How to uninstall OneDrive on Mac completely
OneDrive keeps your files in sync with Microsoft’s cloud, so remove it in the right order: unlink the Mac first, then delete the app. Your files stay in your OneDrive account. The app’s settings, caches, logs and updaters stay on the Mac until you remove them.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check OneDrive 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
Unlink this Mac from OneDrive
Unlinking first is the clean way to stop sync. You won’t lose files or data by unlinking: they stay in your account on OneDrive.com.
- Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar.
- Open Help & Settings and choose Preferences.
- On the Account tab, click Unlink this Mac.
Then delete OneDrive in Finder
- Quit OneDrive: click its cloud icon in the menu bar, open Help & Settings and choose Quit OneDrive.
- Open Finder › Applications and drag OneDrive to the Trash.
- Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.
What OneDrive leaves behind
Check these places. The first ones are in the Library folder inside your home folder:
~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.OneDriveSyncClientSuite— sync settings and account data.~/Library/Application Support/OneDrive— OneDrive’s data.~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.OneDrive.FileProvider— the part that shows OneDrive in Finder.~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.OneDrive— the cache.~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.OneDrive.plist— settings.~/Library/Logs/OneDrive— logs./Library/LaunchDaemons/com.microsoft.OneDriveUpdaterDaemon.plist— the updater that runs with administrator rights./Library/LaunchAgents/com.microsoft.OneDriveStandaloneUpdater.plist— the updater that starts when you log in.
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 updaters are no longer running, then empty the Trash.
OneDrive isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.
Keep your files safe
Files in the OneDrive folder can be online-only: Finder shows them with a cloud icon, and they open only with an internet connection. If you need a file on the Mac without OneDrive, Control-click it and choose Always Keep on This Device before you unlink, then copy it to a folder outside OneDrive.
Don’t delete files from the OneDrive folder while the Mac is still linked. Microsoft warns that deleting an online-only file deletes it from your OneDrive on all devices and online. Unlink first: unlinking doesn’t delete anything.
With MacWashing, it’s one click
The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files OneDrive creates — in your Library folder and in the system folders — and removes them together with the app, updaters included.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes OneDrive?
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 OneDrive 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 OneDrive 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 OneDrive delete my files?
No. Your files stay in your OneDrive account, and you can open them any time on OneDrive.com. Files that were online-only on the Mac are only there.
Do I need to unlink before deleting the app?
It isn’t required, but unlinking stops sync cleanly and signs the Mac out of your account, so nothing you do with the local folder afterwards reaches the cloud.
Can I reinstall OneDrive later?
Yes. Install it again and sign in. OneDrive doesn’t download all your files at once: at first it shows them as placeholders that download when you open them.