How to uninstall Bitwarden on Mac completely
Your Bitwarden vault lives in your Bitwarden account, on Bitwarden’s servers or on your own server if you host it yourself. The desktop app keeps only an encrypted copy of it on the Mac, along with caches, settings and logs. Here is how to remove the app and all of that, and when to export your vault first.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check Bitwarden in the list.
- Click Remove and confirm. Files that may be yours are listed as Possible and stay unchecked.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Before you uninstall: your vault
Deleting the app or its folders doesn’t touch the vault in your account: Bitwarden stores the data on the Mac only as an encrypted copy, and you get it back by logging in again on any device.
If you want a backup of your own — for example, because you host Bitwarden yourself — export the vault while the app is still installed. Bitwarden recommends the .json (Encrypted) format as the safest and most complete. Exports don’t include items in the trash or Sends.
A plain .json or .csv export holds your passwords unencrypted. Don’t send it by email or leave it in Downloads: store it somewhere safe and delete it once you no longer need it.
Delete Bitwarden in Finder
You remove the Bitwarden desktop app like most apps:
- Quit Bitwarden: right-click its icon in the Dock and choose Quit, and quit it in the menu bar too if it has an icon there.
- Open Finder › Applications and drag Bitwarden to the Trash.
- Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.
What Bitwarden leaves behind
All of it is in the Library folder inside your home folder:
~/Library/Application Support/Bitwarden— the app’s data, including the encrypted copy of your vault and its own caches.~/Library/Caches/com.bitwarden.desktop— the cache.~/Library/Caches/com.bitwarden.desktop.ShipIt— files of the app’s updater.~/Library/Preferences/com.bitwarden.desktop.plistand~/Library/Preferences/com.bitwarden.desktop.helper.plist— settings.~/Library/Logs/Bitwarden— logs.~/Library/Saved Application State/com.bitwarden.desktop.savedState— the saved window state.
Remove the leftovers by hand
- In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), type a path from the list above and press Return.
- Move the folder or file to the Trash.
- Repeat for the other paths.
- Restart your Mac, then empty the Trash.
Bitwarden isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.
Remove the browser extension separately
The Bitwarden extension belongs to your browser, not to the desktop app, so it stays after you delete the app. If you no longer want it, remove it in the extensions settings of each browser where you installed it.
With MacWashing, it’s one click
The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files the Bitwarden desktop app creates in your Library folder and removes them together with the app.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes Bitwarden?
No. The Uninstaller checks only what belongs to the app: its settings, caches, logs and background items. Folders that may hold your own files are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself, and apps go to the Trash by default, so you can put them back.
What if Bitwarden is still running?
MacWashing waits for it to quit, or quits it at your request, and only then removes its files.
Is it free to uninstall Bitwarden with MacWashing?
Yes, within the free trial: System Junk and the Uninstaller free up to 25 GB in total, with no account or card needed.
Will I lose my passwords if I uninstall Bitwarden?
No. The vault is stored in your Bitwarden account, on Bitwarden’s servers or your own. Uninstalling removes only the encrypted copy on this Mac.
Does uninstalling the app delete my Bitwarden account?
No. The app and the account are separate: your account and vault stay until you delete the account itself.
Can I reinstall Bitwarden later?
Yes. Install it again and log in to your account. The vault syncs back to the Mac.