How Do I Delete All Downloads On My Mac

Posted on  by

After the scan is over, choose the browser you need to find the download history. Delete Download History on Mac with MacClean-1. Select all download history and back to the last page. Click Clean to clear download history from Mac. Delete Download History on Mac with MacClean-2. I want to delete all records of my file downloads. OS X keeps a log of all of your downloaded files. If you're concerned about the security of your system and prying eyes, you can manually clear this log file using the terminal. Open the Terminal in your Utilities folder. My Mac Hello all, I downloaded town of Salem and didn't like the game. My computer has this file in it's storage that for the life of me I can't figure out how to get rid of.

Deleting downloads on Mac can be a pain because It involves two separate things: cleaning up your Downloads folder and then removing the downloads history from your browser. So, in short, you'll need to: find your Downloads folder, remove your downloads, clear your downloads history in your browser, and (finally) empty your Trash.

How to delete downloads on Mac via Finder

Finder is the first place you should look for downloads in on your Mac. If you have a mountain of download files stored, it’d be smart to sort your items and see which of them are the heaviest.

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Press Cmd+Shift+G.
  3. Type in: ~/
  4. Open Downloads folder.
  5. Righ-click anywhere in the window and select Use Groups.
  6. Finder will then gather your downloads in groups such as Applications, PDF documents, Images, and others, so you can quickly look through them and delete files you don’t need.

Then you can sort downloads by size: right-click in Finder, click Group By pop-up menu and choose Size.

If you want to remove multiple downloads from your Mac at once, you can do that with CleanMyMac X. This app has a Large and Old Files feature that detects all massive files and lets you delete them all. I will explain how to quickly get to downloads on your Mac using CleanMyMac X later in the article. You'd be surprised at how many GB of space you can reclaim!


How to delete downloads from software (e.g. Skype) which are hard to find

It can be a challenge to find the files you downloaded from different apps, such as Skype, on your Mac. By default, all the items you want to save go into the Downloads folder. But, if you have changed these settings, your files would be stored elsewhere. So, how to find those downloads on your Mac.

If you search for Skype downloads, here’s how to locate them:

  1. Open Skype.
  2. Go to the Skype menu and choose Preferences.
  3. Select Messaging from the list on the left.

In the end, there’s “When I receive a file” setting. It’s set to Downloads, which means all files you download from Skype automatically go into this folder. Open it to locate the files Skype saved and delete them. You can change directory to save your Skype files elsewhere.

The pretty similar route applies to all other apps you save files from. For example, to find out the Slack downloads location, I opened the app and then navigated to its Preferences.

To make it easier to find files you saved, choose one download location for all your apps. You will eliminate clutter in lots of folders and will be able to delete many files at once.

Once you’re done deleting your downloads, it’s time to clear the downloads history from the browser you use. Select the section below based on the browser you use.

The easy way to delete large and old files on Mac

However, if you’re looking for a solution that makes clearing out your large downloads (including your Skype downloads history) simple, check out a cleaning utility like CleanMyMac X.

Delete

Large and Old Files feature scans your storage for heavy files piling up on your Mac for a long time. It shows how much space each file takes and helps to quickly get rid of all old documents, .dmg files, and archives that clutter your storage.

Large and Old Files helps you clean up your Downloads folder with just a few clicks. Here's how to clear old downloads on your Mac:

  1. Download the free version of CleanMyMac X.
  2. Install and launch the app.
  3. Click Large & Old Files.
  4. Scan your Mac and then select whatever you wish to remove.
  5. Click Remove.

And you’re done. As you can see, it’s incredibly easy to remove your downloads on Mac with CleanMyMac X.

But, if you’d still like to clean up your downloads and download history manually, just follow the steps below.

How to delete old .DMG files on Mac

On macOS, the majority of apps you download come in .dmg format. '.dmg' is a disk image that contains a compressed download file. These files work like hard drives: they can be mounted and ejected.

When you open the .dmg file, you’ll see the application you’re about to install. After installing the application (dragging it to the Applications folder), the .dmg file will stay on your Mac until you delete it. Imagine how many .dmg files you may have unintentionally stored on your Mac. Now, let’s see how to delete them.

How Do I Delete All Downloads On My Mac

First, you need to eject those .dmg files that are still open.

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Under the Locations you will see the list of all .dmg files.
  3. Press the Eject icon to eject a disk image.

