The fastest way to uninstall Firefox

The quickest path is to use your operating system's built-in uninstall tool. On Windows, open Settings, go to Apps > Apps & features, search for "Mozilla Firefox", click it, and select Uninstall. On Mac, open Applications in Finder, drag Firefox to the Trash, then empty the Trash. On Linux, the method depends on your distribution — Ubuntu users can open Software Center, search Firefox, and click Remove.

This removes the Firefox program itself but leaves behind your profile folder, which contains bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, and cached files. If you want those gone too, you'll need to delete the profile folder separately after uninstalling the application.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows users should uninstall through Settings > Apps & features, while Mac users drag Firefox to Trash and empty it.
  • The standard uninstall process leaves your profile folder behind, which stores bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history.
  • To remove everything including your profile, you must manually delete the Firefox profile folder after uninstalling the program.
  • On Windows, the profile folder is in AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox; on Mac it's in Library/Application Support/Firefox.

Removing your Firefox profile folder on Windows

After uninstalling Firefox through Settings, open File Explorer and navigate to your user folder. Press Ctrl+H to show hidden files, then go to AppData > Roaming > Mozilla > Firefox. Delete the entire Firefox folder. If you see a folder named "Profiles" instead, open it and delete the folder inside that ends with ".default" or ".default-release".

If File Explorer won't let you delete the folder because it says a file is in use, restart your computer first. Windows sometimes locks profile folders even after the program closes, and a restart clears those locks.

Removing your Firefox profile folder on Mac

Open Finder and press Command+Shift+. (period) to show hidden files. Navigate to Library > Application Support > Firefox. Delete the entire Firefox folder. If you only see a Profiles folder, open it and delete the folder inside with a name like "xxxxxxxx.default-release".

You can also reach this location faster by opening Finder, clicking Go in the menu bar, holding Option, and selecting Library. This bypasses the need to show hidden files.

Removing your Firefox profile folder on Linux

Open your file manager and navigate to your home directory. Press Ctrl+H to show hidden files, then go to .mozilla > firefox. Delete the entire firefox folder. The exact path is ~/.mozilla/firefox, where the tilde (~) represents your home directory.

If you prefer the command line, you can also run rm -rf ~/.mozilla/firefox in a terminal. This removes the profile folder and all its contents in one command.

What gets deleted when you remove Firefox

Uninstalling the program removes the Firefox application files but not your personal data. Deleting the profile folder removes bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, cached web pages, extensions, and any custom settings you configured. It does not affect other browsers or programs on your computer.

If you want to keep your bookmarks before removing Firefox, export them first. Open Firefox, go to Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks, click the gear icon, and select Export Bookmarks to HTML. Save the file somewhere safe, then proceed with uninstalling.

Reinstalling Firefox after complete removal

If you uninstall Firefox completely and later want to use it again, download it fresh from mozilla.org. The installer will create a new profile folder with default settings. Your old bookmarks and passwords will not return unless you import the HTML file you exported before removal.

Firefox does not require a restart to install on most systems, though Windows may ask you to restart after installation completes. You can start using Firefox immediately after installation finishes.

Freeing up disk space after removal

Uninstalling Firefox typically frees up 200 to 400 megabytes of disk space, depending on your version and any extensions you had installed. Deleting the profile folder frees up additional space — usually 50 to 500 megabytes depending on how much browsing history and cached data you accumulated.

If you want to see exactly how much space the profile folder uses before deleting it, right-click the Firefox folder in your file manager and select Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac). This shows the folder size so you know what you're freeing up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will uninstalling Firefox delete my passwords?

Uninstalling the program alone does not delete passwords — they stay in the profile folder. Only when you manually delete the profile folder do passwords get removed. If you want to keep your passwords but remove Firefox, do not delete the profile folder.

Can I uninstall Firefox without losing my bookmarks?

Yes. Uninstall Firefox normally through your system settings, and the profile folder stays behind with all your bookmarks intact. If you later reinstall Firefox, it will find and use that same profile folder with your bookmarks still there.

What if I can't find the Firefox folder?

Make sure hidden files are visible — press Ctrl+H on Windows or Linux, or Command+Shift+. on Mac. The folder names start with a dot (.) on Mac and Linux, which hides them by default. If you still can't find it, the profile folder may not exist yet, which means Firefox has no stored data to remove.

Does removing Firefox affect other browsers?

No. Uninstalling Firefox does not touch Chrome, Edge, Safari, or any other browser. Each browser stores its data in separate folders, so removing one does not affect the others.

Can I remove Firefox without uninstalling it first?

You can delete the profile folder without uninstalling the program, but this leaves the Firefox application on your computer. To completely remove Firefox, uninstall the program first, then delete the profile folder.