Uninstaller Complete macOS app removal tool · Feature Guide
FIDEL App
KO

After you delete an app

The app you dropped in the Trash —
did it really disappear?

The moment you run an app, macOS scatters its settings, cache, logs, and containers across a dozen-odd folders. Drag the icon to the Trash and those leftovers just sit there. This tool finds every scattered trace at once, lets you review each one, then removes them safely.

01 Why it's needed

Dragging to the Trash only removes the icon

macOS apps create files named after themselves or their bundle ID all over ~/Library. Even after you trash the app itself, these files stick around eating up space — and if you reinstall the same app, old settings can come right back.

Dragged to Trash

Only the app itself is gone

Example.app
com.example.app.plist
Caches/com.example.app
Containers/com.example.app
Removed with Uninstaller

Every trace, gone too

Example.app
com.example.app.plist
Caches/com.example.app
Containers/com.example.app
This app moves files to the Trash instead of permanently deleting them. If you remove something by mistake, you can still get it back from the Trash.
02 Scan locations

Every place macOS tucks files away

Once you pick an app, it sweeps the standard locations in both your user library and the system library. Each result shows which folder it came from and why it matched.

User space~/Library
Preferences
Preferences
Bundle ID plists and login-item settings.
Support Files
Application Support
Data and resource folders the app created.
Caches
Caches
Temporary cached data.
Logs
Logs
Log files the app left behind.
Saved State
Saved Application State
Window position and restore info.
Containers
Containers
A sandboxed app's data space.
Group Containers
Group Containers
Data shared across an app group.
Launch Items
LaunchAgents
Settings that auto-launch at login.
Scripts · Metadata
Application Scripts · Metadata
Automation scripts and Spotlight index data.
System space/Library · /private
Install receipts
/private/var/db/receipts
Package install records (bom · plist).
Daemons · Launch items
/Library/LaunchDaemons · LaunchAgents
Registered background-service files.
Global support files
/Library/Application Support · Caches · Logs
Data shared by all users.
Plug-ins · Quick Look
/Library/Internet Plug-Ins · QuickLook
Browser and preview extensions.
Privileged helpers
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools
Helper executables the app installed.
Bundled helpers
Example Helper.app
A companion app bundled alongside it.
03 How it finds files

Precise and broad — without touching anyone else's files

Two methods work together. It pinpoints files with the bundle ID, and sweeps broadly by app name, while checking word boundaries so unrelated files never get swept in.

Exact bundle ID match

Uses the app's bundle identifier to go straight to its defined paths. For com.example.app, for instance, it only picks up files whose name matches exactly, like Preferences/com.example.app.plist or Containers/com.example.app.

Fuzzy name match

For cases with no bundle ID, or where files are simply named after the app, it also sweeps variants of the app and executable names. It only counts a match when it falls on a boundary-separated word, like around . - or _.

Common runtime and shared names used across many apps are excluded from matching to prevent false positives:
electronchromiumnwjscef helperlauncherupdatercrashpad squirrelreact nativewebview
Fuzzy matching is convenient, but it can occasionally surface an unrelated result. That's exactly why there's a review step before anything gets deleted — see the next section.
04 Review

Check every item yourself before deleting

Preferences
com.example.app.plistBundle ID matchDelete
Caches
com.example.appFolder · reset targetReset
Containers
com.example.helperSimilar name · needs reviewDelete
com.example.appSandbox containerDelete

Grouped by category

Everything found is grouped by type — preferences, caches, logs, containers. Every item notes why it matched, so you can simply uncheck anything you're not sure about.

Items like caches or saved state, where deleting them just resets the app, carry a Reset tag. Handy if you want to keep the app but wipe its settings back to defaults.

Everything is selected by default, but nothing is actually deleted until you finish reviewing and confirm.

05 Safe deletion

Reversible, yet thorough

Once you confirm, it works through the selected items from the deepest subfolders up. It picks the safest method for each situation, and never forces through something it can't handle.

Moved to Trash

Regular files aren't permanently deleted — they're moved to the Trash. The app bundle itself is handed off to macOS (NSWorkspace) for a safe removal.

Admin rights only when needed

Items blocked from moving to the Trash due to permissions are collected and handled with a single admin password prompt — not one prompt per file.

System-protected items are refused

Paths macOS protects — under /System, or things like Safari, App Store, System Settings — are left untouched, and it tells you why.

Cancel anytime

Whether it's scanning or deleting, you can stop it mid-way. It finishes the file currently in progress, then cleanly halts.

06 Full Disk Access

One permission to reach into Containers

macOS won't open sensitive folders like Containers and Group Containers without Full Disk Access. When this permission is needed, the app lets you know and takes you straight to the right settings pane.

Blocked? Turn it on right here

If deletion fails because of permissions, the app shows a "Turn on Full Disk Access" prompt and opens the relevant System Settings pane for you with one click.

After flipping the switch, you'll need to fully quit and reopen the app for the new permission to take effect. Then just scan again.

07 Result report

See exactly what happened, at a glance

Once deletion finishes, it breaks down how each requested item was handled as clear numbers. If anything failed, it shows you the path and the reason, so you always know what to do next.

Failed items stay in the list instead of vanishing. Usually the app is still running, a file is locked, or Full Disk Access is required.
08 How to use it

Just three clicks

Pick the app to remove

Choose it from your list of installed apps, or use Choose File to point directly at an .app — the scan starts right away.

Review what it found

Look through the categorized list, check the match reason for each item, and uncheck anything you're unsure about. Want to just clear the cache? Leave only the Reset items checked.

Confirm and delete

After final confirmation, the selected items move to the Trash. If permissions are needed, enter your admin password once — and if it's still blocked, turn on Full Disk Access and try again.