In 2015 Lync was renamed Skype for Business. Lync is now not available for the latest Mac operating system. However, you might still have it on your computer. If so, this article is just for you. We will explain two different methods on how to uninstall Lync from Mac cleanly and correctly.
Contents:
- How to uninstall Microsoft Lync manually.
- How to remove Microsoft Lync with App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
Important notes and the methodology used to prepare a guide on how to uninstall Lync from Mac:
- Each application creates tons of support files while you are using it. If you want to uninstall applications from Mac completely, you need to find and remove that support files as well.
- Before writing this article, we checked the Microsoft help page to find out how to uninstall Lync from the Mac. In fact, after doing the provided steps for complete uninstallation we discovered that this method does not uninstall Lync completely.
- We used App Cleaner & Uninstaller from Nektony to check Mac for Lync’s remaining files.
- In this article, we will provide two methods on how to completely uninstall Lync from Mac. You can do it manually or by using App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
How to uninstall Microsoft Lync manually
Please, follow every step from our guide to uninstall Lync from your Mac correctly:
- First of all, make sure that you have been logged in to the system as an administrator. If you are not sure, go to Preferences → Users & Groups. Below your username, you should have an admin label.
- Close Lync and all its processes which may work in the background. Press ⌘+Q or go to Menu bar → Lync → Quit Lync.
- Now go to the Applications folder and move Lync into Trash.
This is basically how most users remove Lync or any other app from a Mac. However, in practice, lots of system files remain on your Mac, taking up disk space and slowing down your Mac’s performance. So we strongly recommend removing service files as well. - Open Finder and press the Command+Shift+G shortcut. In the appeared “Go to the Folder” window type ~/Library and press Enter (Return).
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Here in the Library folder find and remove all files associated with Lync. On your Mac, we found the following ones:
- ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.Lync.plist
- ~/Library/Preferences/byHost/MicrosoftLyncRegistrationDB.xxxx.plist
- ~/Library/Logs/Microsoft-Lync-x.log
- ~/Library/Logs/Microsoft-Lync.log
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Also, find and remove these files created byof Microsoft Lync:
- Documents/Microsoft User Data/Microsoft Lync Data
- Documents/Microsoft User Data/Microsoft Lync History
- Library/Internet Plug-Ins/MeetingJoinPlugin.plugin
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/…
- Once you cleaned up your disk from all unneeded Lync’s service files, empty the Trash and restart your system.
Now Microsoft Lync is completely uninstalled from your Mac. However, if you are not sure that you found all of the remaining files, or just want an easier way to uninstall Lync from your Mac, use App Cleaner & Uninstaller. Keep reading to learn more about it.
How to remove Microsoft Lync with App Cleaner & Uninstaller
App Cleaner & Uninstaller is a special utility that allows you to remove applications from your Mac completely with all of its service files and in just a few clicks. Also, it allows you to check your Mac for the remaining files of already removed applications.
Steps on how to uninstall Lync using App Cleaner & Uninstaller:
- Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller. It will automatically start scanning your applications.
- Select Lync in the list of scanned applications.
- Click the Remove button.
- Confirm the Lync’s uninstallation.
That’s all. After confirmation, Microsoft Lync will be uninstalled from your Mac.
If you have already manually removed Lync from your Mac, we recommend that you check your Mac for its remaining files. They are displayed in the Remaining Files tab.
Uninstall any Mac application in 2 minutes
Frequently asked questions about Lync
What is Lync for Mac?
Microsoft Lync is software for instant messaging and video and audio conferencing. It was specially designed for the corporate environment. In April 2015 Lync was renamed to Skype for Business.
Do I need Microsoft Lync?
Microsoft Lync is now called Skype for Business. If you need a video conferencing and messaging solution for your corporate needs, Skype for Business might be a great choice. Even if you find an installation file for Lync, we don’t recommend installing it for your Mac’s safety.
Is Skype the same as Lync?
In 2015 Lync was renamed to Skype for Business, new features and the new interface was provided with the latest version of the software.
