How to Uninstall Xcode Completely?

While Xcode is a complete app development software, at times, you may need to uninstall it from your Mac, which can be different from uninstalling other apps, as for this app, you may need to delete its residual files. So, whether you are running into an error while using Xcode or just want to take a break from coding, in this article, I will walk you through the process for deleting Xcode from your Mac, with all its files.

Uninstalling Xcode Manually

Whether using Xcode on PC or on your Mac, to uninstall it completely, we need to first remove the app from the device and then delete the leftover files. To do it, follow the given steps. 

• If you have opened the app, then quit it first. For quitting, do a right click (two-finger click on trackpad) on the app icon in the Dock, or you can follow this path to do it- Xcode (top left corner of screen) > Quit Xcode.

If Xcode is not responding, then choose the “Force Quit” option by doing a right click (two-finger click on the trackpad) on the icon in the Dock section.

• Now go to Finder > Applications.
• Right-click on the Xcode app and choose the “Move to Bin” option, or you can directly drag the app from the Applications folder to the Bin (in the Dock), and after that, enter your password in the pop-up window and click “OK.”

• Open the Bin from the Dock and delete Xcode from the Bin permanently. 
• You have successfully removed the Xcode app from your Mac. To delete the residual files, open the Finder app from the dock and follow this path – Go (top left corner) > Go to Folder.

Note that these options will only appear when you have opened the Finder app.

• Search the following paths in the “Go to Folder” section to locate Xcode files and folders.

/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dt.Xcode.plist

~/Library/Developer/Xcode 

~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator

~/Library/Application Support/Xcode

~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode

After locating the file or folder in the Library, right-click on it and select the “Move to Bin” option. Now, enter your Mac password and click on “OK.” After this, you can permanently delete these files from the Bin.

Repeat these steps for all the paths mentioned above.

Now, you have removed the app from your Mac.

Uninstalling Xcode Using Terminal

Terminal is a macOS application that allows Mac users to perform development-specific tasks by directly interacting with the operating system through commands. To uninstall Xcode using Terminal, follow these steps.

• Open the Terminal app from the Launchpad. 

• Write the sudo rm -rf /Applications/Xcode.app command in Terminal, hit the “Return” key, enter your Mac password, and after that tap on “Return” again.

• After removing Xcode from Mac, write the following commands to delete the residual files such as preferences, cache, etc, then hit the “Return” key, enter your password, and then hit Return again. 

sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dt.Xcode.plist

sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode

sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode 

sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode

sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools

• Now the app has been completely uninstalled from your Mac.

Uninstalling Xcode Using Third-Party Apps

Third-party apps can automatically scan & delete Xcode along with its residual files within a few clicks, making sure every single file is removed. You can use the following apps to do this task.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller

To uninstall Xcode using the “App Cleaner & Uninstaller” app, follow the given steps. 

• Download the “App Cleaner & Uninstaller” app from its official website.

• Install the app. 
• Launch the app from the Launchpad. 
• Select Xcode from the list of apps.

• Now toggle on the “Expert Mode”, which allows you to see all the files related to Xcode.

• Check the Xcode box in the apps list. 
• Click on the “Remove” button present at the lower right corner of the screen and confirm the removal.
• Now Xcode has been completely uninstalled from your Mac. 

Use the DevCleaner APP to Free Your Disk Space

To free up disk space without uninstalling Xcode, you can use the DevCleaner app from the App Store. It deletes unnecessary cache files for different applications, freeing up valuable storage space. To use the DevCleaner app, follow these steps. 

• Install the app from the App Store.
• Open the DevCleaner app, but make sure to close the Xcode app before using the DevCleaner app.
• After that, give permissions to the DevCleaner app to access your files and after scanning, you will see a “Clean” button lower right corner, click on it.

So, this was all for now about deleting Xcode. You are welcome, my friends. I’ll see you in the next article. Till then, goodbye!