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How to uninstall DisplayLink Manager on Mac completely

DisplayLink Manager is the driver app for docks and adapters with DisplayLink chips. Besides the app it installs background services, a helper that runs with administrator rights and, if you chose it, a login screen extension. Here is how to remove all of it.

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes
  1. Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
  2. Click Show Apps and check DisplayLink Manager in the list.
  3. Click Remove and confirm. Files that may be yours are listed as Possible and stay unchecked.
Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Before you start

Screens connected through a DisplayLink dock or adapter stop working once DisplayLink Manager is removed. Save your work, then unplug the dock or adapter from the Mac.

Quit DisplayLink Manager: click its icon in the menu bar and choose Quit.

Remove DisplayLink with the Synaptics cleaner

Synaptics, the company behind DisplayLink, publishes DisplayLink macOS Installation Cleaner on its DisplayLink downloads page at synaptics.com. It removes DisplayLink software from the Mac, including the parts a plain delete leaves behind.

  1. Download the cleaner from synaptics.com and open it.
  2. Leave the options as they are and click Clean.
  3. Enter your administrator password when macOS asks for it.
  4. Wait until it finishes. If it shows Restart, click it to restart the Mac.

Or delete DisplayLink Manager in Finder

  1. Open Finder › Applications.
  2. If you see DisplayLink Software Uninstaller there, open it: DisplayLink says it removes both the app and the login screen extension.
  3. Otherwise drag DisplayLink Manager to the Trash and enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.

Deleting the app alone leaves its background services and helper in the system folders. Remove them as described below.

What DisplayLink Manager leaves behind

After deleting the app, check these places. The first ones are in the Library folder inside your home folder:

  • ~/Library/Containers/com.displaylink.DisplayLinkUserAgent — the app’s own folder with its settings and data.
  • ~/Library/Group Containers/73YQY62QM3.com.displaylink.DisplayLinkShared — data shared by DisplayLink’s components.
  • /Library/LaunchAgents/com.displaylink.useragent.plist — starts DisplayLink Manager when you log in.
  • /Library/LaunchAgents/com.displaylink.loginscreen.plist — the login screen extension.
  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.displaylink.displaylinkmanager.plist — the background service.
  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.displaylink.DisplayLinkManager.PrivilegedHelper.plist and /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.displaylink.DisplayLinkManager.PrivilegedHelper — the helper that runs with administrator rights.

Remove the leftovers by hand

  1. In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), type a path from the list above and press Return.
  2. Move the folder or file to the Trash. Files in /Library need your administrator password.
  3. Repeat for the other paths.
  4. Restart your Mac, so the background services are no longer running, then empty the Trash.

DisplayLink Manager isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.

Clean up the permissions

DisplayLink Manager needs screen recording permission to work. After removing it, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording. If DisplayLink Manager is still listed, select it and click the minus button.

With MacWashing, it’s one click

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes

The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files DisplayLink Manager creates — in your Library folder and in the system folders — and removes them together with the app, background services and helper included. Folders that may hold your own files are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself.

Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Questions and answers

Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes DisplayLink Manager?

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 DisplayLink Manager 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 DisplayLink Manager 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 my external screens work after I uninstall DisplayLink Manager?

Screens connected straight to the Mac keep working. Screens connected through a DisplayLink dock or adapter stop working until you install DisplayLink Manager again.

Why does DisplayLink ask for my password when I remove it?

It installs background services and a helper for all users of the Mac, in folders only an administrator can change. Removing them needs the same rights.

Can I reinstall DisplayLink Manager later?

Yes. Download the version for your macOS from synaptics.com and install it. You will need to allow screen recording again.