How to uninstall FileMaker Pro on Mac (complete guide)

Ah, FileMaker Pro. Long before “no-code” was a buzzy marketing term and every startup had a sleek app-building platform, there was FileMaker. It’s a visionary piece of software that’s been helping businesses organize chaos since the mid-1980s. In many ways, it was ahead of its time – a visual database constructor that paved the way for the modern development tools we use today. It even has FileMaker Go for mobile apps, proving that even the “O.G.s” can keep up with the times.

But even the most reliable workhorses can get sluggish or run into configuration errors. Whether you’re moving to a more modern platform or just need to perform a clean reinstall to fix a stubborn bug, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll show you two ways to get it done: the manual hunt through your system files and the fast, automated way.

The FileMaker family: What exactly are you trying to remove?

Before we pick up the digital shovel, we need to make sure we are digging in the right place. FileMaker has evolved into a massive ecosystem of tools, and not all of them actually live on your Mac’s hard drive.

Here is a quick breakdown to help you identify your “target”:

• FileMaker Pro: This is the desktop application you use to build and manage databases. If you see the FileMaker icon in your Applications folder, this is likely what you want to uninstall.
• FileMaker Server: This is the heavy-duty “engine” that hosts databases for an entire team. If your Mac is acting as the central hub for your office, you might have this installed. It is a much larger piece of software with different “hidden” files than the Pro version.
• FileMaker Cloud & WebDirect: These are web-based services. You access them through Safari or Chrome. Since they live in the cloud, there is nothing to “uninstall” from your Mac – you simply stop using the service or close the browser tab.
• FileMaker Go: This is the mobile app for iPhone and iPad. If you are looking to delete this, just tap and hold the app icon on your mobile device and select Uninstall.

The Bottom Line: If you are trying to free up space or fix a buggy desktop experience, FileMaker Pro is the one we are focusing on today.

Why you might need to uninstall (or reset) FileMaker Pro

If you are reading this, FileMaker Pro has likely stopped being the visionary tool it once was and has started being a bit of a headache. Don’t worry; whether you are troubleshooting or moving on, your decision to uninstall is likely the right move for your Mac’s health.

Here is a quick breakdown to help you identify your “target”:

• macOS compatibility hurdles: As macOS continues to evolve (looking at you, Tahoe), older versions of FileMaker often lose their footing. On Apple Discussions, some users even go as far as worrying if they should avoid updating macOS to keep FileMaker Pro running. If an OS update has rendered your app unresponsive, a clean removal is often the only fix.
• Maintenance & support complexity: Over time, a database built on custom scripts, plugins, and ODBC connections can become brittle. Updates to the OS or third-party modules can trigger bugs that make the system too expensive or “fragile” to keep maintaining.
• Outgrowing the “low-code” box: FileMaker is a fantastic visual constructor, but it has limits. When your app needs high-end performance, complex logic, or massive scalability, you might find that it’s time to move to a dedicated database management system and custom software.
• Unpredictable behavior and data risks: If your database is constantly changing or relying on aging third-party modules, you may encounter instability or “side-by-side” configuration errors. In these cases, crashes and bugs can lead to data loss – a risk no one wants to take.
• Licensing and update fatigue: While you can buy FileMaker Pro “forever,” the total cost of ownership, which includes server fees, plugin licenses, and paid support, can skyrocket. Sometimes, switching to an open-source or free solution is just the smarter financial move.

Wait! Have you considered a reset?

If you simply want to fix bugs or clear a weird configuration, you should consider resetting the app instead of a full uninstallation. A reset clears the temporary “junk” and preference files while leaving the core application in place. It’s the “surgical” approach to troubleshooting.

This is a real need for some FileMaker users, as shown by Claris forum threads, so having an easy way to reset the app described below should definitely be beneficial for the community.

However, if you are determined to remove it entirely, you have two paths:

~/Library

How to uninstall FileMaker Pro automatically

While the “traditional” method of dragging an icon to the Trash feels easy, it’s actually quite messy. It leaves behind caches, logs, and preference files that eventually clutter your system. App Cleaner & Uninstaller does the heavy lifting for you, finding every hidden leftover in about 30 seconds.

