If there’s one thing in the technology world that never changes, it’s that everything changes. My shiny new device gets covered in greasy fingerprints, my charging cable frays, and my pristine new headphones tangle into an impossible white knot.
Free download Booking.com Booking.com for Mac OS X. The Booking.com Chrome app offers you a quick, easy and secure way to find and book all types of accommodation from your browser. Powerful Mac apps that won't break the bank. There’s something of a misconception when it comes.
I’ve noticed that a similar thing happens inside my computer, too. What started out as a great app starts to run slow, or starts asking me for my password every time I try to open it, or stops responding and gives me the candy-colored pinwheel treatment.
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And that’s just the stuff I can see. The older apps get, the more vulnerable they are to security issues and the more likely they are to be incompatible with newer software. Really, it’s a hassle I don’t need.
The key to avoiding frustration and lost productivity for me has been to keep my applications as up-to-date as possible. Sometimes, though, this is easier said than done. Out of the box, my Mac doesn’t have a great way to update apps from third-party developers. And it’s not like I can do my job with just standard apps in the Dock.
Some of these updates are more straightforward than others, which is why a one-stop tool like CleanMyMac X has been a lifesaver for me. Below, I’ll walk you through how to update different kinds of apps on your Mac, and recommend some easy fixes to frustrating problems.
How to update apps on Macbook
The most straightforward way to update apps on your Mac is to use the Mac App Store. This feature collects updates to any app you’ve downloaded, as well as your Mac OS operating system.
When you open the update tab, you’ll always see the most recent available versions of your applications, so there’s no need to compare. Plus, the App Store’s updater makes it a snap to download and install all the updates you need at once.
Here’s how:
- Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen.
- Select “App Store” from the drop-down menu (If you have updates waiting, that menu will show you how many).
- You can also open the App Store from the Dock and click the Updates tab to see which of your applications are out of date.
- Click the Update button beside each app to start downloading and installing the update, or hit Update All to do them all at once.
You can have the App Store remind you when it’s time to update your OS. In System Preferences, click Software Update and check the box that says “Automatically Keep My Mac Up To Date.” The app will prompt you with a pop-up alert the next time there’s an update ready to install.
Mac AppStore not updating applications? Here’s what to do
Unfortunately, the App Store method only works for software distributed by Apple and other developers through that store. That means that if you want to update any application that you downloaded from another source, you’ll need to find another method.
Some popular third-party apps like Spotify have their own update prompts that appear when new versions are available. Some even have background installers that can auto-update, leaving you one less thing to worry about.
Here’s an example of how to update a third-party app popular with Mac users, Google Chrome:
- Click the Chrome drop-down menu in the top left corner.
- Select “About Google Chrome”.
- Chrome will scan for new versions and let you know if you’re running the most up to date version.
- If your version is out of date, click the update button.
Some smaller third party applications might not have a built-in update check. You’ll have to visit the developer’s website periodically to check for new versions. Or, you can install an RSS tracker to monitor the developer’s website for updates, which should make the whole process easier.
Updates don’t always make your life easier. For example, the new Mac operating system Catalina no longer supports 32-bit applications. Many Mac users are finding that older apps don’t work after they install the new OS. If you’re worried about having to choose between apps you rely on and a new OS, it’s better to go without the update for now.
How to update apps on Macbook with CleanMyMac X
If all of the above sounds like a bit of a hassle, you’re right (I’ve tried it). Trying to keep everything up to date ended up sapping my productivity. That’s when I decided to try CleanMyMac X. I was already using this powerful tool to cleaning junk off my hard drive and protecting my Mac from malware, but I decided to give the Updater tool a try.
Right off the bat, Updater felt different. It had the same smooth Mac-style interface as the app store, but it showed updates for all the apps I had installed. It also imported developer notes and preview screenshots from the App Store and from other sources so I could see exactly what was going to change.
Having it all in one convenient place saved me a lot of time–I can see myself adding an update check to my normal work routine easily.
Here’s how it works:
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- Open CleanMyMac X — download a free version here.
- Select the Updater feature from the left-hand panel.
- Check the boxes next to the apps you want to update, or click “Select All.”
- Click the large “Update” button.
