When it comes to uninstalling apps on your macOS, you may not have the luxury of a dedicated system application to do so. This can be frustrating, especially when dealing with multiple apps that are no longer needed or wanted. Fortunately, there are third-party tools like AppCleaner that can help make the process easier and more thorough.

AppCleaner is one such tool that has gained popularity among Mac users. It's a free app that provides a detailed view into each of the applications installed on your computer, making it easy to identify and uninstall unwanted apps. But before you start deleting files, it's essential to exercise caution and follow best practices to avoid any potential issues.

One approach is to delete at your own risk or use a script to append an extension like DELETEME to all files and then use your computer for a while to see if anything breaks. If nothing does, you can then find and delete those files. However, this method may not be the most efficient or safe way to uninstall apps.

AppCleaner, on the other hand, provides a more comprehensive solution. It scans your computer for all installed applications and provides a list of files associated with each app. From here, you can select which apps you want to uninstall and AppCleaner will take care of the rest.

But be warned: deleting files listed in these logs can have unintended consequences if other applications or system components depend on them. It's crucial to exercise caution when using third-party tools like AppCleaner and to thoroughly review any files that are about to be deleted.

In some cases, you may need to download additional apps to fully uninstall certain programs. For example, installers may do more than just copy files and can potentially update other applications or system components. This is why it's essential to carefully review the installation process and any updates that may be required.

One way to get an idea of which folders the installer wrote stuff to is by filtering the results using the lsbom command. For example, you can use the following command: lsbom -lsf /private/var/db/receipts/09.bom | cut -d'/' -f-5 | uniq.

This will give you a list of folders that were written to by the installer. You can then use this information to manually delete any files that are no longer needed or wanted.

AppCleaner is not only useful for uninstalling apps but also for cleaning up disk space usage. It organizes and optimizes your computer's storage space, creating more free space on your Mac.

Unfortunately, a log is kept of all the files written during installation in the /private/var/db/receipts/ directory. This can be helpful if you need to track down specific files or folders that were installed by an app.

AppCleaner is so thorough at uninstalling apps and has such useful capabilities that it's something MacOS should include by default. The tool provides a detailed view into each of the applications, making it easy to identify which ones are no longer needed or wanted.

In conclusion, AppCleaner is a powerful tool for uninstalling apps on your Mac. It provides a comprehensive solution for identifying and deleting unwanted files and folders associated with installed applications. While caution should be exercised when using third-party tools like AppCleaner, the benefits of this app far outweigh any potential risks.

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