Drag any app you don’t want into AppCleaner’s main window, click Remove, and hope that you didn’t just royally screw up your Mac by uninstalling Calendar. (Spoiler: You probably did.

Use Launchpad to delete an app

Launchpad offers a convenient way to delete apps that were downloaded from the App Store.

1. To open Launchpad, click it in the Dock or open it from your Applications folder. You can also pinch closed with your thumb and three fingers on your trackpad.
2. If you don't see the app in Launchpad, type its name in the search field at the top of the screen. Or swipe right or left with two fingers on your trackpad to show the next or previous page.
   
3. Press and hold the Option (⌥) key, or click and hold any app until the apps jiggle.
4. Click next to the app that you want to delete, then click Delete to confirm. The app is deleted immediately. Apps that don't show either didn't come from the App Store or are required by your Mac. To delete an app that didn't come from the App Store, use the Finder instead.

Deleting an app doesn't cancel any subscription you may have purchased with that app. Learn how to cancel subscriptions for apps that were downloaded from the App Store.

Use the Finder to delete an app

1. Locate the app in the Finder. Most apps are in your Applications folder, which you can open by clicking Applications in the sidebar of any Finder window. Or use Spotlight to find the app, then press and hold the Command (⌘) key while double-clicking the app in Spotlight.
2. Drag the app to the Trash, or select the app and choose File > Move to Trash.
   
3. If you're asked for a user name and password, enter the name and password of an administrator account on your Mac. This is probably the name and password you use to log in to your Mac.
4. To delete the app, choose Finder > Empty Trash.
   

Learn more

To use an app again after deleting it, either reinstall it or restore it from a backup.

• To reinstall apps that were installed as part of macOS, reinstall macOS. This applies to apps such as Safari, iTunes, Books, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and FaceTime.
• You can also redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books that were installed from the App Store, iTunes Store, or Apple Books.

Learn how to delete apps on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Learn what to do if the Dock contains an icon with a question mark.

One of the most basic computer functions — deleting files and folders — is also one of the most essential. If you never get rid of anything, soon enough all those extra gigabytes will take a toll on your Mac’s processing power, RAM, and hard drive, not to mention your digital life will resemble a dreadful episode of Hoarders.

So deleting files is good and healthy. But how do you do that? Most people right-click on what they need gone and choose Move to Trash from the menu or use the File option in the menu bar. Others employ the ⌘ + Delete shortcut, which works across the system (even within dialog windows). Experts, however, often find themselves defaulting to the command line delete directory feature. Let’s see how and why you should learn it too.

Why delete file command line feature is important

Since macOS is a Unix-based system, nearly all system tasks you do every day with the help of its graphic interface can also be performed via the command line tool called Terminal.

With regards to delete file or delete folder command line functionality, Terminal lets you:

• Effortlessly erase one or multiple files, folders, and apps, bypassing any error messages you can get when you go the traditional route.
• Remove files from Trash, including ones you can’t delete by simply emptying the trash.
• Get rid of files that are invisible to you within Finder (usually system or root files, for example, .htaccess).
• Delete files and folders in cases when Finder is unresponsive.

Note: The Mac command line delete file feature is final and irreversible. While it lets you avoid any error messages, it also removes the files completely, without any possibility of retrieving them later on.

How to use delete file command line feature

Removing files from your Mac forever using Terminal is deceptively simple: just use the rm command followed by the name of the file. Here’s how it works in practice:

1. Launch Terminal from your Utilities folder in Applications.
2. Check which directory you’re in by typing ls -la
3. Then navigate down a directory with cd [directoryname] or up a directory with cd ../
4. When you’re in the same directory as the file you want to delete, type rm [filename.extension]
5. If you want to delete multiple files at once, list them all, but make sure there’s a space between each one.
6. Press Enter to execute the command.

Now all the files you specified after rm are gone for good. Navigate directories in your Mac and repeat the process as many times as you want.

Surprised there was no confirmation before your files were deleted? Luckily there’s a way to add one as a safeguard for not deleting the wrong file by accident. Just use -i after the rm but before the first filename, like this: rm -i [filename.extension]. Terminal will then ask you whether you’re sure you want to delete the file. Reply y or yes followed by Enter and the file will be gone. This also works for multiple files, but you’ll have to confirm the removal of each one separately.

How to make command line delete directory

Surprisingly, you can’t delete a folder using the rm command because it has its own: rmdir.

Otherwise, rmdir works exactly the same as rm:

1. Navigate to the appropriate directory using Terminal.
2. Type rmdir [directoryname]
3. Hit Enter.

Sadly, you can’t use the -i hack when you’re deleting folders, so be extra careful!

How To Force Delete Apps On Mac

Another thing to keep in mind is that rmdir only deletes the directory, but can’t delete any files or folders located within that directory.

To delete a folder with everything in it, you need to use rm -r followed by the folder’s name. Using -i to create a warning here is possible and done like this: rm -ir [foldername].

When it’s too difficult to find a folder or file via Terminal, but you can detect them in Finder, simply drag and drop the file onto the Terminal window to generate its path.

Find and delete heavy folders in seconds

Terminal commands are indispensable when you encounter stubborn files that just won’t go away, giving you all kinds of errors. But when you want to offload some space-hogging files and folders (including invisible ones) to release some much-needed Mac productivity and speed, you need to use an efficient app that can help you avoid manually navigating directories up and down.

Delete Hacker Uses Mac Application

CleanMyMac X is exactly what you need. It’s one of the best Mac optimization utilities in the world and contains a wealth of useful features, from streamlining your system files to scanning your Mac for viruses.

However, what we’re looking for now specifically is the Space Lens feature:

1. Launch CleanMyMac X (free download here).
2. Navigate to Space Lens in the sidebar.
3. Click Scan.
4. The app will graphically show you which files or folders take up the most space in each directory. Navigate through them all and check the ones ready for deletion. When done, just hit Remove.

App Delete Mac Free

By using Space Lens with CleanMyMac X, it’s easy to get rid of gigabytes of junk, and it all takes under a minute. Don’t forget to check back and repeat the process every month or so, and your Mac will keep performing at top speed for years to come.