How to uninstall Dropbox on Mac completely
Dropbox is more than the app in Applications: it runs from the menu bar, connects to Finder through Apple’s File Provider extension, and installs an updater with administrator rights. Here is how to remove all of it — and how to keep your files, because the Dropbox folder stays on your Mac and in your account.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check Dropbox 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
Quit Dropbox and delete the app
Dropbox has no separate uninstaller. Its help center describes these steps:
- Click the Dropbox icon in the menu bar, click your avatar (picture or initials) in the bottom-left corner and choose Quit.
- Open Finder › Applications and drag Dropbox to the Trash.
- Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.
If macOS says Dropbox is still in use, open Activity Monitor, quit any Dropbox processes and try again.
Quit Dropbox before you touch the Dropbox folder. While the app runs, a file you delete in that folder is deleted in your Dropbox account too.
What Dropbox leaves behind
Deleting the app doesn’t remove your account or the Dropbox folder. These are the other places to check. The first ones are in the Library folder inside your home folder:
~/Library/Application Support/Dropbox— the app’s data and caches.~/Library/Caches/com.getdropbox.dropbox— the cache.~/Library/Preferences/com.getdropbox.dropbox.plist— settings.~/Library/Containers/com.getdropbox.dropbox.fileproviderand~/Library/Application Support/FileProvider/com.getdropbox.dropbox.fileprovider— data of the extension that shows Dropbox in Finder.~/Library/Group Containers/G7HH3F8CAK.com.getdropbox.dropbox.sync— data shared by the app and its extensions.~/Library/Logs/Dropbox_debug.log— the log./Library/LaunchDaemons/com.getdropbox.dropbox.UpdaterPrivilegedHelper.plistand/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.getdropbox.dropbox.UpdaterPrivilegedHelper— the updater that runs with administrator rights./Library/DropboxHelperTools— helper tools installed for all users of the Mac.
Your files are in the Dropbox folder, usually ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox, and the hidden folder ~/.dropbox holds the app’s own sync data. They are not junk: delete them only when you are sure everything you need is in your account or copied somewhere else.
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. Files in
/Libraryneed your administrator password. - Repeat for the other paths.
- Restart your Mac, so the updater is no longer running, then empty the Trash.
Dropbox isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.
Before you delete the Dropbox folder
The current Dropbox for macOS works through Apple’s File Provider, and with it files that aren’t marked Make available offline can be online-only: they are in your account, not on your Mac. A copy of the Dropbox folder made after uninstalling won’t contain them.
If you want a full local copy, mark the folders you need as available offline while Dropbox still runs, wait until they download, then copy them out of the Dropbox folder.
After uninstalling, open System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions (on macOS Sonoma: Login Items) and check that nothing from Dropbox is left in the list.
With MacWashing, it’s one click
The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files Dropbox creates — in your Library folder and in the system folders — and removes them together with the app, updater and extensions included. Folders that may hold your own files, like the Dropbox folder, 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 Dropbox?
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 Dropbox 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 Dropbox 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 Dropbox delete my files?
No. Your files stay in your Dropbox account, and the Dropbox folder stays on your Mac. Only files you delete in that folder while the app is running are deleted in the account.
Does uninstalling the app cancel my Dropbox plan?
No. Uninstalling the app doesn’t delete your account or change your plan. Both are managed on dropbox.com.
Can I reinstall Dropbox later?
Yes. Download it again from dropbox.com and sign in: the app sets up the Dropbox folder and syncs your files from your account.