Photo & Design

How to Completely Uninstall Adobe Illustrator on Mac

To remove Adobe Illustrator completely, use the official uninstaller within the Creative Cloud desktop app rather than dragging it to the Trash. Deleting the application icon alone leaves behind between 1 GB – 20 GB of data including presets and system helpers.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

Remove Adobe Illustrator and everything it leaves behind

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.

Scan your Mac free

Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

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

Adobe Illustrator has its own uninstaller

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
Uninstall it from the Creative Cloud desktop app (Apps > the app's menu > Uninstall); removing the Creative Cloud app itself needs Adobe's separate Creative Cloud Uninstaller.
Remove the folders Adobe Illustrator left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything Adobe Illustrator keeps on your Mac

7 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.

~/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

Locations are the standard macOS folders Adobe Illustrator uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What Adobe Illustrator leaves behind

Specific to Adobe Illustrator

Dragging the app to the Trash does not remove your personal documents or support folders. It leaves behind versioned folders containing presets, settings, and crash recovery data. Shared components, licensing info, and background services like Core Sync remain because they are used by other Adobe software. These background items stay active until the Creative Cloud desktop app is removed via its own dedicated uninstaller.

Background items: Creative Cloud installs background services such as Adobe Desktop Service, Core Sync and the Creative Cloud launch agents, which stay until Creative Cloud itself is removed.
License: The subscription is tied to your Adobe ID; signing out of Creative Cloud frees the activation for another computer.
Account and sync: Illustrator runs on an Adobe ID subscription; cloud documents live in Creative Cloud storage.

Preparing to uninstall Adobe Illustrator

Before removal, ensure any unsaved work in recovery files is saved. You should manually export custom brushes, symbols, and swatches to avoid losing them. Since cloud documents reside in Creative Cloud storage, download any files you wish to keep locally. Finally, sign out of your account to free the activation for another computer.

Save any remaining recovery files of unsaved workExport custom swatches, brushes, and symbolsDownload required cloud documents to your local driveSign out of Creative Cloud to free your license activation

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	7 folders, one by one	One scan
File sizes	You look them up yourself	Shown for every item
Removing the wrong thing	Easy to delete the wrong folder	Goes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
Cost	Free	Scan is free; cleaning needs Pro (yearly plan has a 7-day free trial)

See it working

OptiClear — Scan overview — every category on one screen — Scan overview — every category on one screen

OptiClear — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach

OptiClear — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you

Try it without risk

Download and scan for freeSee every Adobe Illustrator file and its size. No account needed.
Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.

Download free and scan

After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Items marked “Only if no other app uses it” are also used by other apps from the same company; keep them while any of those apps is installed. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Adobe Illustrator is installed, so remove them after the app.

Why are there multiple folders left over after I deleted the app?

The app stores presets and recovery data in versioned folders, meaning older releases leave their own settings behind.

How do I remove the background processes and the main manager?

Use the separate Creative Cloud Uninstaller found in /Applications/Utilities/Adobe Creative Cloud.