Generally, there are three options to remove Python from a Mac. You can do this using the Terminal command line, use a special uninstaller for Python, or manually find and remove Python support files for its complete removal. Some users face issues when trying to get rid of the Python package. Read this step-by-step guide on how to safely uninstall Python on your Mac and prevent any issues.
Contents:
- How to uninstall Python manually.
- How to uninstall Python using Terminal.
- The easiest way to uninstall Python from Mac.
The quickest way to uninstall Python on Mac completely
This is a special uninstaller that will help you to completely uninstall any application from Mac along with their caches, logs, login items, preferences and browsers extensions.
App Cleaner & Uninstaller
Before we start, watch the video how to uninstall Python on Mac.
What is Python?
Python is an extremely simple and flexible language that allows developers to effectively solve the problems of scripting, rapid prototyping, and research programming. Python began to be developed in the late eighties by the employees of the Dutch National Research Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science Guido van Rossum. Today, the support for Python is carried out by a team of developers of the same institution.
Python is used not only by IT professionals, developers, and engineers but also by people involved in data mining and analytics in the field of Big Data.
Please note, Apple pre-installed and provided Python 2.7 in Mac OS X 10.8. If you use older versions of the Mac operating system but downloaded a new version of Python 3 from its official website, then you should be careful when trying to uninstall the program.
Never modify or delete a folder named Python and any files related to the pre-installed Python by Apple.
How to uninstall Python 3 manually
To uninstall Python 3 on Mac completely and safely, please follow the steps below.
- First, quit the application and close all running processes of Python in the background. This step is very important for a safe deletion of the program.
- Also, we recommend that you open Activity Monitor and check whether some processes are still active. Click the “x” button to close the Python processes.
- Then go to the Application folder in Finder and move Python to Trash. Please, make sure you remove the Python uninstall package entirely, not just separate files.
- Now we’ve come closer to the last important step – to find and remove all the service files Python has created while you were using it. The service files are stored in the Library folder.
In our case, we have found the following files in the following subfolders of the Library folder:
- ~/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework
- ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/
com.apple.LSSharedFileList.ApplicationRecentDocuments/org.python.idle.sfl - ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/
com.apple.LSSharedFileList.ApplicationRecentDocuments/
org.python.pythonlauncher.sfl - ~/Library/Saved Application State/org.python.IDLE.savedState
- ~/Library/Saved Application State/org.python.PythonLauncher.savedState
Also, there are some hidden files in the User’s folder. You can view them only if you make all your hidden files visible. For this, use a free application Funter, which allows you to show and hide hidden files with one click.
List of Python hidden service files:
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonUnixTools-3.6.bom
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonFramework-3.6.bom
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonDocumentation-3.6.bom
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonApplications-3.6.bom
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonFramework-3.6.plist
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonUnixTools-3.6.plist
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonApplications-3.6.plist
- ~/private/var/db/receipts/org.python.Python.PythonDocumentation-3.6.plist
Once again, you would need to find all the service files of Python and move them to Trash for a complete uninstallation. For this, you need to show hidden files using the Funter app.
But we understand that this task can be too complicated and just a waste of time because there are other ways to uninstall Python on Mac. Read on to learn more.
How to uninstall Python using Terminal
If you are familiar with the Terminal app, you can use command lines to uninstall Python from your Mac. For this, follow these steps:
- Move Python to Trash.
- Open the Terminal app and type the following command in the window: ~ [user name] sudo rm -rf /Applications/Python\ 3.6/
- It will require you to enter your administrator password to confirm the deletion.
Please note, we strictly do not recommend using this Python uninstalling method to users who are unfamiliar with Terminal commands.
If you are looking for the fastest and safest way to uninstall Python from your Mac, you’d better use a special tool App Cleaner & Uninstaller to handle this task.
How to uninstall Python with a few clicks
App Cleaner & Uninstaller is your efficient helper to uninstall any program on Mac quickly and easily. App Cleaner & Uninstaller automatically finds all the service files of apps so that you can be sure that the app was removed on your Mac completely without leaving any traces.
Also, if you have already deleted some apps the regular way, you can check whether their service files still remain on your hard drive, and you can get rid of them with several clicks. You can download App Cleaner & Uninstaller from our website.
Steps to remove Python with App Cleaner & Uninstaller:
- Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller. In the left section of the window, you will see all the apps installed on your Mac.
- Selet Python in the left panel. In the right panel, you can view the list of all additional Python files, that we were searching for manually in the first part of the article.
- Then all you need to uninstall the Python application is to click Uninstall and confirm the deletion.
- Also note, that App Cleaner & Uninstaller moves deleted files to Trash, so don’t forget to empty the Trash folder.
That’s all. We hope that it helped you to uninstall Python from your Mac computer and solve your uninstall issues. Let us know if you still have questions.
Uninstall any Mac application in 2 minutes
FAQs about Python
Where is Python installed on a Mac?
Apple provides a pre-installed version of Python which you can find by the following path: /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework and /usr/bin/python.
However note, that path location may vary depending on the Python’s version you have on you Mac and the installation method you used. For example, if you have Python version 3, you can find its path using the Terminal and this command:
import sys; print(sys.executable)
Terminal will show the path to the Python executable file.
Why can’t I delete Python from my Mac?
If you have the already pre-installed Python on your system, you won’t be able to delete it. It is used by some macOS utilities and uninstalling Python can cause system errors. If you installed Mac Python by yourself, you can uninstall it using App Cleaner & Uninstaller from Nektony. Before trying to remove Python, ensure that you closed it and you have user rights to uninstall apps on your Mac.
How do you check if I have Python installed on my Mac?
To check if Python is installed on your Mac, use the Terminal command line. For example, type python3 and press Enter. If Python is installed on your system, you will see a message like “Python version 3.x.x” showing you the version of Python you have.
