When you attempt to remove certain apps you no longer need on a Mac, you might encounter difficulties. The operating system will display some prompts, preventing you from successfully deleting the apps. But is there another way to remove these apps or programs? This article provided by MiniTool Solution will introduce four main methods to help you forcibly delete apps on your Mac.

Mac users usually delete applications and programs when they are no longer needed to free up more storage space on the Mac hard drive. Apple provides two simple ways to help users delete apps from Mac: through Launchpad or Finder. However, some users report that the apps they try to delete simply won't disappear. This page will show you how to delete an app on Mac and how to delete apps on Mac that refuse to be deleted.

Tip: Some people accidentally delete apps/programs that are still useful to them. Is there any way to fix this? Definitely. They should use Stellar Data Recovery for Mac, a professional and reliable data recovery tool designed for the Mac platform, to immediately scan for and recover deleted data. Here’s how to recover deleted files on Mac.

How to Delete Apps on Mac

In this section, I’ll demonstrate the methods for removing applications from Launchpad and Finder.

How to Delete App from Launchpad

How to delete apps on MacBook or iMac via Launchpad:

1. Click on the Launchpad icon in the dock to open it. You can also open Launchpad from the Applications folder.
2. Browse the apps to find the one you no longer need. Alternatively, type the app name into the search box at the top to locate it directly.
3. Click on the app and hold until it jiggles.
4. The x button will appear next to the target app. Please click on it.
5. Click on the Delete button in the pop-up window to confirm the action.

However, some apps don’t show the x button. How to delete them? Use Finder instead.

How to Delete Applications on Mac Using Finder

How to delete programs on Mac with Finder:

1. Open Finder.
2. Locate the applications you want to delete and select them.
3. Choose Move to Trash. You can also drag and drop the apps to Trash directly.
4. Enter the correct user name and password if required.
5. After that, you should empty trash to delete the apps completely.

How To Empty Trash On Mac & Troubleshoot Mac Trash Won’t Empty?

How to Delete Apps on Mac That Won’t Delete

You may receive the error message “The item * can’t be moved to the Trash” when deleting an app using Launchpad or Finder. How to uninstall programs on Mac in that case?

Here’s how to delete an app from my Mac that won’t delete.

Method 1: Force Quit the App That’s Still Open

1. Press Command Space bar to open Spotlight.
2. Type Activity Monitor into the search box and select it. You can also choose Activity Monitor from Finder -> Applications -> Utilities.
3. Select the target app from the apps list and click on the x button in the upper left corner of the window.
4. Click on the Force Quit button in the confirmation window to continue.
5. Open Finder to delete the target app.
6. Repeat this process to delete more apps.

Method 2: Force Delete an App That Won’t Delete

1. Go to Applications and then Utilities on your Mac.
2. Select Terminal from the list.
3. Type this command correctly: cd /Applications/.
4. Type sudo rm -rf *.app/ to delete certain apps. Please replace * with the accurate app name.

Method 3: Use Third-party App Uninstaller

There are numerous third-party app uninstallers or app removers available online, such as AppCleaner. You can choose a high-quality one to completely delete programs on Mac.

Additionally, if the app cannot be deleted because it's blocked or you lack permissions to access it, you should unblock or obtain permissions first and then try to delete the app again.

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