Removing Steam from your MacBook is a pretty straightforward process, but there are a few important steps to ensure you do it properly and don’t leave behind any unnecessary files taking up precious storage space.
Basic Steam Removal
Let’s start with the quickest way to delete Steam. Simply drag the Steam application from your Applications folder to the Trash, just like you would with any other Mac app. But hold on – this only removes the main program, not all your game files and settings.
Complete Steam Removal
For a thorough cleanup, you’ll want to remove all associated files. Here’s where you’ll find them:
~/Library/Application Support/Steam
~/Library/Preferences/com.valvesoftware.steam.plist
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.valvesoftware.steam.ipctunnel.plist
To access these folders, open Finder and press Command + Shift + G. Then copy and paste each path to navigate directly to these locations. Delete everything you find in these directories.
What About Your Games?
Before you delete Steam completely, think about your game saves! While many games use Steam Cloud to sync your progress, not all do. If you’re planning to reinstall Steam later or want to keep specific game saves, you might want to back up the ‘userdata’ folder found in your Steam directory.
Dealing with Leftover Files
Steam games can leave behind cached files and other data. To find these, you can use the search function in Finder and look for “steam” – but be careful not to delete files that might belong to other applications. When in doubt, it’s better to leave a file alone than accidentally remove something important.
Final Cleanup Tips
After removing all Steam-related files, I always recommend restarting your MacBook. This ensures all processes are properly terminated and gives you a fresh start. You might also want to use your Mac’s built-in storage management tools to check for any remaining large files that might have been left behind.
Remember, if you’re only removing Steam temporarily, you can always download it again later, and if you’ve used Steam Cloud, your game progress will be waiting for you. Just make sure you’re signed out of your Steam account before removing the application – it’s just good security practice.
Want to make absolutely sure you’ve removed everything? Third-party uninstaller apps like AppCleaner can help catch any stubborn files that might be hiding in obscure folders. Just be sure to download these tools from reputable sources.
