According to statistics, Firefox holds only around 2.26% of the global browser market. Many users prefer switching to other browsers, increasing the need for proper uninstallation methods.
In this article, we will explain two methods to completely and correctly uninstall Firefox from your Mac. You can choose the manual method or do it quickly with a specialized application. We will also discuss how to reset Firefox to make the browser work faster.
Contents:
- What is Firefox and why should you uninstall it?
- The easiest way to remove Firefox
- How to uninstall Firefox manually.
- How to delete a browser with Terminal.
- How to clean up the Firefox cache.
- How to reset Mozilla Firefox.
Video Guide: Uninstalling Firefox
What is Firefox and why should you uninstall it?
Firefox is a popular open-source web browser from the Mozilla Foundation. The users usually choose using this browser due to the developer’s concern for data privacy. The software creators report that they collect as little data as possible about their users and do not track them.
One of the strengths of this web browser is the variety of extensions that help to facilitate the work on the Internet.
Despite the benefits of Firefox, you may want to uninstall the browser due to the following reasons:
- The browser has started to work slowly.
- You just need to reinstall Firefox.
- Fewer extensions than other browsers.
- Issues and bugs on the latest macOS.
In this article, we will explain how to get rid of Firefox on your Mac completely and safely.
The easiest way to uninstall Firefox from Mac
The quickest way to remove Firefox or any app from a Mac is to use third-party uninstallers like App Cleaner & Uninstaller. This software will fully delete Firefox with just a few clicks. It automatically finds all service files of apps and uninstalls them completely and safely.
Steps to delete Firefox with the App Cleaner & Uninstaller:
- Download and launch the App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
- Select Firefox in the Mac applications list.
- Click the Uninstall button.
- Confirm removal.
If you have trashed Firefox before, you can find all its service files with the App Cleaner & Uninstaller. Just switch to the Remaining Files tab, where you will see all leftover and service files from apps previously deleted.
This option allows you to verify that the application was completely removed and no service files were left behind. Deleting the remaining files of your previously deleted applications can free up significant space on your disk.
How to uninstall Firefox manually
Often, Mac users do not know how to properly uninstall unnecessary programs from their computers. Generally, people simply drag and drop their applications into the Trash, forgetting about service files.
If you drag and drop Firefox to the Trash or simply delete it from your applications, specific supportive (service) files still remain on your hard drive. Usually, most of them hide in caches, logs, plugins, containers, and reports. That’s why it is important to delete Firefox from your Mac correctly.
Follow these steps to completely get rid of Mozilla Firefox:
- Clear Recent History and Caches of the browser. To do this, go to the Menu bar → History → select Clear Recent History…
- Select Everything for the Time range to clear and select all checkboxes. Confirm removal.
- Open Finder → go to the Applications folder → remove Firefox from there.
- In Finder, press Command+Shift+G and type ~/Library. Press Enter.
-
Find all files and folders related to Mozilla Firefox and remove them:
- ~/Library/Caches/Firefox
- ~/Library/Caches/Mozilla
- Empty your Trash.
Now, you need to find and remove other service files for Firefox. They are stored in the hidden Library folder.
How to delete a browser with Terminal
If you’re an experienced Mac user and feel comfortable with the command-line commands, you can use Terminal for removing Firefox. Here’s how:
- Locate and run Terminal from the Applications folder → Utilities.
-
Ensurethat Firefox is not running. For this, type the following command into the Terminal window and press Return:
pkill Firefox
-
Run the following command to delete the Firefox app.
sudo rm -rf /Applications/Firefox.app
-
To remove service files like cache, extensions, preferences, etc., run these commands one by one:
- rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Firefox
- rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Mozilla
- rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/org.mozilla.firefox.plist
- rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/org.mozilla.firefox.savedState
- rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/org.mozilla.firefox
- rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Mozilla
- rm -rf ~/Library/WebKit/org.mozilla.firefox
-
Check if any Firefox-related files remain with this command:
find ~/Library -iname “*firefox*”
- Once finished, empty your Trash and restart your Mac.
How to clean up the Firefox cache
An easy way to clear the cache of any app on a Mac is to use App Cleaner & Uninstaller. The steps are:
- Run App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
- Switch on the Expert mode.
- In the app list, select Firefox.
- In the right panel you’ll see the list of all services files. Select cache file.
- Click the Remove button.
- Confirm the action.
How to reset Mozilla Firefox
If you want to continue using Firefox on your Mac but you have been faced with problems, such as the browser beginning to generate error messages frequently or no longer responding to your requests and needing to be forcibly closed, you can reinstall or reset the browser to fix these errors.
There are many reasons for a slow browser. Very often, the problem is in relation to a large number of open tabs when the browser gets stuck. Also, you might have accumulated a large number of caches, downloads, and other files. If so, then resetting the browser can help to solve the issue. You can use the App Cleaner & Uninstaller to quickly reset Firefox.
Here is how to reset the Firefox app with the App Cleaner & Uninstaller:
- Launch the App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
- Right-click on the Firefox app and choose Reset Application.
- Confirm the removal of its preferences and some other support files.
We showed you two ways to uninstall the popular web browser Firefox. Once again, note that the manual method takes up much more time than the automatic way. The App Cleaner & Uninstaller helps to do this task in less than a minute effortlessly.
