Installing and removing apps on a Mac, fixed in plain English.
16 fixes for macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate.
How to uninstall an app on a MacOn a Mac most apps are removed by moving them to the Trash; there is no separate uninstall step.Choose which apps your Mac allows: App Store or known developers'Allow applications from' controls where apps may come from; macOS no longer offers an 'Anywhere' option.Fix an App Store download that's stuck or won't installAn unpaid order, an App Store outage or a network problem can stop App Store downloads.Reinstall an app I bought beforePurchased apps stay in your Apple Account and can be downloaded again.See and stop apps that run in the background on your MacApps can install helpers that run in the background; 'Allow in the Background' lists them.Why you can't delete Safari, Mail and other built-in Mac appsApps that ship with macOS live on a protected system volume and can't be removed.Install an app you downloaded from a websiteApps from websites come as a .dmg (a disk you open) or a .pkg installer.Your Mac says you need to install Rosetta to open an appThe app was built for Intel Macs and needs Rosetta on Apple silicon.An old app won't open after a macOS upgradeThe app is too old for the current macOS or has no version for your Mac's chip.Stop the App Store asking for your password for free appsMedia & Purchases is set to require a password for free downloads and purchases.Will your Intel apps still work on macOS 27 Golden Gate?macOS 27 still runs Intel apps with Rosetta, but it's the last version with general Rosetta, and an upgrade may not bring Rosetta back by itself.Open a blocked .pkg installer on your Mac, safelyGatekeeper is blocking an installer package that isn't notarised.Delete an app your Mac says is open or in useThe app or one of its helper processes is still running.Download and install apps on your MacThe App Store is the simplest and safest place to get Mac apps.What the "Background Items Added" notification meansAn installed app registered a helper or login item and macOS is telling you.An app is stuck on Waiting or Installing on your MacA stuck download leaves a placeholder icon.