How to uninstall calibre on Mac completely
calibre stores your e-books in a library folder of its own, separate from the app, and its settings and plugins in yet another folder. Here is how to remove calibre and its leftovers — and how to keep your books, because the library is yours, not junk.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check calibre 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
Before you start: back up your books
Your books and their metadata live in the calibre library folder, by default ~/Calibre Library. To see where yours is, click the calibre icon in calibre’s toolbar.
- To keep only the books, copy the whole library folder with all its subfolders to a safe place.
- To keep everything — libraries, settings and plugins — right-click the calibre icon in the toolbar, choose Export/import all calibre data and click Export all your calibre data. Disconnect any e-book reader first, or the menu item isn’t available.
Delete calibre in Finder
calibre has no uninstaller on the Mac: you remove it like any other app.
- Quit calibre and the e-book viewer if it is open: right-click the icon in the Dock and choose Quit.
- Open Finder › Applications and drag calibre to the Trash.
- Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.
What calibre leaves behind
Check these places in the Library folder inside your home folder:
~/Library/Preferences/calibre— calibre’s configuration folder: settings and installed plugins.~/Library/Application Support/calibre-ebook.com— more calibre app data.~/Library/Caches/calibre— the cache.~/Library/Preferences/net.kovidgoyal.calibre.plist— app settings.~/Library/Preferences/com.calibre-ebook.ebook-viewer.plist— settings of the e-book viewer.~/Library/Saved Application State/net.kovidgoyal.calibre.savedStateand~/Library/Saved Application State/com.calibre-ebook.ebook-viewer.savedState— saved window state.
Your books are in ~/Calibre Library (or wherever you put your library). They are your files, not leftovers: keep that folder, or delete it only after you have a backup.
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.
calibre 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 calibre creates in your Library folder and removes them together with the app. Folders that may hold your own files, like your calibre library, 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 calibre?
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 calibre 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 calibre 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 calibre delete my books?
No. The books are in the calibre library folder, which deleting the app doesn’t touch. They are removed only if you delete that folder yourself.
How do I move calibre and my books to another Mac?
Right-click the calibre icon in the toolbar, choose Export/import all calibre data and export everything to an empty folder. On the new Mac, install calibre and import that folder from the same menu. Or simply copy the library folder and point calibre to it.
Can I reinstall calibre later and keep my library?
Yes. When the Welcome wizard asks for the library location, choose your existing library folder: books, tags and custom columns come back as they were.