How to uninstall Opera on Mac completely
Dragging Opera to the Trash removes the browser, but not your profile with bookmarks, history and passwords, and not its caches and settings. Here is how to save what you need first and then remove all of it.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check Opera 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
Save your bookmarks and passwords first
Opera’s help pages describe two ways to keep your data:
- Sync: go to Settings › Synchronization and sign in with your Opera account. Under Advanced sync settings choose what to sync — bookmarks, passwords, history and more. Synced data comes back when you sign in again.
- Export bookmarks: open the bookmarks manager, click the import/export button at the bottom of the left side panel and export them to an HTML file.
To see where your profile is, go to Opera › About Opera or type opera:about in the address bar: the page shows the paths of your profile and data folders.
Delete Opera in Finder
Opera has no separate uninstaller. Remove it the standard way:
- Quit Opera: right-click its icon in the Dock and choose Quit.
- Open Finder › Applications and drag Opera to the Trash.
- Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.
What Opera leaves behind
Check these places, all in the Library folder inside your home folder:
~/Library/Caches/com.operasoftware.Opera— the cache.~/Library/Caches/com.operasoftware.Installer.Opera— the cache of Opera’s installer.~/Library/Preferences/com.operasoftware.Opera.plistand~/Library/Preferences/Opera Preferences— settings.~/Library/Cookies/com.operasoftware.Opera.binarycookies— cookies.~/Library/Saved Application State/com.operasoftware.Opera.savedState— saved window state.
Your profile is in ~/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.Opera: bookmarks, history, saved passwords, extensions and settings. Deleting it deletes them: sync or export what you need first, or keep the folder.
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.
Opera 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 Opera creates in your Library folder and removes them together with the app. Its profile folder, with your bookmarks and passwords, is listed as Possible and stays unchecked until you check it yourself.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes Opera?
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 Opera 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 Opera 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 Opera delete my bookmarks and passwords?
Not by itself. Deleting the app leaves your profile folder on the Mac, and synced data stays in your Opera account. They are gone only if you delete the profile folder and don’t use sync.
Where does Opera keep my profile on a Mac?
In ~/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.Opera. Opera shows the exact path on its About Opera page (opera:about).
Can I reinstall Opera later?
Yes. Download it again from opera.com. If you kept the profile folder or sign in to sync, your bookmarks and settings come back.