Office

Can I delete Apple Keynote from my Mac?

Yes, and you can download it again for free

You can delete Apple Keynote from your Mac without losing presentations saved to iCloud Drive or other locations. The app is free with an Apple Account, so you can reinstall it later at no cost. However, unsaved autosaves and local custom templates remain in the app's container unless you manually remove them.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

See how much space Apple Keynote really takes before you decide

Apple Keynote data usually takes 200 MB – 2 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Application: Apple Keynote
Typical data size: 200 MB – 2 GB
Category: Office
File Location: ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Keynote

What you lose and keep when deleting Apple Keynote

Specific to Apple Keynote

Deleting the application itself does not remove your documents or data folders. Presentations stored in iCloud Drive stay in the cloud, while files saved locally remain on your disk. The app's data typically ranges from 200 MB – 2 GB, holding caches, settings, and autosaves. Custom templates and unsaved work reside in the sandboxed container, which persists after the app is gone. You must manually delete specific folders to reclaim this space.

Where your Apple Keynote data lives

These folders hold your own Apple Keynote data. Deleting the app leaves them in place; removing them is what actually deletes it.

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Keynote Sandbox container · sandboxed app data: caches, preferences, custom templates and autosaves Back up first: your data~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~Keynote Your files · Keynote presentations in iCloud Drive; deleting here deletes them in iCloud Back up first: your data~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Keynote/Data/Library/Autosave Information Other · autosaved copies of untitled presentations you never saved Back up first: your data

Account and sync: Keynote is free with an Apple Account; presentations saved to iCloud Drive stay in iCloud after the app is removed.
Your files: Keynote presentations are saved in iCloud Drive (the Keynote folder) or wherever you chose; the container holds caches, autosaves and settings.

Preparing to remove Apple Keynote safely

Before removing the app, ensure all valuable work is backed up outside the sandbox. Open the app to save any untitled presentations that appear as autosaves. Verify that your important slides are synced to iCloud or copied to Documents. If you created custom templates, export or copy them elsewhere. This prevents losing unique assets that are not automatically synced to the cloud.

Open Keynote and save all untitled autosave presentations.Verify presentations are in iCloud Drive or local Documents.Export custom templates you created to a safe location.Quit the app completely before removing its files.

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How to delete Apple Keynote completely

Quit Apple Keynote, move it to the Trash, then remove what it left in ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Keynote. The full step-by-step guide:

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Frequently asked questions

Will deleting Apple Keynote 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.

Can I reinstall Apple Keynote later?

Yes. Open the App Store, search for Apple Keynote and download it again; apps already tied to your Apple Account are free to re-download.

Will deleting the app break other iWork apps?

No, but do not delete the shared iWork group container while Pages or Numbers are installed, as it holds data for all three.

What happens to my unsaved work if I delete the app?

Unsaved autosaves remain in the app's container folder and are not deleted automatically, but you lose easy access to them until you reinstall.