How to Delete Spotify From Mac: A Complete Uninstall Guide
Removing Spotify from a Mac sounds straightforward — drag it to the Trash and you're done, right? Not quite. Like many modern applications, Spotify leaves behind a collection of support files, caches, and preference data scattered across your system. Whether you want to free up disk space, troubleshoot a broken installation, or simply move on from the app, knowing where all those files live makes the difference between a clean removal and a partial one.
Why Dragging Spotify to the Trash Isn't Enough
When you drag an app to the Trash on macOS, you remove the application bundle itself — the .app file sitting in your Applications folder. That part works. But macOS applications routinely store additional data in several other locations:
- Application Support folders — where apps save user data, offline downloads, and configuration files
- Caches — temporary files that speed up app performance over time
- Preferences (plist files) — small files that store your settings
- Logs — activity records the app writes during normal use
Spotify, in particular, can accumulate a significant amount of cached data if you've used the offline listening feature or streamed heavily over time. That cache can occupy several gigabytes even after the app itself is gone — which defeats the purpose if storage recovery was your goal.
How to Fully Uninstall Spotify From a Mac 🗑️
Step 1 — Quit Spotify Completely
Before removing anything, make sure Spotify isn't running. Click the Spotify menu in the top menu bar and choose Quit Spotify, or right-click the Dock icon and select Quit. You can also use Command + Q with Spotify in focus. Check Activity Monitor if you want to confirm no background processes are still active.
Step 2 — Delete the Application
Open Finder, navigate to the Applications folder, locate Spotify, and drag it to the Trash. Alternatively, right-click and select Move to Trash. Empty the Trash when done.
Step 3 — Remove Leftover Files Manually
Open Finder, then use Go > Go to Folder (Shift + Command + G) to navigate to each of the following paths. Delete any Spotify-related folders or files you find:
| Location Path | What You'll Find |
|---|---|
| ~/Library/Application Support/Spotify | User data, offline cache, local files |
| ~/Library/Caches/com.spotify.client | Cached streaming data |
| ~/Library/Preferences/com.spotify.client.plist | App preferences |
| ~/Library/Logs/Spotify | App log files |
| ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.spotify.client.savedState | Window state data |
The tilde (~) represents your home folder. You may not find every folder listed above — that depends on your version of Spotify and how long you've used it. Delete what exists and skip what doesn't.
Step 4 — Empty the Trash Again
After removing all associated files, empty the Trash a final time to fully release the disk space.
Using a Third-Party Uninstaller Instead
If manually navigating Library folders feels uncomfortable, dedicated uninstaller apps handle this automatically. Tools in this category scan for all files associated with a selected application and present them for removal in one step.
These utilities vary in how thoroughly they detect associated files, and results can differ depending on your macOS version and how Spotify was originally installed. The core advantage is convenience — the manual method above is reliable, but it requires navigating hidden system directories that aren't visible by default in Finder.
What the macOS Version and Spotify Installation Method Affect 🖥️
The file paths described above apply to the direct download version of Spotify (installed from Spotify's website). If you installed Spotify through the Mac App Store, the file structure differs slightly. App Store apps use sandboxed containers, so associated data may live under:
~/Library/Containers/com.spotify.client
In that case, deleting the Containers folder entry — in addition to the app itself — handles most of the cleanup.
Your macOS version also matters at the margins. Older macOS versions organize Library data slightly differently, and newer versions (macOS Ventura and later) introduced changes to how certain application permissions and data are stored. The paths listed above reflect current conventions, but minor variations exist.
What Stays Behind That You Might Want to Keep
One thing worth knowing before you delete: if you've added local music files to Spotify and want to keep them, those files live in their original locations on your Mac — not inside Spotify's folders. Deleting Spotify won't remove your local music library. However, any playlists or saved data associated with your account are stored server-side and will still be there if you reinstall or access Spotify from another device.
Variables That Determine How Much Space You Recover
The actual disk space recovered depends on factors specific to your usage:
- Offline downloads — the more songs you've downloaded for offline listening, the larger the cache
- How long the app has been installed — caches grow over time with regular streaming use
- Whether you've ever cleared the cache inside the app — Spotify has a built-in cache-clearing option under Settings that some users have already used
- Which installation method was used — App Store vs. direct download affects where data is stored
A light Spotify user with no offline downloads might recover only a few hundred megabytes. A heavy user with years of cached data and offline playlists could recover considerably more.
The right approach — manual removal, a third-party uninstaller, or a combination — comes down to how comfortable you are navigating macOS system folders, which installation method you used, and how thoroughly you want the removal to be.