How to Delete Grammarly on Mac: A Complete Uninstall Guide
Removing Grammarly from a Mac isn't always as straightforward as dragging an app to the Trash. Grammarly installs components in multiple locations — a desktop app, a browser extension, and sometimes a keyboard extension — and leaving behind residual files can clutter your system even after you think it's gone. Here's exactly how each piece gets removed, and what factors affect how thorough you need to be.
Why Grammarly Leaves More Than One Thing Behind
Grammarly on macOS typically exists in up to three separate forms:
- The Grammarly Desktop App — a standalone application installed from Grammarly's website or the Mac App Store
- Browser Extensions — individual add-ons installed in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge
- The Grammarly Keyboard — a system-level input method that may be installed separately
Each component is independent. Deleting the desktop app does not remove your browser extensions, and vice versa. This is the most common reason people believe they've uninstalled Grammarly but still see it appearing in their browser or document editor.
How to Remove the Grammarly Desktop App
Standard Drag-to-Trash Method
- Open Finder and go to your Applications folder
- Locate Grammarly Desktop
- Drag it to the Trash, or right-click and select Move to Trash
- Empty the Trash
This removes the main application binary, but support files, caches, and preferences are typically left behind in your Library folders.
Removing Leftover Files Manually 🗂️
macOS doesn't automatically purge an app's associated data when you delete it. For a cleaner removal, check these locations in Finder. Use Go > Go to Folder (Shift + Command + G) and navigate to each path:
| Location | What to Look For |
|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/ | Folder named Grammarly |
~/Library/Caches/ | Files or folders with com.grammarly in the name |
~/Library/Preferences/ | .plist files with com.grammarly in the name |
~/Library/Logs/ | Any Grammarly-related log files |
~/Library/LaunchAgents/ | .plist files referencing Grammarly |
Delete anything you find in these folders, then empty the Trash again.
Note: The ~/Library/ folder is hidden by default. Hold the Option key while clicking the Go menu in Finder to reveal it.
Using a Third-Party Uninstaller App
Apps like AppCleaner (and similar utilities) scan for all associated files when you drag an application onto them. This automates the residual file cleanup described above. These tools vary in how thoroughly they scan, so results depend on which utility you use and which version of macOS you're running.
How to Remove Grammarly Browser Extensions
Each browser handles extension removal independently.
Google Chrome: Go to chrome://extensions/, find Grammarly, and click Remove.
Safari: Open Safari > Settings (or Preferences) > Extensions, select Grammarly, and click Uninstall.
Mozilla Firefox: Go to about:addons, find Grammarly under Extensions, and select Remove.
Microsoft Edge: Go to edge://extensions/, locate Grammarly, and click Remove.
If Grammarly was installed in multiple browsers, you'll need to repeat this step in each one separately.
How to Remove the Grammarly Keyboard
If you installed Grammarly's keyboard as a macOS input source, it requires a separate removal step:
- Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
- Go to Keyboard > Input Sources
- Select the Grammarly keyboard input and click the minus (–) button to remove it
On some macOS versions, this option appears under Keyboard > Text Input > Edit.
Factors That Affect How Thorough Your Uninstall Needs to Be 🔍
Not every user needs to go through every step above. What actually applies to your situation depends on several variables:
How you installed Grammarly matters. Apps downloaded from Grammarly's website often install more background components than the Mac App Store version, which operates under tighter sandboxing rules. Mac App Store installs generally leave fewer residual files.
Which macOS version you're running affects where files are stored and how accessible your Library folder is. macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and later versions moved some settings panels, so navigation paths for System Settings differ from older Monterey or Big Sur layouts.
Whether you used multiple browsers determines how many extension removals you need to complete. Someone who only used Grammarly in one browser has a simpler process than someone who had it active in three.
Why you're uninstalling also shapes how complete your cleanup needs to be. Freeing up disk space calls for removing residual Library files. Simply stopping Grammarly from running might only require quitting the app and disabling extensions. Resolving a software conflict may require the most thorough removal possible, including LaunchAgents.
What "Fully Uninstalled" Actually Means
There's a meaningful difference between functional removal and complete removal. Dragging the app to Trash and removing browser extensions is enough for most users — Grammarly will no longer run or interfere with anything. The leftover preference files and caches are typically small and inert.
Complete removal, including all Library files, matters more if you're troubleshooting a system issue, preparing a Mac for resale, or are simply particular about keeping your system clean.
Which level of removal is right depends entirely on what prompted you to uninstall in the first place — and that's something only your own situation can answer.