Help · Mac apps

How to delete App Store apps on a Mac.

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

Apps from the Mac App Store are deleted like any other app: move them to the Trash. A few things are different, though: macOS asks for your password, the app's data lives in a container folder, and deleting doesn't cancel a subscription.

Delete it in Finder

1. Quit the app.
2. In Finder, open Applications (Go › Applications).
3. Drag the app to the Trash, or select it and choose File › Move to Trash. Enter your administrator name and password if asked.
4. Empty the Trash to free the space (Finder › Empty Trash). This is permanent.

On macOS 15 Sequoia and earlier you can also use Launchpad: hold an app's icon until the icons jiggle, then click ✕. From macOS 26, Launchpad is replaced by the Apps view, and Apple's guide describes deleting from Finder only.

Good to know

• Subscriptions keep running. Cancel in the App Store: click your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then Account Settings and Subscriptions.
• You can reinstall for free from your purchases in the App Store.
• Its data stays. App Store apps keep settings and files in ~/Library/Containers/ and sometimes ~/Library/Group Containers/, in folders named after the app's ID (like com.company.AppName). Remove those too if you won't reinstall; see leftovers of deleted apps.
• Apple's own apps that macOS needs, such as Mail, Music, Notes and Maps, can't be deleted.
• “The app is in use”: quit it, or see when an app won't move to the Trash.