Does the App Uninstaller delete files permanently?

No. The app and its leftovers go to the Trash, so you can restore them until you empty it. Apps installed with Homebrew are removed by Homebrew itself.

Can it remove apps from the Mac App Store?

Yes, along with the Containers and Group Containers folders where sandboxed App Store apps keep their data.

Will it remove apps that came with macOS?

No. Apps that are part of macOS, like Safari, are protected by the system and can’t be removed.

How is it different from dragging an app to the Trash?

The Trash only gets the .app. The uninstaller also finds what the app wrote elsewhere, which for some apps is gigabytes of caches or downloaded content.

Peekaboo · App Uninstaller

Uninstall Mac apps, leftovers and all

Dragging an app to the Trash removes the app and nothing else. Peekaboo shows the folders it left in your Library alongside it, so one review removes all of it.

Download free trial14 days free · macOS 14+ · Updated November 2, 2026

What it does

One list per app: The app and everything that belongs to it: Application Support, caches, preferences, containers and login helpers, gathered from the places macOS apps actually write.
Leftovers of apps already gone: Apps you deleted months ago still have folders in ~/Library. A scan finds what no installed app owns any more, and checks a folder is untouched before offering it.
Asked at the right moment: Turn on “Review leftovers when an app is deleted” and the next time an app goes to the Trash, its leftovers are waiting for you to confirm.
Homebrew-aware: Apps installed with Homebrew are removed with Homebrew, so brew doesn’t think they’re still there. The leftovers you pick go to the Trash.

How to use it

1Open the App Uninstaller.⇧⌘X
2Pick an app and look through what was found with it.
3Remove it. Everything goes to the Trash, never straight to deletion.

When another app fits better

If you only ever need to remove the odd app, the built-in way plus a quick look in ~/Library is enough, and our guide shows exactly where to look. Peekaboo is worth it when you also want the rest: finding files in plain English, duplicates, and cleanups you can undo.

Questions

Does the App Uninstaller delete files permanently?: No. The app and its leftovers go to the Trash, so you can restore them until you empty it. Apps installed with Homebrew are removed by Homebrew itself.
Can it remove apps from the Mac App Store?: Yes, along with the Containers and Group Containers folders where sandboxed App Store apps keep their data.
Will it remove apps that came with macOS?: No. Apps that are part of macOS, like Safari, are protected by the system and can’t be removed.
How is it different from dragging an app to the Trash?: The Trash only gets the .app. The uninstaller also finds what the app wrote elsewhere, which for some apps is gigabytes of caches or downloaded content.