AppZapper 2.0.3 — macOS

The grid view button in AppZapper 2.0.3 — it switches the app browser from a list to rows and columns of large icons. That is the sort of small, visual change that makes finding old applications quicker when you are cleaning up a machine.

AppZapper — what it does

App uninstaller for macOS — AppZapper extends the usual drag-to-Trash workflow by looking for related files before deleting the main application. Preferences, caches, support files, and other leftovers are displayed in a list before anything is removed.

A browser built in that shows every installed app

ZapGenie — a browser built into the app that shows every installed application. You can filter by name or by the date the app was last used, which helps when you are clearing out software nobody has opened in months.

Export an app and its files — version 1.7.0 added the ability to package an application together with its related files, useful for moving software to another Mac or archiving it.

Authentication for non-admin accounts — if you are not logged in as an admin, AppZapper prompts for credentials before deleting system-level files. A small safeguard that matters in shared offices.

Checked items stay — each related file has a checkbox. Uncheck anything you want to keep, and AppZapper leaves it alone when the rest are removed.

Switching to list view before you start removing apps

Before you start removing apps, take a minute to check two things in AppZapper. The grid view button in the upper-right corner of the window toggles between list and icon views. I usually switch to the list view first because it shows more detail at a glance — the app name, size, and last-used date are all in one row. If you are working through a long list of old software, the list view saves scrolling.

The second thing is the filter in ZapGenie. By default it shows every application installed on the machine. Click the sort menu and pick "Last Used" to push apps you have not opened in a year to the top. That filter alone does most of the cleanup work before you drag a single icon.

One more thing — the related-files list that appears after you drop an app onto the AppZapper window. Every file in that list has a checkbox, and everything is checked by default. Go through that list before you click the zap button. It is common to see a preference file for an app you might reinstall later, or a support folder with saved game data you want to keep. Uncheck what you want to keep, and AppZapper leaves it in place.

How a freelance graphic designer uses AppZapper

I help a friend who runs a small design studio out of her basement in Boulder. She tests fonts, layout tools, and image editors constantly — some from developers she finds online, some from client requests.

Her workflow is simple. She opens ZapGenie, sorts by last used, and picks out the three or four apps she installed for that last client. She drags them onto the AppZapper window one at a time. The related-files list usually shows font caches, preference plists, and a support folder with temporary project files. She unchecks anything that has custom color profiles or client assets she might reuse. Then she clicks the zap button. The whole thing takes maybe two minutes, and she does not have to dig through ~/Library/Preferences or ~/Library/Application Support by hand.

She keeps a copy of AppZapper on her desktop. It is one of those tools that does not get much attention until you need it, and then it saves twenty minutes of manual file hunting.

A normal cleanup session on the office iMac, step by step

Here is how a normal cleanup session goes on the office iMac, step by step.

I open AppZapper from the Applications folder. The ZapGenie window appears immediately, showing every app installed on the machine. I click the sort menu and choose "Name" so I can scan alphabetically for anything I do not recognize. There is an old FTP client I replaced months ago, a PDF utility nobody uses anymore, and a screen recorder from a project that finished last spring.

I drag the FTP client onto the AppZapper window. The app itself appears at the top of the list, and below it the related files: a preferences file, a cache folder, and a support directory. I uncheck the support directory because it has saved server settings I might need later. Then I click the zap button. The app and the two checked files move to the Trash. If I change my mind, I can open the Trash and put them back.

I repeat the same steps for the PDF utility and the screen recorder. Each time, I glance at the related-files list to make sure nothing important is getting deleted. The whole session takes maybe five minutes, and I am left with a cleaner Applications folder and a few gigabytes of space I did not have before.

For someone who manages multiple Macs — at home, in a small office, or for a friend — AppZapper fits into that routine without adding extra steps. It is one less reason to open Terminal or dig through Library folders by hand.

• Grid-style app browser with large icons, sorted by rows and columns.

• macOS OS X 10.9 or later
• 64-bit Intel processor
• English