Here is how to remove FileMaker Pro completely in just a few clicks:

1. Download and launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
   Download

   for macOS 10.13 and above

   App Cleaner & Uninstaller
2. After the app scans your system for apps, type

   FileMaker Pro

   Copy

   in the search bar or find it in the list of applications.
3. Select this app and click the Uninstall button.

4. In the Review and Remove window, confirm the deletion by clicking Remove.

5. Empty your Trash and restart your Mac to finalize the process.

That’s it. No digging, no guessing, and no leftovers left behind.

How to uninstall FileMaker Pro manually

If you prefer to handle things yourself without extra tools, you can remove FileMaker Pro using the built-in macOS features. Just be prepared to do some manual searching to make sure no leftovers are left behind to cause future version conflicts.

Step 1. Stop all active processes

Before you can delete the app, you must ensure it isn’t running in the background.

1. Open Activity Monitor (you can find it via Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Space).
2. In the search bar at the top right, type

   FileMaker

   Copy

   .
3. Select all active processes and click the X icon (Stop) at the top of the window.
4. Choose Force Quit to stop them immediately.

Step 2. Remove the application

1. Open Finder and navigate to your Applications folder.
2. Find the FileMaker Pro icon.
3. Right-click it and select Move to Trash, or simply drag it to the Trash in your Dock.

Step 3. Delete service files

Dragging the icon to the Trash only deletes the “shell” of the app. To get rid of the logs, caches, and preferences, we need to visit the ~/Library folder. This is a hidden folder where your Mac stores app-specific data.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go → Go to Folder…
3. Type

   ~/Library

   Copy

   and press Enter.
4. Once inside, use the search bar at the top right and type

   FileMaker

   Copy

   .
   Crucial: Click the “Library” button next to “This Mac” in the search filter to ensure you are only searching within this folder.
5. Select all files and folders containing “FileMaker” or “com.filemaker” and move them to the Trash. Here’s the list of files and folders you might be able to locate and remove:

   • ~/Library/Application Support/FileMaker

     Copy

   • ~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.filemaker.client.pro12

     Copy

   • ~/Library/WebKit/com.filemaker.client.pro12

     Copy

   • ~/Library/Caches/FileMaker

     Copy

   • ~/Library/Caches/com.filemaker.client.pro12

     Copy

   • ~/Library/Preferences/com.filemaker.client.pro12.plist

     Copy

Note:

The files and folders you will find via search might slightly differ from the ones mentioned in this list due to FileMaker version and usage differences.


6. In a similar manner, using the Go to Folder… dialog and searching for FileMaker, locate and trash the following folders and files:

/Users/Shared

/Users/Shared/FileMaker

/private/var/folders

/private/var/folders/*/*/*/com.filemaker.client.pro12

If you compare this list of files with the official guide from Claris, you’ll notice our method is more complete.

Step 4. Finalize the cleanup

1. Empty your Trash.
2. Restart your Mac. This clears out any remaining temporary files and ensures the system registry is refreshed.

How to reset FileMaker Pro

Instead of deleting the entire application and having to install it all over again, you can only remove its “baggage”, i.e., the caches, preference files, and temporary logs that are usually the root of technical glitches.

I’m a huge fan of this method because it’s the ultimate time-saver. You keep the app, but you clear the slate.

Here is how to reset FileMaker Pro using App Cleaner & Uninstaller:

1. Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
2. Find FileMaker Pro in the list of applications.
3. Right-click on the app and select Reset Application.

4. Confirm the action.

That’s it, the next time you open FileMaker Pro, it will behave as if it’s being launched for the very first time. You might have to sign back in, but those stubborn bugs should be gone.

The bottom line

There is a certain level of respect you have to give to a platform like FileMaker. In the tech world, things usually move so fast that yesterday’s “innovative” tool is today’s digital fossil. But FileMaker is different. It was essentially the “visionary” grandfather of the no-code movement, giving people the power to build complex databases decades before “low-code” became a startup buzzword.

Anyhoo, whether you are moving on to something new or just performing a clean reinstall to keep the engine humming, I hope this guide made the process a little less of a chore. After all, your time is better spent building the next big thing than digging through system folders.