Skip to main content
MM logo white 1
MM logo red
Image description is not available
Image description is not available

How do you delete apps on a MacBook?

Daan1 SEPTEMBER 2025
A living room with a wooden desk, laptop with stickers, monitor, and plant. A blue sofa is in the background.

MacBooks offer plenty of storage, but over time, unused apps can take up unnecessary space. Removing apps you no longer use is a smart way to keep your Mac running smoothly and free up room for new software. Here’s how to do it.

What are the ways to remove apps from your MacBook?

Person types on a laptop showing a map with pink markers. A drink, phone, and bag are on the wooden table. Chairs in background.

There are 4 different ways to delete apps on a MacBook:

  • Launchpad,
  • Finder,
  • Mac App Store,
  • Dock.

Below, we explain how each method works.

Delete apps via Launchpad

Launchpad shows all your apps in one place. You’ll find it in the Dock (it looks like a grid of coloured squares). Note: this method only works for apps downloaded from the App Store.

  1. Open Launchpad.
  2. Hold down the Option (⌥) key until the apps start to jiggle.
  3. Click the X that appears on any deletable app.
  4. Confirm to uninstall.

Person at desk using laptop. Open laptop with logo facing viewer. Person wears light shirt and watch. Window is in background.

Delete apps using Finder

Finder is where you manage files and applications.

  1. Open Finder (blue smiley face icon).
  2. Under Favourites, go to Applications.
  3. Control-click the app you want to delete.
  4. Select Move to Bin.
  5. Open the Bin, control-click the app again, and choose Delete Immediately.

  1. Open the Mac App Store.
  2. Click your name in the bottom-left corner.
  3. Hover over an app and click the ... button.
  4. Select Delete App and confirm.

Why can't you uninstall some apps from your MacBook?

A closed silver laptop with a black apple logo sits on a wooden surface.

Some apps can’t be removed because they’re part of macOS. These are known as system or default apps: like Mail, Music, and Podcasts. Apple includes them because they’re required for the operating system to function properly.

How to make the euro sign on a MacBook

How to find hidden apps on a MacBook

A desk setup shows a laptop, monitor on a white riser, keyboard, mouse, lamp, and phone stand on a gray desk mat.

Apps you’ve hidden in your App Store purchase history won’t show up normally. To find them:

  1. Open the App Store.
  2. Go to Account Settings.
  3. Under Hidden Items, click Manage.
  4. Click Show next to any app you want to unhide.

How to copy and paste on a MacBook

Does uninstalling work the same on other Mac devices?

Our advice on how to delete apps on your Apple MacBook

A silver laptop with a black logo sits on a wood grain surface next to a blue smartphone.

If you’ve got an older MacBook or limited storage, deleting unused apps is a great way to improve performance. You can do it in 4 ways; choose whichever is easiest for you. Can’t remove a certain app? It’s likely a system app that’s required by macOS.

What to do if your Mac won’t start

These articles may also be interesting for you