How to uninstall Cursor on Mac completely
Deleting Cursor in Finder removes only the app. Your settings, caches, the updater’s files and the ~/.cursor folder stay in your home folder, and a new install picks them up again. Here is how to remove all of it — and what to check before you do.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check Cursor 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
Check what you want to keep
Your projects are not affected: Cursor opens folders where they are and doesn’t move your code. But Cursor keeps some of your work on the Mac — agent chat history, extensions, and the worktrees its agent creates in ~/.cursor/worktrees.
If an agent worktree has changes you haven’t brought into your project yet, merge or copy them first. Deleting Cursor’s folders deletes them.
Delete Cursor in Finder
To remove the app, Cursor’s help pages say to move it to the Trash.
- Quit Cursor: choose Cursor › Quit Cursor in the menu bar.
- Open Finder › Applications, right-click Cursor and choose Move to Trash.
What Cursor leaves behind
Cursor’s files in your Library folder are named after its internal ID, com.todesktop.230313mzl4w4u92:
~/Library/Application Support/Cursor— your settings, window state and history, with Cursor’s caches inside it.~/Library/Caches/com.todesktop.230313mzl4w4u92— the cache.~/Library/Caches/com.todesktop.230313mzl4w4u92.ShipIt— files of the updater.~/Library/Application Support/Caches/cursor-updater— downloaded updates.~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.todesktop.230313mzl4w4u92— web data the app stored.~/Library/Preferences/com.todesktop.230313mzl4w4u92.plist— the app’s macOS settings.~/Library/Logs/Cursor— logs.
~/.cursor is Cursor’s folder in your home folder: your extensions, plugins and agent worktrees are there. Keep it if you want your setup back after reinstalling. Before deleting it, check ~/.cursor/worktrees for work you haven’t saved in your project.
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.
~/.cursoris hidden because its name starts with a dot, but Go to Folder opens it. - Restart your Mac, then empty the Trash.
Cursor isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.
With MacWashing, it’s one click
The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files Cursor creates in your Library and home folders and removes them together with the app. Folders that may hold your own data, like `~/.cursor` with your extensions and agent worktrees, are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes Cursor?
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 Cursor 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 Cursor 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 uninstalling Cursor delete my projects?
No. Cursor works with folders you open and doesn’t keep your code. Only agent worktrees in ~/.cursor/worktrees are Cursor’s own copies — check them before deleting that folder.
Why are my settings and extensions back after I reinstalled Cursor?
Deleting the app leaves ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor and ~/.cursor in place, and a new install picks them up. Delete both folders for a clean start.
Does uninstalling Cursor cancel my subscription?
No. Your plan belongs to your Cursor account, not to the app on this Mac. Cancel it in your account on cursor.com if you no longer need it.