Security

How to Completely Uninstall Bitwarden on Mac

To remove Bitwarden, quit the app and drag it to the Trash. However, this action alone does not delete the associated data folders or configuration files from your system.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

Remove Bitwarden and everything it leaves behind

Bitwarden data usually takes 100 MB – 500 MB 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: Bitwarden
Typical data size: 100 MB – 500 MB
Category: Security
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Bitwarden

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything Bitwarden keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Application Support/Bitwarden App data · encrypted vault cache, settings and Electron cache Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Containers/com.bitwarden.desktop Sandbox container · data for the App Store version of the app Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Application Support/Bitwarden/Cache Cache · Electron web cache (direct download) Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Bitwarden/Code Cache Cache · compiled JavaScript cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Bitwarden/GPUCache Cache · GPU shader cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Preferences/com.bitwarden.desktop.plist Settings · app preferences (direct download) Yes, settings reset

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

What Bitwarden leaves behind

Specific to Bitwarden

Because it is an Electron app, the software stores an encrypted vault cache and settings in either Application Support or a sandbox container depending on the installation source. These folders, totaling 100 MB – 500 MB, remain on your Mac even after the application icon is deleted. You must manually navigate to the hidden ~/Library folder using Finder > Go > Go to Folder to remove them.

Background items: Browser biometric unlock relies on the desktop app, so the extension falls back to password unlock once the app is removed.
Account and sync: Your vault lives in your Bitwarden account or self-hosted server; the desktop app keeps an encrypted local copy.

Preparing to remove Bitwarden

Your vault resides in your account or a self-hosted server, but the app maintains a local encrypted copy. Removing the software disables browser biometric unlock, forcing extensions to fall back to password authentication. Ensure you have recorded any custom server details before proceeding with the deletion.

Export your vault via File > Export vault for an offline backupNote your server URL if using a self-hosted instanceRemove the browser extension separately from each browserQuit the app before deleting its files

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	3 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 Bitwarden file and its size. No account needed.
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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

Yes. 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. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Bitwarden is installed, so remove them after the app.

Will my passwords be deleted from the cloud?

No, because your vault lives in your account or self-hosted server rather than solely on the app.

Why does my browser extension now ask for a password?

Biometric unlock relies on the desktop app, so the extension reverts to password unlock once it is removed.