Office

How to Completely Uninstall Apple Numbers on Mac

To uninstall Apple Numbers, quit the app and drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash. Because it is a sandboxed app, this action alone does not remove its associated data folders or your personal documents.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

Remove Apple Numbers and everything it leaves behind

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

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

Manual cleanup steps

With OptiClear: about 1 minute

Finds every Apple Numbers file in one free scan, shows the sizes and moves only what you pick to the Trash.

Scan your Mac free

By hand

About 9 minutes: find and remove 6 folders one by one.

Show the manual steps

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
Move Apple Numbers from the Applications folder to the Trash.
Remove the folders Apple Numbers left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything Apple Numbers keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Numbers Sandbox container · sandboxed app data: caches, preferences, custom templates and autosaves Back up first: your data~/Library/Application Scripts/com.apple.iWork.Numbers Extension scripts · sandbox script folder created by macOS Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Numbers.NumbersNotificationServiceExtension Sandbox container · notification extension data Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~Numbers Your files · Numbers spreadsheets in iCloud Drive; deleting here deletes them in iCloud Back up first: your data~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iWork.Numbers/Data/Library/Autosave Information Other · autosaved copies of untitled spreadsheets you never saved Back up first: your data~/Library/Group Containers/74J34U3R6X.com.apple.iWork Shared container · data shared by Pages, Numbers and Keynote Only if no other app uses it

Locations checked on a Mac with Apple Numbers installed.

What Apple Numbers leaves behind

Specific to Apple Numbers

Dragging the app to the Trash preserves your spreadsheets in iCloud Drive and various system folders. It leaves behind sandboxed data including preferences, custom templates, and autosaves of untitled spreadsheets. Background items like the notification service extension and scripts also remain. Additionally, a group container shared with Pages and Keynote stays on your disk; keep this if you still use either of those apps.

Account and sync: Numbers is free with an Apple Account; spreadsheets saved to iCloud Drive stay in iCloud after the app is removed.

Preparing to remove Apple Numbers

Before deletion, ensure all work is properly stored because some files exist only as temporary autosaves. Your local data typically occupies 200 MB – 2 GB. Since the app is free with an Apple Account, you can download it again later if needed. To find remaining files after uninstalling, use Finder > Go > Go to Folder to access the hidden ~/Library directory.

Save any untitled spreadsheets currently open in the appExport necessary spreadsheets to PDF or Office formatsSave copies of your custom templatesVerify all important spreadsheets are in iCloud Drive or Documents

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	5 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 Apple Numbers 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.

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

Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Folders marked “Back up first: your data” hold your own Apple Numbers data: back them up before removing them. 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 Apple Numbers is installed, so remove them after the app.

Will my spreadsheets disappear from iCloud Drive if I delete Apple Numbers?

No, spreadsheets saved to iCloud Drive stay there even after the app is removed.

Does emptying the Trash remove my custom templates?

No, custom templates are stored in the app container and must be removed separately.