Introduction
Spotify is a popular music streaming platform that allows users to access a vast library of songs, podcasts, and playlists. While many people enjoy using Spotify on their Mac, there may be instances where you want to delete the app from your computer. Whether you’re switching to a different music service or simply looking to free up storage space, deleting Spotify from your Mac is a straightforward process.
In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to completely remove Spotify from your Mac. We’ll cover everything from quitting the application to clearing preferences and deleting cache files. By the end, you’ll have a clean slate with no trace of Spotify left on your computer.
Before proceeding with the uninstallation process, it’s essential to note that deleting the Spotify app will also remove any downloaded songs or playlists from your device. If you want to keep your saved music, consider exporting your playlists or backing up your offline tracks before uninstalling Spotify.
So, if you’re ready to bid farewell to Spotify on your Mac, let’s get started with the uninstallation process in the following steps.
Step 1: Quit Spotify
The first step in removing Spotify from your Mac is to ensure that the application is completely closed. Even if you think you’ve closed Spotify, it may still be running in the background. Here’s how to quit Spotify:
- Go to the top menu bar and click on the “Spotify” option.
- In the dropdown menu, click on “Quit Spotify” to exit the application.
Alternatively, you can press the “Command” + “Q” keys on your keyboard while Spotify is active to quit the app.
It’s important to make sure that Spotify is completely closed before proceeding with the uninstallation process. This ensures that there are no conflicts during the removal or any lingering files left behind.
If you’re unsure if Spotify is still running, you can check the Activity Monitor on your Mac. Here’s how:
- Open the “Applications” folder in Finder.
- Inside the “Utilities” folder, locate and open “Activity Monitor.”
- In the Activity Monitor window, search for “Spotify” in the search bar.
- If Spotify is running, select it and click on the “X” button in the upper-left corner to force quit the application.
After ensuring that Spotify is completely closed, you can proceed to the next step of the uninstallation process.
Step 2: Uninstall Spotify
Now that you’ve quit Spotify, it’s time to uninstall the application from your Mac. Follow these simple steps to remove Spotify:
- Open the “Applications” folder in Finder.
- Locate the Spotify app icon and click on it once to select it.
- Drag the Spotify icon to the Trash bin located in your Dock.
- Alternatively, you can right-click on the Spotify icon and select “Move to Trash” from the dropdown menu.
Once you have moved Spotify to the Trash bin, the application is officially uninstalled from your Mac. However, there are still some residual files that need to be removed to ensure a thorough uninstallation.
Before moving on to the next step, you may want to double-check the Trash bin to ensure that only the Spotify app is present. If there are any other unwanted files in the Trash, make sure to remove them as well.
With the Spotify app uninstalled, let’s proceed to the next step to remove any remaining Spotify files.
Step 3: Remove Spotify Files from Library
Deleting the Spotify app alone does not completely remove all associated files from your Mac. You’ll need to go a step further and remove the Spotify files located in your Library. Here’s what you need to do:
- Click on the “Go” option in the top menu bar and select “Go to Folder” from the dropdown menu.
- In the dialog box that appears, type in “~/Library/” and click the “Go” button.
- Inside the Library folder, navigate to the following directories and delete any Spotify-related files or folders you find:
- ~/Library/Application Support/Spotify
- ~/Library/Caches/com.spotify.client
- ~/Library/Preferences/com.spotify.client.plist
- ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.spotify.client.savedState
Deleting these files ensures that no traces of Spotify are left behind on your Mac. If you come across any other Spotify-related files or folders in your Library, feel free to delete them as well.
After removing the relevant Spotify files from your Library, it’s time to move on to the next step to clear Spotify preferences.
Step 4: Clear Spotify Preferences
In order to fully uninstall Spotify from your Mac, it’s important to clear any leftover preferences associated with the app. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open a Finder window and click on the “Go” option in the top menu bar.
- Hold down the “Option” key on your keyboard to reveal the “Library” option in the dropdown menu, then click on it.
- Navigate to the “Preferences” folder.
- Look for any files that start with “com.spotify” or “spotify” and delete them.
By removing these preference files, you ensure that any personalized settings or customization options that were associated with Spotify are completely erased.
Once you’ve cleared the Spotify preferences, you’re almost done with the uninstallation process. However, there is one last step to ensure that any cached files related to Spotify are also removed.
Let’s move on to the next step to clear the Spotify cache.
Step 5: Delete Spotify Cache
As you uninstall Spotify from your Mac, it’s important to delete any cached files that the application may have created during its usage. Clearing the cache helps free up storage space and ensures a clean removal of Spotify. Here are the steps to delete the Spotify cache:
- Open a Finder window and click on the “Go” option in the top menu bar.
- Hold down the “Option” key on your keyboard to reveal the “Library” option in the dropdown menu, then click on it.
- Navigate to the “Caches” folder.
- Look for a folder named “com.spotify.client” and delete it.
By removing the Spotify cache folder, you are eliminating any temporary files or data stored by the application, which is no longer needed after uninstallation.
After completing this step, you have successfully cleared the Spotify cache from your Mac. However, we still need to take one more action to ensure a complete removal: emptying the Trash bin.
Let’s move on to the final step: emptying the Trash to fully uninstall Spotify.
Step 6: Empty Trash
After uninstalling Spotify and deleting all associated files, the final step is to empty the Trash bin on your Mac. Emptying the Trash permanently deletes all the files, including the ones you’ve just removed, ensuring a complete uninstallation of Spotify. Here’s how to proceed:
- Locate the Trash bin icon in your Dock. It resembles a waste bin or trash can.
- Right-click on the Trash bin icon and select “Empty Trash” from the dropdown menu.
- A confirmation message will appear, asking if you want to permanently delete the files. Click on “Empty Trash” to proceed.
It may take a few moments for the Trash to empty, especially if there were a large number of files in it. Once the Trash is emptied, all the Spotify files, preferences, and cache stored in it will be permanently deleted from your Mac.
With that, you have successfully completed the uninstallation process for Spotify on your Mac. Congratulations!
Remember, if you ever decide to reinstall Spotify in the future, you can always download the app from the official Spotify website or through the Mac App Store.
We hope this guide has been helpful in assisting you with uninstalling Spotify from your Mac. Enjoy exploring alternative music options or freeing up storage space for other applications!
Conclusion
Removing Spotify from your Mac can be a simple and straightforward process by following the steps outlined in this guide. From quitting the application to deleting files and preferences, we’ve walked you through each stage of the uninstallation process.
By ensuring that Spotify is completely closed, uninstalling the application, removing related files from the Library, clearing preferences, deleting cache, and emptying the Trash, you can rest assured that there are no remnants of Spotify left on your Mac.
Whether you’re switching to a different music streaming service or looking to free up storage space, uninstalling Spotify can help you achieve your goals. Just remember to back up any saved playlists or downloaded songs before proceeding with the uninstallation process.
We hope this guide has been helpful in assisting you with the steps to delete Spotify from your Mac. If you ever decide to reinstall Spotify in the future, you can always download the app again and start fresh.
Thank you for reading, and we wish you the best of luck with your future music streaming endeavors!