How to uninstall GIMP on Mac completely
GIMP is a single app, but it keeps a personal folder in your Library with its settings and everything you added to it yourself: brushes, plug-ins, scripts. That folder stays after you delete the app. Here is how to remove GIMP completely — and how to keep your own resources first.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check GIMP 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
Back up your brushes and plug-ins first
GIMP’s documentation names ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP/3.0/ as its personal configuration folder on a Mac. Each GIMP version has its own subfolder there, such as 3.2. Your own brushes and the plug-ins you installed are inside it, next to the settings.
- In GIMP’s Preferences, open the Folders section to see which folders it uses for brushes, plug-ins and scripts.
- Quit GIMP. In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), type
~/Library/Application Support/GIMPand press Return. - Copy the folders you want to keep, such as
brushesorplug-insinside the version folder, to Documents or another place outside the Library folder.
Delete GIMP in Finder
GIMP has no uninstaller of its own:
- Quit GIMP: choose GIMP › Quit GIMP, and save any open images you need first.
- Open Finder › Applications and drag GIMP to the Trash.
- Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.
What GIMP leaves behind
All of these are in the Library folder inside your home folder:
~/Library/Application Support/GIMP— GIMP’s personal folder: settings, and your brushes, plug-ins and scripts.~/Library/Caches/GIMP— the cache.~/Library/Preferences/org.gimp.gimp-3.2.plistand~/Library/Preferences/org.gimp.gimp.plist— macOS settings of the app.~/Library/Saved Application State/org.gimp.gimp-3.2.savedState— the window layout macOS restores at launch.
~/Library/Application Support/GIMP holds the brushes, plug-ins and scripts you added yourself. Copy what you need before deleting it. Your images are wherever you saved them, and deleting GIMP doesn’t touch them.
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.
GIMP 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 GIMP creates in your Library folder and removes them together with the app. Back up the brushes and plug-ins you added before you start: they are in GIMP’s personal folder, which is removed too.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes GIMP?
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 GIMP 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 GIMP 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.
Does uninstalling GIMP delete my images?
No. Images and .xcf files you saved are in the folders you chose, and deleting GIMP doesn’t touch them.
Will I lose the brushes and plug-ins I added?
Only if you delete ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP. Copy them from there first and put them back in the same folder after you reinstall.
Can I reinstall GIMP later?
Yes. GIMP is free: download it again from gimp.org. If you kept its personal folder, it starts with your old settings and resources.