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How to Completely Uninstall Adobe After Effects on Mac

To uninstall Adobe After Effects completely, use the Creative Cloud desktop app menu rather than just dragging the icon to the Trash. Deleting the application alone leaves behind data ranging from 5 GB – 200 GB across several system folders.

Last updated: October 31, 20264 min read

Remove Adobe After Effects and everything it leaves behind

Adobe After Effects data usually takes 5 GB – 200 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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

Application: Adobe After Effects
Typical data size: 5 GB – 200 GB
Category: Video
File Location: ~/Library/Caches/Adobe/After Effects

Adobe After Effects 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 After Effects left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything Adobe After Effects keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Caches/Adobe/After Effects Cache · disk cache of rendered frames Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Preferences/Adobe/After Effects Settings · After Effects preferences, workspaces and shortcuts per version Yes, settings reset~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common App data · shared Adobe media cache, peak files and conformed audio Only if no other app uses it/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 After Effects uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What dragging Adobe After Effects to the Trash leaves behind

Specific to Adobe After Effects

Dragging the app to the Trash preserves your projects, preferences, and rendered frame caches. It also leaves background services like Core Sync and various launch agents active. Shared components, including licensing data and common media caches, remain because they are used by other software from the same company.

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: After Effects runs on an Adobe ID subscription through Creative Cloud.

Preparing to remove Adobe After Effects

Before removal, ensure you have archived your work since the app does not store projects in its own system folders. You should manually copy any custom workspaces or keyboard shortcuts found in the preferences directory. Signing out of Creative Cloud is necessary if you intend to move your subscription to another machine.

Collect project files via File > Dependencies > Collect Files.Empty the disk cache in Settings > Media & Disk Cache.Copy custom workspaces and keyboard shortcuts from the preferences folder.Sign out of Creative Cloud to free the license activation.

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By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	9 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

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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. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower. Folders marked “Yes, settings reset” hold settings, which return to their defaults.

How do I remove the Creative Cloud background helpers?

These services stay until you use the separate Creative Cloud Uninstaller tool.

Where are my auto-saved projects stored?

They are located in an Adobe After Effects Auto-Save folder next to your project file.