How to uninstall AppCleaner from FreeMacSoft and all its files on Mac

With over 1 million users downloading FreeMacSoft’s AppCleaner over the years, it has earned a reputation as one of the most popular free uninstall utilities for macOS. Many Mac users install AppCleaner, as one of the ‘first day’ utilities, to uninstall applications.

But free of charge and popularity don’t always mean perfection. Maybe AppCleaner often misses files when uninstalling apps, and the tool that once felt ‘good enough’ might no longer fit, or perhaps you’ve found a more powerful uninstaller.

If you are ready to delete AppCleaner, this guide is for you. It’ll walk you through how to uninstall AppCleaner properly in two ways: manual removal and one-click, full cleanup.

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App Cleaner & Uninstaller

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What is AppCleaner, and why people want to remove it

AppCleaner is a free macOS utility by FreeMacSoft, built to remove apps along with their hidden support files. Instead of just dragging an .app into the Trash, it scans for related service files – caches, preferences, and temporary data – and deletes them together. The app is free to use, with optional donations supporting its development.

In theory, this approach solves one of macOS’s long-standing quirks: apps scatter their files across the system, especially inside the Library folder. AppCleaner attempts to gather all those pieces in one place and remove them in a single action.

What AppCleaner can do

At its core, FreeMacSoft’s AppCleaner scans your Mac for files linked to a specific application and shows you what can be removed. Typically, it detects:

• Cache files
• Preference files (.plist)
• Application support folders
• Logs and temporary files
• Library-related components

Beyond basic uninstalling, AppCleaner also offers a few extra conveniences:

• Displays a list of all installed applications
• Finds leftover files from apps deleted in the past
• Allows selective deletion (you can remove particular files related to an app)

Why users eventually remove AppCleaner from FreeMacSoft

1. AppCleaner doesn’t always remove everything:

Despite its promise, AppCleaner can miss certain files. Some users report leftover background services, system entries, or support folders. In my own comparison, uninstalling ChatGPT Atlas via AppCleaner and App Cleaner & Uninstaller resulted in a difference of nearly 1 GB of remaining data.

Also Read:AppCleaner vs. App Cleaner & Uninstaller

2. AppCleaner requires Full Disk Access permission:

Requiring Full Disk Access is okay for uninstallers, because macOS protects many folders where app data lives. The problem is that AppCleaner doesn’t intuitively explain why it needs this access or warn users when it’s missing. Plus, the lack of a clear in-app explanation may result in users not being aware of missing leftovers.

Without Full Disk Access, macOS restricts certain folders, which means AppCleaner:

• Miss service files
• Show incomplete results
• Display misleadingly ‘clean’ uninstall reports

Many users don’t realize this permission is disabled by default. As a result, AppCleaner appears to work, but silently skips protected locations.

3. AppCleaner’s usability issues:

• Drag & Drop stops working, being an issue discussed on Reddit, where dropping an app onto the tool does nothing.
• Apps with nonstandard storage paths, including outside the Applications folder, are not always visible.

4. More reasons why people uninstall AppCleaner:

• Limited scope compared to modern uninstallers
• Preference for a manual cleanup through Finder
• Cautiousness about using third-party utilities
• Switching to more reliable alternatives like App Cleaner & Uninstaller, PearCleaner, or CleanMyMac

Ways of uninstalling AppCleaner on Mac

If you’ve decided to remove AppCleaner, there are two practical ways to do it, and they differ in time, effort, and reliability.

I tested AppCleaner v3.6.8, which officially supports up to macOS Sequoia. It’s not labeled as optimized for macOS Tahoe, but it ran fine on Tahoe 26.1 while testing.

How to uninstall AppCleaner from Mac (basic method)

This is the classic Finder approach. It works, but it requires you to manually chase down all of AppCleaner’s service files.

Step 1: Quit AppCleaner and stop its processes

1. Open Activity Monitor.
2. Type AppCleaner in the search bar.
3. Select all related processes.
4. Click the Stop (✕) button and confirm.

This ensures no background processes block file deletion.

Step 2: Delete the main app

1. Open Finder → Applications.
2. Find AppCleaner.app.
3. Right-click it → Move to Trash.

At this point, AppCleaner looks gone, but its files are spread across the Library folder.

Step 3: Find and delete AppCleaner service files

1. In Finder, open Go → Go to Folder.
2. Enter

   ~/Library

   Copy

   and press Return.
3. Use Finder’s search and type

   net.freemacsoft.

   Copy

   When typing, select Name contains in the dropdown and limit scope to Library.
4. Select all AppCleaner found files and folders → Move to Trash.

/private/var/folders/***/***/***/net.freemacsoft.AppCleaner

AppCleaner

net.freemacsoft

Step 4: Empty Trash and restart your Mac

This final step clears all background references.

Manual removal works, but it’s easy to miss something, especially if AppCleaner was used for a long time.

How to uninstall AppCleaner (quick & reliable method)

If you’d rather skip manual searching, there’s a faster route.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller removes AppCleaner the same way it removes any other app: completely, predictably, and in one pass. It scans for all associated files, including leftovers from past activity, and deletes them safely.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Install and open App Cleaner & Uninstaller (it comes with a free trial). The app automatically scans all installed software and its service files.
2. Find AppCleaner in the app list or with search → select it.
3. Click Uninstall
4. Review detected files → confirm by clicking on Remove.
5. Enter your admin password if prompted.

Bonus: removing remaining files of partially deleted apps

If you already dragged AppCleaner to the Trash before reading this, no problem.
Just open App Cleaner & Uninstaller → Remaining Files, find AppCleaner, and click Remove. It will delete everything the Trash missed.

This method is not just faster, it’s more predictable. You always get:

• no hidden leftovers
• no background junk
• no half-uninstalled apps
• no manual searching

Final cleanup

At some point, every utility outgrows its place on your Mac – AppCleaner included. Whether you choose to remove it manually or use App Cleaner & Uninstaller, the important part is that no leftovers shall remain.

Doing it manually gives you more control and a closer look. Using an automated tool gets you to a clean result with less effort and without the risk of missing files. macOS gives you flexibility here, and the best method is the one that feels most reliable to you.