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How to uninstall Google Chrome on Mac completely

Dragging Chrome to the Trash removes the browser, but not your profile with bookmarks, history and passwords, and not Google’s updater. Here is how to remove all of it — and how to keep what matters to you first.

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 Google Chrome 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

Delete Chrome the way Google describes

Chrome has no separate uninstaller. Google’s help center describes these steps:

  1. Quit Chrome: right-click its icon in the Dock and choose Quit.
  2. Open Finder › Applications. If Chrome isn’t there, choose File › Find and search for Google Chrome.
  3. Drag Google Chrome to the Trash.

Google also describes how to remove your profile: choose Go › Go to Folder, enter ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome, click Go, select all the folders and drag them to the Trash. Do this only after you have saved what you need — see below.

What Chrome leaves behind

Check these places. The first ones are in the Library folder inside your home folder:

  • ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome and ~/Library/Caches/com.google.Chrome — the cache.
  • ~/Library/Preferences/com.google.Chrome.plist — settings.
  • ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.google.Chrome.savedState — saved window state.
  • ~/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate and /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate — Google’s updater.
  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.google.Chrome.UpdaterPrivilegedHelper.plist and /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.google.Chrome.UpdaterPrivilegedHelper — the updater helper that runs with administrator rights.

Your profiles are in ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome: bookmarks, history, saved passwords, extensions and settings. They are your data, not leftovers: export or sync what you need before deleting that folder, or keep it.

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 updater is no longer running, then empty the Trash.

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

Save your bookmarks and passwords first

  • If you sign in to Chrome with a Google Account and sync is on, bookmarks, passwords and history are kept in your account and come back when you sign in again.
  • If you don’t use sync, export what you need in Chrome before uninstalling: bookmarks in Bookmark Manager, passwords in Google Password Manager.
  • If you use other Google apps on this Mac, leave the GoogleSoftwareUpdate folders: those apps may use the same updater.

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 Google Chrome creates — in your Library folder and in the system folders — and removes them together with the app, updater helper included. Folders that may hold your own files, like your Chrome profiles, 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 Google Chrome?

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 Google Chrome 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 Google Chrome 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 Chrome delete my bookmarks and passwords?

Not by itself. Deleting the app leaves your profile folder on the Mac, and synced data stays in your Google Account. They are gone only if you delete the profile folder and don’t use sync.

Does deleting Chrome remove Google Software Update?

Not right away. On its next run Google’s updater checks which Google apps are still installed and removes itself when none are left. If its folders are still there after a day, delete them as described above — but keep them if you use other Google apps.

Can I reinstall Chrome later?

Yes. Download it again from google.com/chrome. If you kept the profile folder or use sync, your bookmarks and settings come back.