Photo & Design

Can I delete Adobe Illustrator from my Mac?

Yes, you can delete it

Yes, you can delete Adobe Illustrator from your Mac. Doing so removes the application binary but does not delete your saved documents or the app's local data folders.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

See how much space Adobe Illustrator really takes before you decide

Adobe Illustrator data usually takes 1 GB – 20 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Application: Adobe Illustrator
Typical data size: 1 GB – 20 GB
Category: Photo & Design
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator

What you lose and keep when deleting Adobe Illustrator

Specific to Adobe Illustrator

Removing the app leaves your personal documents and the 1 GB – 20 GB of local settings intact in their respective folders. Your cloud documents remain in Creative Cloud storage, and your subscription license stays tied to your Adobe ID until you sign out. However, if you delete the specific folder holding recovery data, you permanently lose access to unsaved work that the app would otherwise restore. Shared Adobe components remain if other Creative Cloud apps are installed.

Where your Adobe Illustrator data lives

Adobe Illustrator keeps none of your own files in its folders; what it stores is rebuilt automatically or comes from your account.

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator App data · Illustrator presets, settings and recovery data Yes, once the app is gone/Library/Application Support/Adobe Other · Adobe components, licensing and libraries used by all Adobe apps Only if no other app uses it~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/OOBE App data · Creative Cloud sign-in and licensing data Only if no other app uses it/Applications/Utilities/Adobe Creative Cloud Other · Creative Cloud desktop app and its uninstaller Only if no other app uses it/Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist Background item · starts Creative Cloud at login Only if no other app uses it/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.acc.installer.v2.plist Background item · Creative Cloud installer background job Only if no other app uses it/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.adobe.acc.installer.v2 Other · privileged helper that installs and updates Adobe apps Only if no other app uses it

Account and sync: Illustrator runs on an Adobe ID subscription; cloud documents live in Creative Cloud storage.
License: The subscription is tied to your Adobe ID; signing out of Creative Cloud frees the activation for another computer.
Your files: Documents are saved wherever you choose or as cloud documents.

Prepare before you delete Adobe Illustrator

Because the uninstaller does not touch user files, you must manually handle local assets and licenses. If you plan to reclaim disk space, you must separately remove the settings folder, as it persists after the app is gone. Ensure you have exported any custom brushes or swatches you created, as these are stored locally and are not synced to the cloud. Signing out of Creative Cloud is recommended if you intend to use the subscription on another computer.

Sign out of Creative Cloud to free the license for another computerExport custom brushes, swatches, and symbols from the open appDownload any cloud documents you need to keep locallySave recovery files of unsaved work before quitting the app

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How to delete Adobe Illustrator completely

Quit Adobe Illustrator, move it to the Trash, then remove what it left in ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator. The full step-by-step guide:

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Frequently asked questions

Will deleting Adobe Illustrator delete my files?

No. Removing the app doesn't touch documents you saved in other folders. Only the app and, if you remove them, its own support files are deleted.

Do I need to deactivate my license before uninstalling?

You should sign out of Creative Cloud to free the activation for another device.

Will other Adobe apps stop working if I delete Illustrator?

No, shared components remain installed as long as other Creative Cloud apps are present.