Help · Mac apps

How to uninstall VMware Fusion on a Mac.

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

Broadcom, which makes VMware Fusion, says there's no uninstaller: you move the app to the Trash and remove a list of folders. Your virtual machines aren't touched.

Uninstall VMware Fusion

1. Shut down your virtual machines and quit VMware Fusion.
2. Drag VMware Fusion from Applications to the Trash.
3. Remove the leftover folders below, if they're there. In Finder, use ⇧⌘G and type each path; hold Option and choose Go › Library for your own Library.

Folders Broadcom lists

• /Library/Application Support/VMware/VMware Fusion
• /Library/Application Support/VMware/Usbarb.rules (keep it if you use other VMware products)
• /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion
• /Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion
• ~/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion
• ~/Library/Caches/com.vmware.fusion
• ~/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion
• In ~/Library/Preferences: com.vmware.fusion.plist, com.vmware.fusionDaemon.plist, com.vmware.fusionStartMenu.plist and com.vmware.fusion.LSSharedFileList.plist, and the matching .lockfile files

Items in /Library are system folders, so Finder asks for your password.

Your virtual machines

They're kept, by default in Documents › Virtual Machines, and can be very large. Move them to the Trash only if you no longer need them, or copy them to an external drive first: see moving big folders to an external drive.

Afterwards

• Check System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions for anything still named VMware; 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 Broadcom's own knowledge-base article, checked October 2026. Menu names can change between versions.