Tasks & Calendar

How to Completely Uninstall Apple Mail on Mac

Apple Mail is part of macOS on the protected system volume and cannot be uninstalled. You can only remove its associated accounts via System Settings > Internet Accounts and manually clear its data.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

Remove Apple Mail and everything it leaves behind

Apple Mail data usually takes 1 GB – 50 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: Apple Mail
Typical data size: 1 GB – 50 GB
Category: Tasks & Calendar
File Location: ~/Library/Mail

Apple Mail has its own uninstaller

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
Mail is part of macOS and cannot be uninstalled; accounts are removed in System Settings > Internet Accounts.
Remove the folders Apple Mail left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything Apple Mail keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Mail App data · mailboxes, downloaded messages and the Envelope Index Back up first: your data~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail Sandbox container · Mail settings and Mail Downloads attachment copies Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Mail Downloads Cache · copies of attachments you opened Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.mail Shared container · data shared between Mail and its extensions Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Group Containers/com.apple.MailPersonaStorage Shared container · cached sender photos and logos Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations checked on a Mac with Apple Mail installed.

What Apple Mail leaves behind

Specific to Apple Mail

Because the app resides on a protected volume, dragging it to the Trash is not possible. Even if you remove account configurations, the app retains local copies of every downloaded message in the Library, which can occupy 1 GB – 50 GB. These include mailboxes, settings, and attachment copies stored in separate container and group folders. Removing the app configuration does not delete these folders or your personal documents.

Account and sync: IMAP, iCloud and Exchange mail stays on the server and downloads again; POP mail and On My Mac mailboxes exist only here.

Preparing to remove Apple Mail data

Before deleting data folders, identify which accounts use POP, as that mail exists only locally. Messages using IMAP, iCloud, or Exchange remain on the server and will download again later. To avoid permanent loss, manually back up any content stored in local mailboxes. Ensure you quit the app before modifying any files in the hidden ~/Library folder.

Export On My Mac mailboxes via Mailbox > Export MailboxCheck for POP accounts to ensure local mail is backed upRemove email accounts in System Settings > Internet AccountsQuit the app before deleting Library folders

0 of 4 done

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 Apple Mail file and its size. No account needed.
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Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Folders marked “Back up first: your data” hold your own Apple Mail data: back them up before removing them. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Apple Mail is installed, so remove them after the app.

Will my emails disappear if I delete the ~/Library/Mail folder?

IMAP, iCloud, and Exchange mail will stay on the server, but POP and On My Mac mailboxes will be permanently lost.

Why is the Mail folder taking up so much space?

The app keeps a full local copy of every downloaded message, which often reaches several gigabytes.