The fastest way to delete Adobe Acrobat
To remove Adobe Acrobat from your Mac, drag the application to the Trash, then empty the Trash. This works for most users, but Adobe leaves behind preference files and cache folders that take up space. If you want a complete removal, you'll need to delete those leftover files as well — which takes about five extra minutes and requires you to show hidden files on your Mac.
The reason Adobe leaves files behind is that the company stores your preferences, recent documents, and temporary data in folders that don't appear by default. Your Mac hides these to avoid clutter, but they stay on your drive even after you delete the main application. Removing them is safe and won't affect other programs.
Key Takeaways
- Dragging Adobe Acrobat to the Trash removes the main application but leaves preference files behind.
- You must enable viewing hidden files in Finder to locate and delete Adobe's leftover folders.
- Adobe stores preferences in the Library folder at ~/Library/Preferences and ~/Library/Caches.
- After deleting all Adobe files, empty the Trash to complete the removal.
Delete the main Adobe Acrobat application
Open Finder and click Applications in the sidebar. Scroll down until you see Adobe Acrobat, then drag it to the Trash in your dock. You can also right-click Adobe Acrobat and select Move to Trash.
At this point, the application no longer appears in your Applications folder and won't open when you click it. However, the program is not fully removed from your Mac yet — preference files and cache data remain in hidden folders.
Show hidden files in Finder
To see the folders where Adobe stores its data, you need to tell Finder to display hidden files. Press Command + Shift + Period (the period key, also called a full stop). Hidden files and folders will now appear slightly faded in Finder windows.
This keyboard shortcut toggles hidden files on and off. If you press it again later, hidden files will disappear from view. For now, keep them visible so you can find Adobe's leftover folders.
Delete Adobe preference and cache files
Open Finder and click on your username in the sidebar under Favorites — this takes you to your home folder. Double-click the Library folder. Inside Library, you'll see several folders including Preferences and Caches.
Search for files related to Adobe by typing "Adobe" in the search box at the top right of the Finder window. Finder will show you every Adobe-related file and folder across your entire Library. Select all results, then drag them to the Trash. Common Adobe files you'll see include com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist and com.adobe.Reader.plist.
If you prefer to delete files manually instead of searching, open the Preferences folder and look for any file starting with "com.adobe". Do the same in the Caches folder. Drag each one to the Trash.
Remove Adobe from your Applications Support folder
Still inside your Library folder, look for a folder called Application Support. Open it and search for Adobe folders. You may see folders named Adobe, AdobeGammaPlugin, or similar. Drag these to the Trash as well.
The Application Support folder stores data that programs use while running. Adobe creates folders here to store fonts, plugins, and temporary files. Removing them won't break anything — if you ever reinstall Adobe Acrobat, it will recreate these folders automatically.
Empty the Trash to finish
Right-click the Trash icon in your dock and select Empty Trash. This permanently deletes all the Adobe files you moved. The process takes a few seconds to a few minutes depending on how much data Adobe stored on your Mac.
Once the Trash is empty, Adobe Acrobat is completely removed from your Mac. You can press Command + Shift + Period again to hide hidden files if you want Finder to look the way it did before.
What to do if Adobe won't delete
If you see a message saying the file is in use or locked, restart your Mac first. Sometimes Adobe processes continue running in the background even after you close the application. A restart stops these processes, allowing you to delete the files.
If a specific file still won't delete after restart, right-click it and select Get Info. At the bottom of the window, look for a Sharing & Permissions section. Click the lock icon and enter your Mac password. Change the permission for your username to Read & Write, then try deleting the file again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting Adobe Acrobat affect other Adobe programs on my Mac?
No. Each Adobe program stores its own preference files with different names. When you search for "Adobe" and delete results, you're only removing files specific to Acrobat. Other programs like Photoshop or Illustrator will continue to work normally. If you want to be extra careful, delete only files that mention "Acrobat" or "Reader" in their name.
Do I need to uninstall Adobe Acrobat before deleting it?
No. Adobe does not include an uninstaller program on Mac. Dragging the application to Trash and removing the preference files is the standard way to remove it. There is no separate uninstall tool to run.
What if I can't find the Adobe Acrobat application in my Applications folder?
Use Spotlight to search for it. Press Command + Space, type "Adobe Acrobat", and see what appears. If Spotlight finds it, you'll see the file path, which tells you where it's stored. You can also check whether Adobe Reader (a free version) is installed instead of Adobe Acrobat Pro — they are separate applications with different names.
Can I delete Adobe files while the application is running?
You can move the main application to Trash while it's open, but you should close Adobe Acrobat first. Closing the program stops background processes and ensures no files are locked. This makes deletion faster and prevents errors.
How much space will I free up by deleting Adobe Acrobat?
The main application takes up roughly 2 to 4 gigabytes depending on which version you have. Preference files and cache data add another 500 megabytes to 2 gigabytes. The exact amount varies based on how long you've had Adobe installed and how many documents you've opened with it.