What deleted apps leave on your Mac

Where apps keep their things

In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and type ~/Library. An app's data is usually in folders named after the app or its identifier (such as com.example.app) in these places:

• Application Support, the app's main data
• Caches and HTTPStorages
• Containers and Group Containers, for apps from the App Store and others that use them
• Preferences, its settings
• Saved Application State, the windows it reopens
• Logs and WebKit
• LaunchAgents, items that start a program when you log in

Move only what you're sure belongs to an app you've removed, and empty the Trash once you're happy nothing else broke.

Startup items left behind

A launch agent whose program has gone tries to start it anyway, at every login. You can spot them in ~/Library/LaunchAgents, and in /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons for those that serve every account.

Let TrailSift find them

TrailSift's free audit lists leftovers of apps that are no longer installed, named so you know what they were, and startup items whose program is gone. Pro moves them to the Trash after a preview. To remove an app you still have, Remove an App shows everything it keeps across the Library, with sizes, and moves it all to the Trash together. Apple's own apps are left alone.

Updated 13 October 2026. More guides: all TrailSift guides.