Dragging an app to the Trash feels like the whole job, but on macOS it usually isn't. If you want to know how to uninstall CapCut on Mac properly, you also need to clear the support files, caches, and preferences the editor tucks away inside your Library folder. Those leftovers are small, but they can cause odd behavior if you reinstall later.

This guide walks through the full removal, one folder at a time. It's the same routine I'd use before a clean reinstall, after a glitchy update, or just to reclaim the space CapCut quietly uses for cached media and projects.

Everything here is safe and reversible up to the moment you empty the Trash, so you can move slowly and double-check each step.

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Quick answer
  • Quit CapCut, then drag it from Applications to the Trash to remove the main app.
  • Open your user Library and delete CapCut's leftover Application Support, Caches, and Preferences files.
  • Empty the Trash and restart if you want a truly clean slate before reinstalling.

Before you start: back up your projects

Removing CapCut won't automatically delete the video files on your desktop or in your downloads, but it can remove cached project data the app stores internally. If you have edits you still care about, export the finished video first.

Open CapCut, load each project you want to keep, and use Export to save a final video to a folder you control, like Movies or Desktop. That way the finished clip lives outside the app and survives the uninstall.

Heads up: Unfinished, in-progress timelines may not be recoverable once you delete CapCut's support files. Export anything important before you continue.

Step 1: Quit CapCut completely

You can't cleanly delete an app that's still running. Closing the window isn't enough either, because CapCut can keep a process alive in the background.

  • If CapCut is open, choose CapCut > Quit CapCut from the menu bar, or press Cmd + Q.
  • To be sure nothing lingers, open Activity Monitor (in Applications/Utilities), search for CapCut, select any matching process, and click the Stop (octagon) button, then Force Quit.

Once no CapCut process is listed, you're ready to remove the app itself.

Step 2: Move the CapCut app to the Trash

This is the part most people already know, and it's the core of how to remove CapCut on Mac.

  1. Open Finder and click Applications in the sidebar.
  2. Find CapCut in the list.
  3. Drag it to the Trash, or right-click and choose Move to Trash.

If macOS asks for your password, type it and confirm. The app icon disappears from Applications, but its support files are still scattered through your Library, which is what we tackle next.

If you installed CapCut from the App Store on an older system, you can also remove it from Launchpad by clicking and holding the icon until it jiggles, then clicking the X. Most people install the free desktop version straight from capcut.com, so the Applications method above is the one to use.

Step 3: Open your user Library folder

The Library folder is hidden by default, which is exactly why so many people end up with leftover files. Here's how to reach it.

  1. Click the desktop or any Finder window so Finder is active.
  2. In the menu bar choose Go, then hold down the Option key. A Library option appears in the menu.
  3. Click Library to open it.

You can also press Cmd + Shift + G in Finder and type ~/Library, then press Return. The tilde matters: it points to your user Library, where CapCut keeps its personal data.

Step 4: Delete CapCut's leftover files

Inside ~/Library you'll find a handful of folders that hold app data. Check each one below and move anything named after CapCut to the Trash. Folder names can vary slightly by version, so look for entries containing CapCut or capcut (and sometimes Bytedance or JianyingPro, the editor's original name).

  • Application Support — ~/Library/Application Support/. This is usually the largest leftover, holding cached media and project data. Delete the CapCut-related folder here.
  • Caches — ~/Library/Caches/. Temporary files that are safe to remove. Drag the CapCut folder to the Trash.
  • Preferences — ~/Library/Preferences/. Look for .plist files with CapCut or the bundle name in them and remove those.
  • Logs — ~/Library/Logs/. Optional cleanup for any CapCut log folder.
  • Containers / Group Containers — if you installed via the App Store, check ~/Library/Containers/ for a CapCut item too.

Quick tip: Use the search box in the Library window and type capcut to surface matching files across these folders at once. Just confirm each result lives under Library before deleting, so you don't grab one of your own video files by mistake.

Only remove items that clearly belong to CapCut. Leave folders for other apps alone.

Step 5: Empty the Trash and restart

Nothing is truly gone until the Trash is emptied. Right-click the Trash in the Dock and choose Empty Trash, then confirm.

A restart isn't strictly required, but it clears any background helpers from memory and gives you a clean slate. After it reboots, your Mac no longer has CapCut or its scattered data, and you've successfully managed to delete CapCut on macOS in full.

Why bother with the extra files? If you only Trash the app and then reinstall, the old preferences and caches load right back in, which can carry over the very glitch you were trying to fix. A full cleanup is what makes a reinstall actually feel fresh.

Reinstalling CapCut after a clean removal

If you removed CapCut to fix a problem rather than to leave for good, reinstalling is quick. Grab a fresh copy of the free editor straight from the official site, capcut.com, and run the installer again. Skipping unofficial download sites keeps you away from bundled junk and tampered files.

Our step-by-step walkthroughs cover the whole process if you want a hand: see How to Download CapCut on Mac (Step-by-Step), or if you're on a laptop, How to Download CapCut on a MacBook for Free. Switching machines? There's a Windows 11 guide too.

Because you cleared the old support files, the reinstalled app starts with default settings, which is the point of doing the full uninstall in the first place.