To delete .dmg files:

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Type “.dmg” in the search field and press Return.
  3. Move the unneeded files to the Trash.

Voila! Now, your Mac is much cleaner.

How to clear downloads history in Chrome

To clear downloads history in Google Chrome browser manually:

  1. Launch the Chrome browser.
  2. Type chrome://history/ in the search field and press Enter.
  3. Select Clear browsing data.
  4. Select the time range and check the 'Download history' box.
  5. Click Clear data.

How to clean downloads history in Safari

To clean downloads history in Safari browser:

  1. Launch the Safari browser.
  2. Click View in the menu bar and select Show Downloads.
  3. Safari will show you all the files you downloaded. Press Clear to remove downloads history.

You can alternatively press the arrow down button (↓) to see and clear downloads.

Clearing your Mac of downloads once in a while helps to save some space. If you are up to a full spring cleaning of your MacBook, CleanMyMac X has another useful feature — Space Lens. It analyses your storage and shows precisely how much space each folder takes. If your Mac is short on space, Space Lens can help you to locate the heaviest folder and remove it. Download the app for free, to try it yourself!

Delete

How to remove downloads history in Firefox

To remove downloads history in Firefox directly:

  1. Launch the Firefox browser.
  2. Click History, in the menu bar.
  3. Select Clear Recent History.
  4. Select the time range.
  5. Check the “Browsing & Download History” box.
  6. Click Clear Now.

Now, your Mac is probably clean of old downloads that used to take space. Keeping your digital space tidy and organized will help you locate files faster and avoid clutter in your folders.

  1. Mac OS X can experience difficulty deleting certain files due to the following (and other) reasons: The file is in use by an application or system process The file is locked.
  2. Mac OS X can experience difficulty deleting certain files due to the following (and other) reasons: The file is in use by an application or system process The file is locked.
  3. Delete OperativeSync related apps through the Finder Check the list of installed apps on your Mac computer and delete all unknown and recently installed applications. If you see an unknown application with incorrect spelling or varying capital letters, it have most likely been installed by malicious software and you should clean it off first.

Click on the logo on the top left. On the drop-down menu, select Force Quit. On the next menu of available apps, select the app, you would want to quit and click on the Force Quit button. After force quitting all apps, now try deleting the file or folder. To use the app to securely delete files, download and install the app. Open the app and click Shredder at the bottom of the list on the left, under Utilities. Navigate to the folder containing.

Quick question – how do you uninstall programs on Mac?

If your answer is to drag the app to the Trash, we’re sorry to say that you’ve been doing it wrong.

You probably know or guess that you can remove apps by dragging them to the Trash bin, but it is not quite so. Dragging normal files like documents and movies to the Trash works fine. But doing the same for apps leaves gigabytes of leftover junk files on your hard drive. We’re going to show you what gets left behind and what you can do to completely uninstall apps from here on out.

How to uninstall on Mac

If you are trying to delete an old application, reinstall a corrupted software or just free up disk space on your Mac, removing all components of the program is important. These include the app, its preferences and support files, and sometimes other hidden files.

To completely uninstall a program on Mac you have to choose one of three options:

  • Using Trash.
  • Using Launchpad.
  • Using a native uninstaller

Zsh mac install fonts in terminal.app. The ways mentioned above include navigating your Mac’s in search of the apps you want to remove and then locating their remaining data. The latter can take even more place than the app itself and can be stored anywhere in your folders.

I prefer clearing my Mac from apps using special software made for this particular task - CleanMyMac X. It’s Uninstaller feature, is an app-killer that sweeps away any program you don’t want on your Mac and clears remaining junk.

Now let’s go ahead and delete some apps!

How Do I Delete All Downloads On My Mac

1. Uninstall Mac apps using Trash

Whether you're running macOS Catalina or an earlier macOS, like Mojave or Sierra, the process of manually uninstalling remains relatively similar. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Go to Applications.
  3. Choose the app you want to delete.
  4. Press Command + Delete (⌘⌫).
  5. Open Trash.
  6. Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the window.

And the app is gone.

Even uninstalling apps on macOS Catalina requires getting rid of leftovers, despite the fact that it's the latest and the most sophisticated system for Mac. Apple has done such a good job on macOS 10.15 but left this unfortunate issue unresolved for another year.

