Help · Mac apps

How to uninstall Plex Media Server on a Mac.

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

Plex Media Server is removed by hand, as Plex describes. Removing its data deletes your library metadata and watch history; your actual media files aren't touched.

Uninstall Plex Media Server

Quit Plex Media Server.
In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder, type ~/Library, and move these to the Trash: Application Support/Plex Media Server, Caches/PlexMediaServer and Logs/Plex Media Server.
In Terminal, remove its settings with the command below.
Move Plex Media Server from Applications to the Trash, and restart.

defaults delete com.plexapp.plexmediaserver

Optionally, remove the server from the Devices page in Plex Web, and check Login Items.

Afterwards

Check System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions for anything still named Plex; see login items. An app that's still in your Trash can stay listed there until you empty the Trash or restart; that's normal macOS behaviour.
Empty the Trash when you're sure. Emptying the Trash is permanent.

Based on Plex's own support article, checked October 2026. Menu names can change between versions.

Then check for anything Plex Media Server left behind.

Once the app is gone, Pangalin Uninstaller's free Leftovers scan lists files left behind by apps that are no longer installed, by name and size. Apple's files are never included. It also shows where each one is and moves the ones you choose to the Trash in one go, with Undo.

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