That’s all it takes! I already rely on CleanMyMac X to handle other tasks, and now I can add app updates to the list.
Recent changes to the Mac operating system mean that software not distributed through the App Store must pass Apple’s notarization process before it will run on macOS Catalina. CleanMyMac X is already notarized by Apple and will work with Catalina, so it’s a great tool for getting your other apps up to date.
Quick question – how do you uninstall programs on Mac?
If your answer is to drag the app to the Trash, we’re sorry to say that you’ve been doing it wrong.
You probably know or guess that you can remove apps by dragging them to the Trash bin, but it is not quite so. Dragging normal files like documents and movies to the Trash works fine. But doing the same for apps leaves gigabytes of leftover junk files on your hard drive. We’re going to show you what gets left behind and what you can do to completely uninstall apps from here on out.
How to uninstall on Mac
If you are trying to delete an old application, reinstall a corrupted software or just free up disk space on your Mac, removing all components of the program is important. These include the app, its preferences and support files, and sometimes other hidden files.
To completely uninstall a program on Mac you have to choose one of three options:
- Using Trash.
- Using Launchpad.
- Using a native uninstaller
The ways mentioned above include navigating your Mac’s in search of the apps you want to remove and then locating their remaining data. The latter can take even more place than the app itself and can be stored anywhere in your folders.
I prefer clearing my Mac from apps using special software made for this particular task - CleanMyMac X. It’s Uninstaller feature, is an app-killer that sweeps away any program you don’t want on your Mac and clears remaining junk.
Now let’s go ahead and delete some apps!
1. Uninstall Mac apps using Trash
Whether you're running macOS Catalina or an earlier macOS, like Mojave or Sierra, the process of manually uninstalling remains relatively similar. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open Finder.
- Go to Applications.
- Choose the app you want to delete.
- Press Command + Delete (⌘⌫).
- Open Trash.
- Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the window.
And the app is gone.
Even uninstalling apps on macOS Catalina requires getting rid of leftovers, despite the fact that it's the latest and the most sophisticated system for Mac. Apple has done such a good job on macOS 10.15 but left this unfortunate issue unresolved for another year.
To completely remove programs from Mac manually, you have to find all the associated files that come along with the app. That means not just dragging the app icon to the Trash from your Applications folder, but searching the depths of the system files on your Mac.
We’re going to reveal the locations of the most common files that are associated with apps. To remove the app leftovers from your Mac just navigate to each of these folders and hunt for the app you want to remove. If you find files with the app name you can send them to the Trash.
So, when uninstalling any software, you have to go over each of these folders one by one and remove the following:
- Binary and dock icons are located in
/Applications/ - Application support files are located in
~/Library/Application Support - Support Caches can be found in
/Library/Caches/and~/Library/Caches - Plugins are located in
~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ - Library can be found in
~/Library/ - App preferences are located in
~/Library/Preferences/ - Crashes are found in
~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/ - App saved states are located in
~/Library/Saved Application State/
There are many more hidden files, some of which cannot be accessed by the user. And macOS/OS X will prevent you from deleting some app files.
As you can see, it's not that easy to uninstall applications Mac doesn't need, even when you know what to do. By the way, be sure to look for the name of the app in the file names of the files you remove. Don’t remove anything you don’t know! Do your due diligence before removing something from your system.
When you delete software on Mac manually, be sure only to remove an app file or folder when you’re sure of what it is. Look at the name very carefully before you nuke it. Removing the wrong files could cause problems with your system.
Remember, please be careful when deleting system files — you never know how it will affect your Mac if you remove the wrong ones (or the right ones for that matter!).
2. Uninstall Mac programs with Launchpad
How to uninstall on Mac by using the Launchpad? It's easy and this manual method works like this:
- Click Launchpad icon in your Mac's Dock.
- Find the app you want to delete.
- Click and hold the app until it starts shaking.
- Click X in the top-left corner of the app icon.
- Click Delete.
This will uninstall the app from your Mac. However, keep in mind that after removing the program, you should also delete its leftovers as we've described above.
Can't delete apps on Mac?
Unfortunately, manual methods won’t get everything. Some apps are pre-installed macOS components and protected by the system while others will refuse to delete because they are already open (even though that’s often not true).