To completely remove programs from Mac manually, you have to find all the associated files that come along with the app. That means not just dragging the app icon to the Trash from your Applications folder, but searching the depths of the system files on your Mac.

We’re going to reveal the locations of the most common files that are associated with apps. To remove the app leftovers from your Mac just navigate to each of these folders and hunt for the app you want to remove. If you find files with the app name you can send them to the Trash.

So, when uninstalling any software, you have to go over each of these folders one by one and remove the following:

  • Binary and dock icons are located in /Applications/
  • Application support files are located in ~/Library/Application Support
  • Support Caches can be found in /Library/Caches/ and
    ~/Library/Caches
  • Plugins are located in ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
  • Library can be found in ~/Library/
  • App preferences are located in ~/Library/Preferences/
  • Crashes are found in
    ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
  • App saved states are located in
    ~/Library/Saved Application State/

There are many more hidden files, some of which cannot be accessed by the user. And macOS/OS X will prevent you from deleting some app files.

As you can see, it's not that easy to uninstall applications Mac doesn't need, even when you know what to do. By the way, be sure to look for the name of the app in the file names of the files you remove. Don’t remove anything you don’t know! Do your due diligence before removing something from your system.

When you delete software on Mac manually, be sure only to remove an app file or folder when you’re sure of what it is. Look at the name very carefully before you nuke it. Removing the wrong files could cause problems with your system.

Remember, please be careful when deleting system files — you never know how it will affect your Mac if you remove the wrong ones (or the right ones for that matter!).

2. Uninstall Mac programs with Launchpad

How to uninstall on Mac by using the Launchpad? It's easy and this manual method works like this:

  1. Click Launchpad icon in your Mac's Dock.
  2. Find the app you want to delete.
  3. Click and hold the app until it starts shaking.
  4. Click X in the top-left corner of the app icon.
  5. Click Delete.

This will uninstall the app from your Mac. However, keep in mind that after removing the program, you should also delete its leftovers as we've described above.

Can't delete apps on Mac?

Unfortunately, manual methods won’t get everything. Some apps are pre-installed macOS components and protected by the system while others will refuse to delete because they are already open (even though that’s often not true).

So, how to delete the apps on Mac that won't delete? You can try the manual removal after force quitting the app in question (press Command-Option-Esc and if the app is on the list shut it down) or rebooting your Mac.

If you're still unable to delete apps on Mac or if you’re worried you won't do it correctly and want a safer alternative, there’s the easy method of uninstalling apps from your Mac so you don't have to force delete applications. It actually does a better (and safer) job and in a fraction of the time. Read on to learn how to delete apps on Mac automatically.

3. Uninstall apps with CleanMyMac X

When I referred to the easy method of uninstalling apps, I meant using CleanMyMac X. As for me, deleting apps is a pretty tiresome task. I’ve always put away this chore, as it will waste a huge amount of my time. But, my Mac was running low on free storage, so I decided to try CleanMyMac X to fix this problem and uninstall programs on Mac with ease. I used the Uninstaller module to get rid of multiple apps at once. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Download CleanMyMac X, install, and launch it (it takes less than a minute).
  2. Go to Uninstaller.
  3. Choose All Applications.
  4. Check the boxes next to the app you want to remove.
  5. Press Uninstall.

As you can see, CleanMyMac X shows precisely how much place each app takes, so it’s easier to detect the heaviest programs. Another benefit is that you can bulk uninstall programs on Mac without dragging each app and its files to the Trash.

Is it possible to delete system files on Mac?

CleanMyMac X doesn’t let you delete system apps like Safari. Neither of Mac cleaners can do that. But, CleanMyMac X allows you to delete the data associated with system apps and reset them completely. Click CleanMyMac X’s menu in the upper-left corner and choose Preferences. Go to Ignore List and click Uninstaller. Here uncheck the box next to “Ignore system applications.”

Now, you can close Preferences and go back to Uninstaller. Click ► next to the app's icon to show its files. Then check the data you want to delete and choose Reset from the drop-down list next to the app’s icon. Then press Remove.

It will help to clear some space on your Mac. Note that your app logs may also disappear after the reset.

