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How to uninstall Java on Mac completely

Oracle Java has no app in the Applications folder, so there is nothing to drag to the Trash. It lives in a browser plug-in folder, adds a Java item at the bottom of System Settings, and installs an updater and a background helper. Here is how Oracle says to remove it, what else to check, and at the end how to remove a JDK: Eclipse Temurin, Oracle JDK and other builds.

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 JavaControlPanel 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

Uninstall Java the way Oracle documents it

Oracle’s instructions on java.com remove Java with three commands in Terminal. You need an administrator account.

  1. Quit any app that uses Java.
  2. Open Finder › Applications › Utilities › Terminal.
  3. Paste these commands one at a time, press Return after each and enter your administrator password when asked:
  4. sudo rm -fr /Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/JavaAppletPlugin.plugin
  5. sudo rm -fr /Library/PreferencePanes/JavaControlPanel.prefPane
  6. sudo rm -fr ~/Library/Application\ Support/Oracle/Java

The first command removes Java itself, the second removes the Java item in System Settings, the third removes your Java data and cache.

Don’t delete the java tools in /usr/bin. Oracle warns that they are part of macOS, and a macOS update would put them back anyway.

What Java leaves behind

Oracle’s commands don’t touch the updater, the helper or the settings. Check these places too. Folders starting with ~ are in your home folder:

  • /Library/LaunchAgents/com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist — starts the Java updater when you log in.
  • /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist — a background helper that runs with administrator rights.
  • ~/Library/Application Support/Oracle — the folder that holds the Java data from the third command.
  • ~/Library/Caches/com.oracle.java.Java-Updater — the updater’s cache.
  • ~/Library/Preferences/com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist — the updater’s settings.

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 file or folder to the Trash. Files in /Library need your administrator password.
  3. Repeat for the other paths.
  4. Restart your Mac, so the updater and helper are no longer running, then empty the Trash.

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

How to remove a JDK: Eclipse Temurin, Oracle JDK and others

The steps above remove Java for running apps (the JRE). A Java Development Kit (JDK), which developers install, is a separate thing: every build, whether Eclipse Temurin from Adoptium, Oracle JDK, Zulu or Corretto, goes into /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines, one folder per version. See which JDKs you have:

/usr/libexec/java_home -V

If you installed a JDK with Homebrew, remove it with Homebrew too, by the name you installed it with, for example:

brew uninstall --cask temurin

A JDK from a .pkg or .dmg installer goes away with its folder, as Oracle and Adoptium describe it. Put in the folder name from the list above and enter an administrator password:

sudo rm -rf /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/temurin-25.jdk

JDKs installed with SDKMAN! live in ~/.sdkman/candidates/java. The command sdk uninstall java with the version number removes them.

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 Java creates — in your Library folder and in the system folders — and removes them together with Java, the updater and the background helper included.

Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Questions and answers

Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes Java?

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 Java 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 Java 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 apps still work without Java?

Apps that need Oracle Java won’t start until you install it again. Apps that come with their own copy of Java keep working.

Why is there still a java command in Terminal?

The tools in /usr/bin belong to macOS, not to Oracle Java. Oracle says not to delete them. They stay after Java is removed.

Why does Java still appear in System Settings?

The Java item comes from the Java Control Panel in /Library/PreferencePanes. It disappears once JavaControlPanel.prefPane is deleted and System Settings is reopened.