How to correctly uninstall GIMP from Mac

Asya Karapetyan
Content marketer, who specializes in Mac how-to guides
October 4, 2023
7 minutes to read

If you need to uninstall GIMP from your Mac, this article is for you. We will share two methods on how to remove GIMP completely and correctly so that it does not leave any leftovers on your Mac. removing GIMP

Contents:

  1. A quick guide on how to completely uninstall GIMP from Mac.
  2. Step-by-step guide on how to uninstall GIMP from Mac manually.
  3. How to remove GIMP using App Cleaner & Uninstaller.

Important notes and the methodology used to prepare GIMP uninstalling guide:

  • You should always close the application before the removal process to prevent bumps on the road of an app uninstallation.
  • For the complete removal of applications from Mac, it is important to find and remove all of its support files from your system.
  • By default, applications store their support files in the ~/Library folder. However, if you have downloaded an application not from the App Store, they might spread out their service files all over your disk. We used App Cleaner & Uninstaller and Funter to check the Mac for applications’ remaining files.
  • Before writing this article, we checked the GIMP website for the removal instruction and did not find any.
  • You can completely uninstall GIMP using the manual method or do this in a few clicks with App Cleaner & Uninstaller.

A quick guide on how to completely uninstall GIMP from Mac

Here are three main steps on how to completely uninstall GIMP or any other application from Mac:

  1. Remove the GIMP executable file from the Applications folder.
  2. Check the ~/Library folder for the GIMP’s service files and remove all of the leftovers:

    • ~/Library/Caches
    • ~/Library/Application Support
    • ~/Library/Application Scripts
    • ~/Library/Preferences
    • ~/Library/Containers
  3. Empty the Trash bin.

As you can see, the important part of application uninstallation is to find and remove their support files. Below you can have a detailed step-by-step guide on how to find these support files and fully remove the GIMP application from your computer.


How to uninstall GIMP from Mac manually. Step-by-step guide.

Follow the steps below to remove GIMP 2.10 with its service files from Mac:

  1. Quit GIMP. You can do it right from the Dock panel or go to the GIMP menu and click on Quit GIMP – 2.10. GIMP Menu showing the Quit option
  2. Open Finder and go to the Applications folder. Find the GIMP application and move it into the Trash. GIMP in the Applications folder
  3. Find and remove the GIMP’s leftovers. By default, applications store their support files in the hidden folder named Library. To open this folder in Finder press the Command+Shift+G shortcut. It will open the “Go to Folder” search field. Type ~/Library there and press Enter.
    Go to folder search field showing the Library location
  4. Check the following directories for the GIMP support files:

    • ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP
    • ~/Library/Saved Application State/org.gimp.gimp-2.10/.savedState
    • ~/Library/Preferences/org.gimp.gimp-2.10/.plist
    • ~/private/var/folder/I8/…/gimp
  5. After removing all of the GIMP’s support files, empty your Trash bin and restart your system.

Please note, we also recommend checking these folders in the Library for the remaining files:

  • ~/Library/Caches
  • ~/Library/Containers
  • ~/Library/PreferencePanes
  • ~/Library/Launch Agents
  • ~/Library/Logs
  • ~/Library/Application Scripts

Since each user might have a different number of remaining files depending on his/her preferences, the period of time he/she used the application and other parameters, it might be not so quick to find all of the support files. That’s why we recommend that you uninstall applications with App Cleaner & Uninstaller, which automatically finds all the remaining files and removes applications completely.


How to remove GIMP from Mac using App Cleaner & Uninstaller

App Cleaner & Uninstaller is a utility that uninstalls applications from Mac with all of its support files. App Cleaner & Uninstaller also finds service files of already removed applications and displays them in the Remaining Files tab. Additionally, it allows you to easily change startup programs, remove extensions and change default apps for different types of files.

Here are the steps on how to completely remove GIMP from Mac:

  1. Quit GIMP.
  2. Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
  3. Select GIMP from the list of scanned applications.
  4. Click the Remove button.
  5. Confirm GIMP removal.

uninstalling GIMP with App CLeaner & Uninstaller
If you have already removed GIMP into the Trash, go to the Remaining Files tab from the sidebar and remove unneeded leftovers.
App Cleaner & Uninstaller showing GIMP remaining files
As you can see, with App Cleaner & Uninstaller it is much easier to uninstall applications from Mac. Download it right now and try it out.



Frequently asked questions about GIMP

Where is GIMP installed on my Mac?
Is GIMP safe to download and use on Mac?
Is GIMP free to use on Mac?
Can’t delete GIMP from my Mac. Why?
How to stop GIMP from opening automatically at Mac startup?
What are alternatives for GIMP on Mac?
Which is easier, GIMP or Photoshop?
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