4. Use the native uninstaller

Many applications are designed to clean after themselves. They come with a built-in uninstaller — a self-destroying utility bundled with the main app. This is mostly true for third-party apps that you download from the internet. That’s why native uninstallers remain more of a Windows thing, not much heard of in the Mac world.
The original uninstallers can be found in Finder > Applications. If your app looks like a folder (within the Applications folder) most likely it will have a separate uninstaller. The name will read [Your app] Uninstaller or Uninstall [Your App].

Open the folder, find the launcher, and just follow the onscreen instructions. After the removal is complete, you can enjoy your extra storage space!

Clear app leftovers: preferences files and caches

No sane developer wants people to delete their application. As your desperate ex, they would do everything to stay on your Mac, like planting pieces of their software around your Mac so one day they can return. Support files, preference files, and caches — all these will likely remain even if you’ve deleted the app itself.
Here I’ll show you how to root out these remaining traces. I’ll use the Telegram app as an example.

Delete application support files

Click on Finder > Go to Folder… (in the upper menu).
Paste in: ~/Library/Application Support/Your App Name

In my case it's: ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram

Now, delete the content of this folder.

Delete application Preferences

The Preferences folder contains your user settings. These files are tiny but there’s no reason not to delete them, just out of principle.
Click on Finder > Go to Folder…
Paste in: ~/Library/Preferences/

Mac Pro Delete An App

Open the folder. Now type the name of your app in the search bar. Click to search 'Preferences.” Delete the found items.

Delete the caches

In the same vein, you’ll have to delete the remaining app caches.
This time, use the following command to paste in Finder > Go to Folder..
Paste this: ~/Library/Caches/Your App Name

Note: In some cases, you need to search for the app developer's name, rather than the name of the app.

Delete leftovers with CleanMyMac X

How Do I Delete All Downloads On My Mac Hard Drive

If you’ve been doing a 'spring cleaning' in your Applications folder, chances are some files are still left somewhere in your Mac’s system. CleanMyMac X detects and collects them into the Leftovers tab.

Go to Uninstaller once again and select Leftovers. Select all the remaining files and press Uninstall to say goodbye to the app remains.

How to delete downloaded software on mac

Now you are just as good at uninstalling applications on Mac as any Apple engineer. Hopefully, you now have plenty of free space. Don't miss a few related articles below.

These might also interest you:

Find your files

The Files app includes files on the device you're using, as well as those in other cloud services and apps, and iCloud Drive. You can also work with zip files.* To access your files, just open the Files app and choose the location of the file you're looking for.

Save a copy of your file locally

You can find locally stored files in On My [device], under Locations. On your iPad, simply drag files into the On My iPad folder to store them directly on your device. If you want to save a file locally on your iPhone or iPod touch, follow these steps.

  1. Go to the file that you want to store on your device.
  2. Tap Select > the file name > Organize .
  3. Under On My [Device], choose a folder or tap New Folder to create a new one.
  4. Tap Copy.

You can also long press on a file, choose Move, and select which folder you want to copy it to.

On iOS 12 or earlier, tap the file and choose Move. Then, under On My [device], choose Numbers, Keynote, or Pages, and tap Copy.

Move iCloud Drive files

  1. Go to the file that you want to move.
  2. Tap Select, then choose the file.
  3. Tap Organize .
  4. Under On My [Device], choose a folder or tap New Folder to create a new one.
  5. Tap Move.

You can also long press on a file, choose Move, and select which folder you want to copy it to.

Look for files on your Mac or PC

  • On your Mac, choose Go > iCloud Drive from the menu bar, or click iCloud Drive in the sidebar of a Finder window.
  • On iCloud.com, go to the iCloud Drive app.
  • On your PC with iCloud for Windows, open File Explorer, then click iCloud Drive.

* Password protected zip folders or directories are not supported in the Files app.

Organize your files

It’s easy to organize all of the files stored in iCloud Drive — including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents. When you make changes on one device, your edits are automatically updated on every device using iCloud Drive.

You can make your own folders. Or rename the files and folders you already have when you press firmly on them.

Create new folders

  1. Go to Locations.
  2. Tap iCloud Drive, On My [device], or the name of a third-party cloud service where you want to keep your new folder.
  3. Swipe down on the screen.
  4. Tap More .
  5. Select New Folder.
  6. Enter the name of your new folder. Then tap Done.

On iOS 12 or earlier, tap New Folder . If you don't see New Folder or it's gray, then the third-party cloud service doesn't support new folders.

