How to uninstall Visual Studio Code on Mac completely
Deleting Visual Studio Code in Finder removes only the app: your settings, extensions and caches stay in your home folder, and they come back the next time you install it. Here is how to remove all of it — and how to keep your setup if you might return.
- Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
- Click Show Apps and check Visual Studio Code 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 settings and extensions first
If you may use VS Code again, on this Mac or another one, turn on Settings Sync before uninstalling. It keeps your settings, keyboard shortcuts, snippets, extensions and profiles in your Microsoft or GitHub account.
- In VS Code, click the Manage gear or the Accounts icon at the bottom of the Activity Bar and choose Backup and Sync Settings…
- Choose what to sync and click Sign in.
- Sign in with a Microsoft or GitHub account.
Your projects are not affected either way: VS Code opens folders where they are and doesn’t store your code.
Delete Visual Studio Code in Finder
VS Code has no uninstaller. Microsoft’s instructions are to move the app to the Trash and, for a clean uninstall, delete its data folders as described below.
- Quit VS Code: choose Code › Quit Visual Studio Code in the menu bar.
- Open Finder › Applications, right-click Visual Studio Code and choose Move to Trash.
What Visual Studio Code leaves behind
All of these are in your home folder, most of them in its Library folder:
~/Library/Application Support/Code— your settings, keyboard shortcuts, snippets, window state and history, and VS Code’s caches inside it.~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode— the cache.~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode.ShipIt— files of the updater.~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.microsoft.VSCode— web data the app stored.~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.VSCode.plist— the app’s macOS settings.~/Library/Saved Application State/com.microsoft.VSCode.savedState— the saved window state.
Your installed extensions are in ~/.vscode (in its extensions folder), and ~/.vscode-shared holds more VS Code data. Microsoft lists both, with ~/Library/Application Support/Code, as user data to delete for a clean uninstall. Keep them if you want your setup back after reinstalling, or turn on Settings Sync first.
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. Folders whose names start with a dot, like
~/.vscode, are hidden, but Go to Folder opens them. - Restart your Mac, then empty the Trash.
VS Code 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 Visual Studio Code creates in your Library and home folders and removes them together with the app. Folders that may hold your own data, like your extensions, 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 Visual Studio Code?
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 Visual Studio Code 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 Visual Studio Code 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 VS Code delete my projects?
No. VS Code works with folders you open. It doesn’t keep your code. Neither deleting the app nor deleting its data folders touches your projects.
Why are my settings and extensions back after I reinstalled VS Code?
Deleting the app leaves ~/Library/Application Support/Code and ~/.vscode in place, and a new install picks them up. If Settings Sync is on, it also restores your setup from your account. Delete the folders for a clean start.
How do I remove my synced settings from the cloud?
In VS Code, open the Manage gear, choose Settings Sync is On › Settings Sync: Turn Off, check the box to turn off sync on all devices and clear the data from the cloud, and click Turn off.