How to delete app data on Mac

Mac apps store data across multiple hidden folders. Here's exactly where to find it and how to safely remove it — whether you're resetting an app or cleaning up after uninstalling one.

Where Mac apps store their data

Unlike iOS, macOS doesn't have a simple "delete app data" button. App data is spread across your ~/Library folder in multiple subdirectories:

~/Library/Application Support/[AppName]

Databases, plugins, configuration files, and large data stores

Slack stores workspace data here; Discord stores its cache and settings

~/Library/Caches/[BundleID]

Temporary cached data the app creates for performance

Spotify caches offline music here; Chrome caches web pages

~/Library/Preferences/[BundleID].plist

App settings stored as property list files

Window positions, user preferences, feature toggles

~/Library/Containers/[BundleID]

Sandboxed app data (Mac App Store apps)

Each sandboxed app gets its own container with its own Library subfolder

~/Library/Group Containers/[GroupID]

Shared data between an app and its extensions

Safari extensions, widget data, share extension data

~/Library/Saved Application State/[BundleID].savedState

Window positions and state restoration data

Which windows were open, scroll positions, unsaved document state

Plus 5 more directories: Logs, HTTPStorages, WebKit, LaunchAgents, and Cookies. See the complete list →

How to find an app's data

  1. Find the app's bundle ID

    Right-click the .app in Finder → Show Package Contents → open Contents/Info.plist and look for CFBundleIdentifier. For example, Spotify is com.spotify.client.

  2. Open the Library folder

    In Finder, press ⌘ Shift G and type ~/Library.

  3. Search in each subdirectory

    Look for folders or files matching the app name, bundle ID, or developer name in each of the directories listed above.

The hard part: app data isn't always stored under the app name. It might use the bundle ID (com.spotify.client), a developer name (com.apple.Xcode), or an internal name. This is why manual searches miss files.

Resetting an app to factory defaults

Sometimes you want to reset an app without uninstalling it — maybe it's crashing, behaving strangely, or you just want a clean start. To do this:

  1. Quit the app completely (⌘Q, then check Activity Monitor).
  2. Delete its data from each Library subdirectory listed above.
  3. Relaunch the app — it will recreate its settings from scratch.

Tip: Move files to Trash instead of permanently deleting them. If something goes wrong, you can restore with ⌘Z in Finder before emptying Trash.

Cleaning up after uninstalling

If you've already dragged an app to Trash, its data is still on your disk. You need to manually check all 11 ~/Library subdirectories and remove matching files.

This is where most people give up — it's tedious, error-prone, and easy to miss files stored under bundle IDs instead of app names. Our full uninstall guide walks through the manual process step-by-step, or you can automate it with Zapper.

Automated cleanup with Zapper

Zapper reads the app's bundle ID and display name, then scans all 11 Library directories using word-boundary matching. It catches files stored under bundle IDs, developer names, or internal identifiers — without false positives.

  1. Drop the app onto Zapper (even before deleting it).
  2. Review every related file with its path and size.
  3. Zap — files move to Trash, reversible with ⌘Z.
Buy Zapper — $9.99Full uninstall guide