So, how to delete the apps on Mac that won't delete? You can try the manual removal after force quitting the app in question (press Command-Option-Esc and if the app is on the list shut it down) or rebooting your Mac.
If you're still unable to delete apps on Mac or if you’re worried you won't do it correctly and want a safer alternative, there’s the easy method of uninstalling apps from your Mac so you don't have to force delete applications. It actually does a better (and safer) job and in a fraction of the time. Read on to learn how to delete apps on Mac automatically.
3. Uninstall apps with CleanMyMac X
When I referred to the easy method of uninstalling apps, I meant using CleanMyMac X. As for me, deleting apps is a pretty tiresome task. I’ve always put away this chore, as it will waste a huge amount of my time. But, my Mac was running low on free storage, so I decided to try CleanMyMac X to fix this problem and uninstall programs on Mac with ease. I used the Uninstaller module to get rid of multiple apps at once. Here’s what you need to do:
- Download CleanMyMac X, install, and launch it (it takes less than a minute).
- Go to Uninstaller.
- Choose All Applications.
- Check the boxes next to the app you want to remove.
- Press Uninstall.
As you can see, CleanMyMac X shows precisely how much place each app takes, so it’s easier to detect the heaviest programs. Another benefit is that you can bulk uninstall programs on Mac without dragging each app and its files to the Trash.
Is it possible to delete system files on Mac?
CleanMyMac X doesn’t let you delete system apps like Safari. Neither of Mac cleaners can do that. But, CleanMyMac X allows you to delete the data associated with system apps and reset them completely. Click CleanMyMac X’s menu in the upper-left corner and choose Preferences. Go to Ignore List and click Uninstaller. Here uncheck the box next to “Ignore system applications.”
Now, you can close Preferences and go back to Uninstaller. Click ► next to the app's icon to show its files. Then check the data you want to delete and choose Reset from the drop-down list next to the app’s icon. Then press Remove.
It will help to clear some space on your Mac. Note that your app logs may also disappear after the reset.
4. Use the native uninstaller
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Many applications are designed to clean after themselves. They come with a built-in uninstaller — a self-destroying utility bundled with the main app. This is mostly true for third-party apps that you download from the internet. That’s why native uninstallers remain more of a Windows thing, not much heard of in the Mac world.
The original uninstallers can be found in Finder > Applications. If your app looks like a folder (within the Applications folder) most likely it will have a separate uninstaller. The name will read [Your app] Uninstaller or Uninstall [Your App].
Open the folder, find the launcher, and just follow the onscreen instructions. After the removal is complete, you can enjoy your extra storage space!
Clear app leftovers: preferences files and caches
No sane developer wants people to delete their application. As your desperate ex, they would do everything to stay on your Mac, like planting pieces of their software around your Mac so one day they can return. Support files, preference files, and caches — all these will likely remain even if you’ve deleted the app itself.
Here I’ll show you how to root out these remaining traces. I’ll use the Telegram app as an example.
Delete application support files
Click on Finder > Go to Folder… (in the upper menu).
Paste in: ~/Library/Application Support/Your App Name
In my case it's: ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram
Now, delete the content of this folder.
Delete application Preferences
The Preferences folder contains your user settings. These files are tiny but there’s no reason not to delete them, just out of principle.
Click on Finder > Go to Folder…
Paste in: ~/Library/Preferences/
Open the folder. Now type the name of your app in the search bar. Click to search 'Preferences.” Delete the found items.
Delete the caches
In the same vein, you’ll have to delete the remaining app caches.
This time, use the following command to paste in Finder > Go to Folder...
Paste this: ~/Library/Caches/Your App Name
Note: In some cases, you need to search for the app developer's name, rather than the name of the app.
Delete leftovers with CleanMyMac X
If you’ve been doing a 'spring cleaning' in your Applications folder, chances are some files are still left somewhere in your Mac’s system. CleanMyMac X detects and collects them into the Leftovers tab.
Go to Uninstaller once again and select Leftovers. Select all the remaining files and press Uninstall to say goodbye to the app remains.
Now you are just as good at uninstalling applications on Mac as any Apple engineer. Hopefully, you now have plenty of free space. Don't miss a few related articles below.