Remove unwanted apps

Free up space the easy way by removing programs you don't use

- CARRIE MARSHALL

OVER TIME, MOST MACS accumulate electronic lint - things that live in dark corners gathering digital dust. And some of those things are apps you've long forgotten about, moved away from or just don't need any more. Uninstalling them can free up lots of space on your Mac without also removing any documents, photos, videos or other things you might have made with them. They'll stay where they are in folders such as Documents, Pictures and so on.

The fastest way to uninstall many apps is to open Launchpad, press and hold on the app you want to remove and then click on the "X" icon. But that only works with apps you've installed via the App Store. Other apps need a bit more effort, and some apps can be a real pain to clean up after.

SORT UNWANTED FILES

Where apps have their own uninstaller in your Applications folder, use that. But for others, we'll show you where they live, how to get rid of them, and how to ensure they won't leave unwanted files lying around. We'll also discover a great little app that does all the work for you for free, saving you not just a lot of time but money too.

In many cases, the uninstall process will move the app and its components to the Bin, but won't permanently delete them. That's an extra safeguard to ensure you don't delete an app accidentally. When you're sure it's okay, just empty the Bin as normal.

HOW TO Locate and delete unwanted apps

1 See your storage