Help · Mac apps

How to remove leftovers from apps you already deleted.

By Grant and Brad, who make Pangalin's apps · Updated 10 October 2026

Dragging an app to the Trash removes the app, not the files it made: settings, caches, support folders and sometimes a background helper. They're harmless, but over years they can add up to gigabytes. Here's how to find them.

Before you start: quit your apps, and only move items clearly named after an app you've removed or its company. Move them to the Trash rather than deleting, and keep the Trash for a few days until you're sure nothing misses them.

Where to look

In Finder choose Go › Go to Folder… (⇧⌘G), type ~/Library and press Return. Then check these folders for the old app's name or its company's name:

• Application Support: the biggest leftovers are usually here
• Caches
• Preferences: files like com.company.AppName.plist
• Containers and Group Containers: data for App Store and sandboxed apps (folder names are often the app's ID, like com.company.AppName)
• Logs, Saved Application State, HTTPStorages and WebKit
• LaunchAgents: a helper that may still be starting at login

Some apps also left files Mac-wide, in /Library (no ~): Application Support, LaunchAgents, LaunchDaemons, PrivilegedHelperTools and Audio/Plug-Ins. Moving these needs your administrator password; take extra care there.

Tips

• Sort by size. In list view (⌘2), choose View › Show View Options and tick Calculate all sizes, then sort by Size to find the big ones first.
• Search by name. Press ⌘F while in ~/Library, choose to search “Library” rather than “This Mac”, and type the app's name.
• Leave shared folders alone. A company folder (say, “Adobe” or “Microsoft”) may be used by its other apps you still have.
• Restart after removing a launch agent, so it stops running.