To reset Wave directly in the browser: Open WaveBrowser. Go to Settings. In the left panel, locate and select Reset settings. Click Restore Settings to their original defaults. Click the Reset settings button. By doing so, you will disable all extensions, clear temporary data, and reset your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. Bookmarks, history, and saved passwords will be kept untouched. To reset WaveBrowser in App Cleaner & Uninstaller: Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller. Locate WaveBrowser in the Applications list → right-click it. Choose the Reset Application option → confirm.

How to clear the Wave cache?

To clear the Wave cache in the browser: Open Wave. Go to Settings. On the left panel, find and select Privacy and security. In the main window, click Clear browsing data. In the Time range dropdown, check the All time option. Click the Clear data button. To clear WaveBrowser cache in App Cleaner & Uninstaller: Run App Cleaner & Uninstaller. Turn on the Expert Mode. Find WaveBrowser among the Applications → select it. Check the Caches box. Click the Remove button → confirm Wave caches to be cleared.

How do I block WaveBrowser?

If you don’t want Wave running at all, the cleanest way is to uninstall it fully so it doesn’t auto-launch or hijack settings. You can also: Set Safari, Chrome, or Firefox as the default browser so Mac won’t open links in Wave: Go to System Settings. Select the Desktop & Dock tab in the left panel. Locate the Default web browser option under the Widgets section. Click the dropdown and choose your default browser. Use App Cleaner & Uninstaller to detect and remove any hidden components that try to keep Wave active: Open App Cleaner & Uninstaller. Locate and select WaveBrowser in the Applications list. Click the Uninstall button. Review the files to be deleted and confirm uninstallation.

October 16, 2025

Two ways to completely uninstall WaveBrowser from Mac

Written by

A content creator with a background in tech support and quality assurance, focused on writing clear, helpful guides for Mac optimization.

Sergio Tereshchenko

Approved by

The content has been reviewed and approved by our team member, an Apple Certified Support Professional, who provides technical support to Nektony’s users.

Alex Holovchenko

Around the world, most people rely on browsers like Safari, Chrome, or Firefox to surf the web. Wave Browser? It doesn’t even appear in the Top 10 desktop browser list in 2025.

Instead, its reputation usually comes from being flagged as potentially unwanted software. People report Wave sneaking onto their Macs without clear consent, showing too many ads, hijacking searches, or acting like adware. If that’s your story, you’re ready to delete it.

And when it comes to uninstalling browsers, doing it halfway (dragging to Trash) leaves behind lots of junk. In this tutorial, I’ll show two clean methods: manual and automatic.

This Article Contains

Is Wave safe, and should I uninstall it from my Mac?
How to manually uninstall Wave on a Mac
How to remove WaveBrowser automatically
FAQs

Is Wave safe, and should I uninstall it from my Mac?

Wave Browser is based on Chromium – the same engine powering Chrome and the latest Microsoft Edge. On paper, that sounds solid. But in practice, Wave has gained a reputation for sneaky behavior.

Many users report finding it on their Mac without actively installing it. That alone is a red flag.

Once it’s there, WaveBrowser may:

Change browser settings without permission.
Show intrusive ads, banners, and pop-ups.
Redirect you to suspicious sites.
Make your Mac more vulnerable to security threats.

It’s not officially classified as a virus, but the combination of unwanted installation methods and intrusive behavior is reason enough to remove it. However, if you love this one, you can still give your browser a quick tune-up.

But for me, that’s a deal-breaker. And if you want speed, security, and stability, stick with Safari, Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.

Also Read:How to set the default browser on Mac

How to manually uninstall Wave on a Mac

If you like getting your hands a little dirty, you can uninstall Wave manually. This means deleting the app and hunting down all its leftover files hidden in the Library folders. It takes more time, but it works if you’re thorough.

I also checked the official uninstall instructions provided by Wave. It’s exactly about manual deletion. But from experience, that’s usually not enough to remove every trace. I tested it using Wave version 1.3.15.5 on Mac M3 Pro updated to Tahoe 26 macOS.

Note:

Before deleting Wave, make sure to export your bookmarks, passwords, and any personal data you’ve stored inside the browser.

Manual uninstall steps

Quit Wave Browser:
Right-click its Dock icon → choose Quit.
Stop background tasks:
Open Activity Monitor → search for Wave → highlight it and click the X to quit.
Remove the app:
Open Finder → Applications folder→ find WaveBrowser, right-click → Move to Trash.

Clear WaveBrowser leftovers:
Open Finder → press Cmd + Shift + G → in the following folders, look for and delete any Wave-related files in:
- ```
~/Library/Application Support/
```
  Copy
- ```
~/Library/HTTPStorages/
```
  Copy
- ```
~/Library/Preferences/
```
  Copy
- ```
~/Library/Caches/
```
  Copy
- ```
/private/var/folders/
```
  Copy
  Enter WaveBrowser in the search box, check the folders filter, delete cache starting with /private/var/folders/ and related to WaveBrowser.
- ```
~/Library/Containers/
```
  Copy
- ```
~/Library/Cookies/
```
  Copy

Empty the Trash.

Note:

Depending on the way you used Wave, you might find files in other hidden spots. Wave’s support files might show up in other hidden corners of your Mac, too. If you miss them, they’ll stick around. That’s why many people skip this and use an uninstaller instead.

How to remove WaveBrowser automatically

Imagine uninstalling an app and clearing all its leftovers in under a minute. That’s exactly what App Cleaner & Uninstaller does. It deletes the browser, extensions, caches, and stray files all at once. No digging through Library folders, no guesswork.

Automatic uninstall steps

Install and open App Cleaner & Uninstaller.

Download

for macOS 10.13 and above

App Cleaner & Uninstaller
Find Wave Browser in the applications list → select it.
Click Uninstall → confirm WaveBrowser to be deleted.

WaveBrowser in Applications in App Cleaner & Uninstaller

In case you’ve already tossed Wave into the Trash the old-fashioned way, no problem, because App Cleaner & Uninstaller can still finish the job. Just open the Remaining Files tab in the sidebar, and it’ll show you every bit of Wave left behind. Select those leftovers and hit Remove.

WaveBrowser leftovers in the Reamining Files in App Cleaner & Uninstaller

Final wave

So, the trick to fully uninstalling WaveBrowser is simple: don’t just delete the app, clear out every hidden file it leaves behind. You can spend time digging through Library folders yourself, or you can let App Cleaner & Uninstaller tackle the challenging part for you.

With App Cleaner & Uninstaller, the entire Wave removal takes seconds. No missed folders. No guessing. No junk left floating around your system. It’s the fastest, most reliable way to give Wave the boot and enjoy a cleaner, smoother Mac.