Can I delete the Application Support folder?

Part of: What can I safely delete on my Mac? Safe, risky and never (Safe to delete)

Not the whole folder. ~/Library/Application Support holds settings, databases and saved items for your apps. Consider removing a folder only after identifying all apps and services that use it, confirming none still needs it, and checking that retained data is unwanted or safely exported/backed up. Do not remove the folders of apps you still use.

This folder is often one of the largest in your Library, so it is a tempting place to look. The trick is telling leftovers from live data.

What is in it

Each app usually has its own folder inside ~/Library/Application Support. What it holds depends on the app. It can be:

• settings and preferences that are not stored elsewhere
• databases, such as a message history or a photo catalog
• downloaded plug-ins, templates and add-ons
• licence files
• your own work, such as projects or saves

Some of this can be rebuilt. Some cannot. That is why the whole folder is not a target, but one old folder might be.

There is also a system-wide /Library/Application Support. Treat it the same way, and be more careful, since other users and system tools can rely on it.

What breaks if it goes

If the app is still installed, removing its folder usually resets it. You may be signed out, lose settings, lose a local database or lose projects that were never saved elsewhere. Some apps recover well. Others do not. Without a backup, there is no way to tell in advance.

Even if the app is gone, its folder may retain projects, saves, databases or licences you want later, or serve another app. Risk is low only after all consumers are identified, none still needs the folder, and retained data is confirmed unwanted or safely exported/backed up.

How to review it

1. List the largest folders. This is read-only:

   du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/* | sort -h

   The largest ones appear at the bottom.

2. Compare with your apps. List what is installed:

   ls /Applications

   For each large folder, identify every app, extension or service that uses it and confirm none still needs it. Folder names are not always the app’s name. They may be the developer’s name or a short code, so a quick web search of an unfamiliar name is worth the time.

3. Open the folder you are looking at:

   open ~/Library/Application\ Support

4. Inspect and preserve retained data. Look for projects, saves, databases, licences and other user data. Confirm each is unwanted, or export it and verify a backup you can restore. If you cannot establish this, keep the folder.

5. Move, do not delete. Only after those checks, put the folder in the Trash. Keep it there temporarily as an extra recovery option. Before emptying, recheck that wanted data is preserved; a week without problems does not prove archived work is unnecessary. See why the Trash does not free space.

For the full picture of what an uninstall leaves behind, read App leftovers on a Mac.

The Safe / Risky / Never box

Before you remove anything

• Identify all consumers and skip the folder if any still needs it or its owner is unclear.
• Inspect retained projects, saves, databases and licences; confirm they are unwanted or export them.
• Have a current backup and verify that wanted data can be restored. Time Machine is fine.
• Quit the app if it is still running.
• If an app keeps your work in its own folder, export that work first.
• Do one folder at a time, so you know what caused any problem.

Why not just use an uninstaller

An app’s own uninstaller is the best option when it has one, because it knows its own files. When an app was removed by dragging it to the Trash, its folders stay behind, and this review is how you find them.

Common mistakes

• Judging by folder size alone. A big folder is not necessarily a leftover. A photo editor or a game can legitimately keep a lot here.
• Deleting a folder because the name looks odd. Developer names and codes are common. Search first.
• Treating quiet time in the Trash as proof. Archived work may not be missed for months. Waiting is an extra recovery option, not a substitute for inspecting data and verifying a backup.
• Removing licence files. Paid apps may keep their licence here. If you plan to reinstall the app, keep it.

Quick checklist

1. Run the du command and list the biggest folders.
2. Identify all consumers; skip unclear folders or any still needed.
3. Inspect retained user data, confirm it is unwanted or export it, and verify backups of wanted data.
4. Move only reviewed folders to the Trash; before emptying, confirm wanted data remains recoverable. Waiting alone is not proof.

Where DiskJoy fits

DiskJoy is our product. It scans your disk and shows reclaimable space, including large support folders of apps. It is read-only today. Cleanup is not available yet, so nothing is removed by it. The scan can give you the list of big folders before you open Finder.