How To Clear Downloads On Mac

View your files by name, date, size, or the tags that you add. With colorful and custom labels, you can assign tags to your files any way that you like. That means you'll quickly find just the project or document you need.

Add a tag

  1. Tap Select.
  2. Tap the file that you want to tag.
  3. Tap Share > Add Tags .
  4. Choose the tag that you want to add.

Rename a tag

  1. Go to Locations.
  2. Tap More > Edit.
  3. Tap the name of an existing tag.
  4. Enter the name of your new tag.
  5. Tap Done.

Delete files

Select the files that you don't want anymore and tap Delete . If you delete files from the iCloud Drive folder on one device, they delete on your other devices too. iCloud Drive removes the files from every device that you're signed in to with the same Apple ID.

When you delete a file from iCloud Drive or On My [device], it goes into your Recently Deleted folder. If you change your mind or accidentally delete a file, you have 30 days to get it back. Go to Locations > Recently Deleted. Select the file that you want to keep and tap Recover. After 30 days, your files are removed from Recently Deleted.

You can also sign into iCloud.com from your Mac or PC, then go to iCloud Drive and check Recently Deleted.

Share folders and files with your friends or colleagues

Recover Deleted Files Mac Software

Want to share with a friend or colleague? You can share any folder or file stored in iCloud Drive directly from the Files app. In iCloud Drive, tap Select, choose the file or folder that you want to share, tap Share , and select Add People. You can share a folder or file through AirDrop, Messages, Mail, and more. Learn more about how folder sharing and file sharing work in iCloud Drive.

Or maybe you want to collaborate on a project in real time. The Files app lets you do that too with your Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents. Select the file and tap Share or > Add People . You can invite them to collaborate through Messages, Mail, or copy and paste a link. Your participants are color-coded. And you can see when they're online, actively working on your shared document.

Use third-party apps in Files

The Files app lets you add your third-party cloud services — like Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, and more — so that you can access all of your files on all of your devices. The files you keep in iCloud Drive automatically appear in the Files app, but you need to set up your other cloud services to access them in the Files app too.

Add third-party apps

How Do I Delete All Downloads On My Mac

  1. Download and set up the third-party cloud app.
  2. Open the Files app.
  3. Tap the Browse tab.
  4. Tap More > Edit.
  5. Turn on the third-party apps that you want to use in the Files app.
  6. Tap Done.

If you don't see one of your third-party cloud services in the Files app, check with your cloud provider.

On iOS 12 or earlier, open the Files app then tap Locations > Edit to add third-party apps.

Move third-party cloud files

Permanently Delete Files Apple Mac

How Do I Delete All Downloads On My Mac Os

  1. Open the file that you want to move.
  2. Tap Share > Copy.
  3. Open the folder where you want to move your file.
  4. Firmly press the screen.
  5. Tap Paste.

Do more with Files on iPadOS

If you're on iPadOS, you can access files on a USB flash drive, SD card, or hard drive through the Files app on iPadOS. Just connect the storage device, and then you can select it under Locations. You can also connect to unencrypted storage on a file server, if that storage is using the APFS, Mac OS Extended, MS-DOS (FAT), or ExFAT format. You also have the option to view your files in Column View, which is helpful if you have files nested in multiple folders. Column View lets you see previews of files and offers access to tools like markup and rotate without even opening a file.

Connect to a file server

  1. Open the Browse tab.
  2. Tap More .
  3. Select Connect to Server.
  4. Enter the SMB address.
  5. Tap Connect.
  6. The server name appears under Shared in the Browse menu.

Switch to Column View

  1. In landscape mode, open the Browse tab.
  2. Select a folder.
  3. Swipe down on the right side of the screen.
  4. Select Column View in the upper right.
  5. Tap a folder to expand its contents.
  6. Tap a file to see a preview.

To leave Column View, tap Grid View or List View , or use your iPad in portrait mode.

If you need help

  • Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest iOS, or iPadOS.
  • Set up iCloud on all of your devices and turn on iCloud Drive.
  • Make sure that you’re signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices.
  • If you want to upload, download, or share files using cellular data, open Settings, select Cellular, scroll down to iCloud Drive and any third-party cloud services you use, and turn it on for each service.

How To Delete Downloaded Software On Mac

If you don't want to access your iCloud Drive files in the Files app, you can choose to download and add only third-party cloud services instead.