How to Delete McAfee from Mac

Tired of the McAfee antivirus repeatedly pestering you with notifications and pop-ups on the side? Here’s how you can delete McAfee from the Mac OS system the easy way.

For as long as computers have existed, so has been corrupted software that lands viruses and malware on to them. While Windows and Linux have been plagued by all sorts of adware, malware, trojans, and viruses, Apple has kept macOS X fairly safer in comparison. The company was able to do so by creating a closed ecosystem and controlling every aspect of the operating system, which continues to do to this day.

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However, this does exempt macOS X from viruses, which is why third-party antivirus software developers also extend their services to Mac users. Over the years, antivirus software providers have increasingly become intrusive, which not only download other add-on services automatically but also ruin the user experience with unsolicited pop-ups and notifications. At times, McAfee has also been accused of such deeds, which is why you would want to know how to delete McAfee from Mac machines.

Method 1 – Remove McAfee from macOS using the Finder

The first and most straightforward way to uninstall McAfee antivirus from the macOS X system is just how you would uninstall any other app.

1. Close any other program that is running on your macOS computer.
2. In the Dock bar, click on the Applications menu.
3. Scroll down to find the McAfee Internet Security Uninstaller and click on it.
4. Click on Continue and enter the administrator password to confirm your action.
5. The uninstallation process will now begin, and you can press Finish after the process is completed.

Method 2 – Delete McAfee from Mac with Terminal

While using the Applications menu helps you remove most apps, McAfee tends to leave behind apps and files even after uninstalling the main module. A rather expert method to completely remove McAfee from your computer is using the Terminal window with the following steps:

1. Launch the Spotlight tool and search to open a Terminal window.
2. In the Terminal window, type in the following line of code:
   sudo /Library/McAfee/cma/scripts/uninstall.sh
3. Hit the Enter button and then type in the administrator password into the window.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to delete McAfee from Mac computer once and for all.

Finally, reboot the macOS computer, and you will have finally removed from the Mac computer for good.

Method 3 – Manually Delete McAfee System Files

One final method to get rid of McAfee software from macOS X computers for good is to select each and every app file and delete it.

1. Launch the Finder app and click on Go to and select Go to Folder from the drop-down menu.
2. Search in the following directories for McAfee-related files and delete all of them:
   /Library/Preferences/
   /Library/Application Support/
   /Library/Caches/
3. Now, open the Trash app and click on Secure Empty Trash so that you remove all of the files stores there.

Final Words

The way McAfee has designed the antivirus software, allows add-ons to operate separately from the central service. While the first method may work well on removing the add-ons, you may need to use the more advanced solutions to remove every trace of the antivirus software from the macOS X system.