While the title might suggest a Windows guide, this article will focus on how to uninstall Microsoft Office programs on macOS, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office suite applications. Apple users often wonder how to completely remove these programs from their Mac computers. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of uninstalling Office apps and ensuring no leftover files remain behind.
🧰 What You’ll Need
- A Mac computer running macOS
- Administrator access
- Finder
- Optional: Terminal or third-party uninstaller tools
✅ Step 1: Quit All Office Applications
Before you begin the uninstallation process, make sure all Microsoft Office applications are closed.
- Click the Apple logo () in the top-left corner.
- Select Force Quit.
- If any Office apps like Word, Excel, or Outlook are open, select them and click Force Quit.
📦 Step 2: Move Office Apps to Trash
- Open Applications folder:
- From the desktop, click Go in the Finder menu bar → choose Applications.
- Or press
Shift + Command + A.
- Locate Microsoft Office applications:
- These include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.
- Right-click each application and select Move to Trash.
Right-click an Office app and choose “Move to Trash” - Repeat for all Office apps you want to uninstall.
🧹 Step 3: Remove Office-Related Files & Folders
Even after deleting the apps, some supporting files may remain in your system. To fully uninstall Office, you need to delete the following folders:
⚙️ Common Locations for Office Support Files
- Go to Finder.
- In the menu bar, click Go > Go to Folder… (
Shift + Command + G). - Enter each of the paths below one at a time and delete the contents related to Microsoft Office.
1. ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/
~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/2. ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.You may see multiple folders starting with
com.microsoft.
3. ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.ms
~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.ms4. ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.
~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.5. ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.
~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.💡 Tip: Some of these folders may be hidden. Use the Go to Folder feature to access them.
🧮 Step 4: Delete Microsoft Office Preferences (Optional)
You can also manually delete preference files if you want a clean reinstall later.
Look for files like:
com.microsoft.Word.plistcom.microsoft.Excel.plist- etc.
These are usually found in:
~/Library/Preferences/🗑️ Step 5: Empty the Trash
- Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock.
- Click Empty Trash.
This permanently deletes all Office applications and related files.
Make sure to empty the Trash to complete the uninstallation.
🔁 Optional: Use a Third-Party Uninstaller Tool
If you’re unsure about manually removing files, consider using a trusted third-party uninstaller like:
- AppCleaner
- CleanMyMac X
- AppZapper
These tools automatically find and remove all traces of an application, including preferences and caches.
🧪 Bonus: Reinstalling Office Later
If you plan to reinstall Microsoft Office later, it’s safe to do so even after completely uninstalling it. Just download the latest version from Office.com or use your purchased copy.
✅ Summary
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Close all Office apps |
| 2 | Move Office apps to Trash |
| 3 | Delete support files from Library folders |
| 4 | Empty the Trash |
| 5 | (Optional) Use an uninstaller tool |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I just drag Office apps to the Trash?
A: Yes, but it won’t remove all associated files. For a complete uninstall, follow steps 3 and 5.
Q: Will uninstalling Office delete my documents?
A: No. Your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files will remain unless you manually delete them.
Q: Why can’t I find some Office files?
A: Some files are hidden by default. Use the Go to Folder command to locate them.
By following this guide, you’ll successfully uninstall Microsoft Office from your Mac and free up disk space while keeping your system clean.
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