Get Rid Of It

macOS App Leftover Cleaner

A terminal-based tool that removes leftover files, folders, LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons from uninstalled macOS applications using Spotlight for fast, system-safe scanning.

This project was born out of the need for a simple, safe, open-source and lightweight tool to fully clean up stubborn applications that leave traces all over your system even after uninstalling. A notorious example is Adobe Creative Cloud, which scatters files across multiple system locations and keeps background services running long after the app itself is gone. No third-party uninstaller, no bloat, just a transparent script you can read, understand and trust.

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Quick Start

Open your Terminal App on macOS and enter enter following command:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Trayv0n/Get-Rid-Of-It/refs/heads/main/Get-Rid-Of-It.sh)

Requires macOS with Bash 3.2+. No dependencies, no installation needed.

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What It Does

When you uninstall an app on macOS, it often leaves behind preference files (.plist), application support folders, caches, logs, and LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons still running in the background. Get Rid Of It finds all of these using mdfind and lets you review and delete them interactively.

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How It Works

1. Warning screen confirms you understand what the script does
2. Enter app name e.g. Photoshop, ChatGPT
3. Enter publisher name (optional) e.g. Adobe, OpenAI for a broader search
4. Numbered results every found file and folder is listed with a number
5. Exclude entries enter numbers you want to keep before deletion
6. Confirm deletion nothing is deleted without your explicit y confirmation
7. LaunchAgents/Daemons are automatically deregistered via launchctl unload before deletion
8. Save log (optional) exports a .txt report to ~/Downloads
9. Restart Dock (optional) may clear some ghost entries from Launchpad as a side effect

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Safety Features

Feature	Details
System file protection	Skips /System/, /usr/lib/, /bin/, /sbin/, /usr/share/
No blind deletion	Every file is shown before you confirm
Exclude list	Keep specific entries safe with a simple number input
launchctl unload	Deregisters background services before removing them
Self-exclusion	The script never flags its own files

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Example Session

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗
║         Get Rid Of It – v0.1         ║
║       macOS App Leftover Cleaner     ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

⚠️  WARNING
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This script will permanently delete files and folders from your system.
Only use this script if you fully understand what it does.
Deleted files cannot be recovered unless you have a backup.

For more information, please visit:
https://github.com/Trayv0n/Get-Rid-Of-It
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I understand the risks and want to continue. [y/n]: y

Enter App Name: Photoshop
Publisher Name (optional, press Enter to skip): Adobe

Searching for traces of "Photoshop"...

Found files/folders:

  [  1] /Users/you/Library/Application Support/Adobe
  [  2] /Users/you/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Photoshop.plist
  [  3] /Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist
  ...

Do you want to exclude certain entries from deletion?
Enter numbers (e.g. 2 5 17), press Enter to skip: 2

Delete all remaining entries? [y/n]: y

  Deregistering LaunchAgents/Daemons...
   launchctl unload: /Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist

  Deleting files...

  ✓ /Users/you/Library/Application Support/Adobe
  ✓ /Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist

Finished! 2 entries deleted, 0 failed.

Save deleted entries as a text file in ~/Downloads? [y/n]: y
Log saved: ~/Downloads/get-rid-of-it_Photoshop_2026-03-29_14-00-00.txt

Restart Dock (killall Dock)? [y/n]: y

Get Rid Of It – Finished.

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Disclaimer

This script permanently deletes files. Always review the list carefully before confirming. The author takes no responsibility for accidental data loss. A Time Machine backup before use is recommended.

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Roadmap

• GUI version
• Homebrew formula
• Dry-run mode (--dry-run flag)
• Config file for trusted exclude patterns
• Launchpad database cleanup for stuck app entries

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License

MIT License. Feel free to use, modify and distribute.