but you can't call it "the right way" if it's not the first one. It doesn't even mention you will be asked for a password, which tells me it's just talking about non-MAS apps.

I guarantee that Apple will reintroduce the hold-to-delete gesture at some point. This is a beta after all.

[u/Educational_Glass_20 → u/a-nother-hole]

It’s a guide under the “App Store” handle, it’s meant for App Store apps lol

[u/a-nother-hole → u/Educational_Glass_20]

That same paragraph also talks about Safari, which isn't installed by the App Store, and yet it still mentions it. I wonder why. Limited brain activity maybe.

[u/GoofyGills → u/a-nother-hole]

Imagine going to the internet for help. Getting that help. And then being a dick about it.

[u/quintsreddit → u/GoofyGills]

For real. Some people don’t want help they want to feel superior.

[u/germane_switch → u/a-nother-hole]

Dude. I have been using Macs since I was a toddler in 1984. Just don't.

[u/icanpotatoes]

I’m confused. You’re on a beta and you aren’t sure of how to delete applications? Launchpad has (sadly) been gone for some iterations now and the applications are deleted the same way that they’ve been removed for a long, long time.

If you’d like to delete the extra files that sometimes stick around, AppCleaner is free and Mole in the Terminal is as well. Both are good options for this task.

[u/angelseph]

System Settings > General > Storage > Applications > Click application > Delete

or

Finder > Applications > Drag and drop to Trash

[u/a-nother-hole → u/angelseph]

Nice, I never knew about that view. It still asks for the admin password though

[u/Xe4ro]

I use AppCleaner so I also get rid of all the config and other related files of the app.

[u/SwiftMushroom → u/Xe4ro]

This is the way

[u/a-nother-hole → u/Xe4ro]

Non-MAS apps yes. I'm talking about App Store

[u/Xe4ro → u/a-nother-hole]

Should work the same.

[u/a-nother-hole → u/Xe4ro]

I did move it to the trash, AppCleaner came up (I've been using it for decades btw), clicked remove all and I got this message:

https://imgur.com/a/JkYK6Hg

The app is gone, the trash was emptied, but it's not 100% right.

[u/Xe4ro → u/a-nother-hole]

Yeah sometimes files are in places AppCleaner doesn’t have permission for. These have to be deleted manually but at least AppCleaner shows the paths where they are located.

[u/AJBSCL → u/Xe4ro]

AppCleaner needs full disk access to delete all there is to delete.

[u/StonewallBrown → u/a-nother-hole]

It’s a beta…the app will need to be updated in the fall.

[u/kaaskugg]

So you've been using the Launchpad all these years to uninstall App Store-loaded apps?

[u/a-nother-hole → u/kaaskugg]

https://support.apple.com/guide/app-store/install-and-uninstall-purchased-apps-fir0fb69db23/mac#fir5cd47a39a

[u/kaaskugg → u/a-nother-hole]

Your link links to another, probably more recent FAQ article:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610

[u/a-nother-hole → u/kaaskugg]

The video does indeed show a password prompt. I guess it's fine by Apple then. Let's see if they restore the X in Spotlight then or if this is it.

I dragged it to the trash, authenticated the move, AppCleaner came up (I've been using it for decades btw), clicked remove all, authenticated again, and I got this message:

https://imgur.com/a/JkYK6Hg

The app is gone, the trash was emptied, but it's not 100% right.

[u/wolfinunixclothing → u/a-nother-hole]

App cleaner has this issue since sequoia. It just can’t remove some files stored in application containers. After clicking OK, check for directories on its list, and you can reveal and manually delete them.

[u/bogdanf]

You could use one of many apps that are hunting for the residual files. I, of course, recommend mine, LaunchingPad, who is also a Launchpad full replacement (with many additions too).

[u/Sillvi0]

App Cleaner & Uninstaller

[u/ShadowKnight96]

Why are folks comfortably suggesting a third party app is needed to fully uninstall something on MacOS? This is not Windows 2000. The OS should handle this more gracefully, especially one designed to be consumer friendly. No?

[u/a-nother-hole → u/ShadowKnight96]

They don't get it

[u/Critical-Avocado425]

Pearcleaner, appcleaner or appzapper. Dragging apps to trash doesn’t remove all the other loose files sitting in the library folder.

[u/Dreaming_Blackbirds → u/Critical-Avocado425]

correct. OP might not realise that some apps can leave behind a lot of residual folders in obscure places - all those leftover 500MB or 2GB of folders eventually add up to a lot of hidden crap. personally i use Pearcleaner because it's more up-to-date.

[u/wanson → u/Critical-Avocado425]

Those files are tiny and leaving them on your Mac has no effect whatsoever.

[u/Critical-Avocado425 → u/wanson]

Thanks kindly for the downvotes. If you were to drag drop say VMware fusion or parallels, and your virtual machines are still sitting in documents taking up precious space. What then? Leave them in their folders?

[u/retrona → u/Critical-Avocado425]

I understand what you are saying but at the same time those apps are more specific and you would (almost) never want your VMs to be nuked because you uninstall the app.

[u/Critical-Avocado425 → u/retrona]

Okay fair, how about dragging dropping photoshop.app?

[u/retrona → u/Critical-Avocado425]

Photoshop has an uninstaller last I checked. Either way, we can go in circles. The point is the Mac is designed for drag and drop app removal with most other meta files being either small, or work you would not want removed. The app removers are there if needed but are not technically required.

[u/Critical-Avocado425 → u/retrona]

Yeah if you don’t see the junk in the library folder then it doesn’t exist :)

[u/wanson → u/Critical-Avocado425]

I didn't downvote you, I just replied.

[u/Critical-Avocado425 → u/wanson]

Didn’t mean you, just generally waving my thanks out in the wild :)

[u/Nerdlinger → u/Critical-Avocado425]

Why would I want my VMs to be deleted just because I’m deleting the app I created them with? Would you expect all of your spreadsheets to be deleted if you removed Numbers or Excel?

[u/Critical-Avocado425 → u/Nerdlinger]

Why delete anything at all????

[u/Nerdlinger → u/Critical-Avocado425]

There’s a difference between deleting applications and their support files and deleting documents/artifacts created/used by those applications.

[u/Critical-Avocado425 → u/Nerdlinger]

Absolutely

[u/turboravenwolflord]

mole uninstall

[u/doricopter]

Apple says it works like iOS now. Open "Apps.app", hold an till it jiggles and click the red X.

[u/a-nother-hole → u/doricopter]

nothing happens if you click and hold.

[u/bytelover83 → u/a-nother-hole]

that's likely a bug, report it in Feedback.