Finding specific things

Where apps keep their data

Updated 2026-07-31 · 4 min read

Uninstalling an app rarely removes its data. Knowing the five places it might be makes cleanup and troubleshooting straightforward.

The five locations

Path	Holds
~/Library/Preferences	.plist settings files
~/Library/Application Support	Databases, projects, real data
~/Library/Caches	Disposable, often large
~/Library/Containers	Everything for sandboxed apps
~/Library/Saved Application State	Window positions

Plus /Library/... for system-wide equivalents, which need admin rights.

Finding a specific app's files

Search by bundle identifier rather than app name — it is the string apps actually use:

find ~/Library -iname "*com.apple.mail*" -maxdepth 3 2>/dev/null

Find an app's bundle ID:

osascript -e 'id of app "Mail"'

Reading a preferences file

defaults read com.apple.finder

Or a single key:

defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles

Editing a .plist by hand while the app is running is a common way to lose the change — apps cache preferences and write them back on quit. Use defaults write and restart the app.

Uninstalling properly

Dragging an app to the Trash leaves all five locations behind. To see what is left:

find ~/Library -iname "*appname*" -maxdepth 4 2>/dev/null

Review before deleting. Some folders are shared between apps from the same vendor.

Why this is hard to search normally

Every one of these locations is inside ~/Library, and Spotlight returns almost nothing from there. This is the single most common reason people conclude a file "does not exist" when it plainly does.

Common questions

Where are app preferences stored on macOS?

~/Library/Preferences for most apps, or inside ~/Library/Containers/<bundle-id> for sandboxed ones.

Does deleting an app remove its data?

No. Application Support, Preferences, Caches and Containers all remain until removed by hand or by an uninstaller.