Browsers

How to Completely Uninstall Brave Browser on Mac

To remove Brave Browser, drag the application icon from your Applications folder to the Trash. However, this action alone does not remove your personal data or system files, which typically occupy 300 MB – 3 GB.

Last updated: November 1, 20263 min read

Remove Brave Browser and everything it leaves behind

Brave Browser data usually takes 300 MB – 3 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: Brave Browser
Typical data size: 300 MB – 3 GB
Category: Browsers
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything Brave Browser keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser App data · profiles, history, bookmarks, passwords, cookies, extensions and wallet Back up first: your data~/Library/Caches/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser Cache · web page, image and script cache for each profile Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Caches/com.brave.Browser Cache · app-level cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Preferences/com.brave.Browser.plist Settings · app-level settings Yes, settings reset~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.brave.Browser Network cookies · network cookies used by the app itself Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/WebKit/com.brave.Browser Web data · WebKit data used by the app itself Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Applications/Brave Browser Apps.localized Other · web apps installed from Brave as Mac apps Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/GPUCache Cache · GPU shader cache of the default profile (each profile has one) Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Service Worker/CacheStorage Cache · offline caches stored by websites through service workers Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations checked on a Mac with Brave Browser installed.

What remains after removing Brave Browser

Specific to Brave Browser

Dragging the app to the Trash leaves behind support folders, preferences, and various caches. These include your profiles, history, bookmarks, and the integrated crypto wallet. Because macOS separates binary files from user data, these directories remain in your Library until you manually delete them.

Account and sync: Brave has no account login; Brave Sync links devices with a sync chain code, so data not in a sync chain exists only in the local profile.

Preparing to uninstall Brave Browser

Since there is no account login, your data exists only locally or within a sync chain. Deleting your profile permanently removes wallet keys unless you have a backup. Ensure all necessary information is exported or synced to another device before proceeding.

Back up your Brave Wallet recovery phraseExport bookmarks and saved passwordsSave your sync chain codeQuit the app completely

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 Brave Browser file and its size. No account needed.
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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 Brave Browser data: back them up before removing them. 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 Brave Browser is installed, so remove them after the app.

Can I recover my wallet after deleting the profile folder?

Only if you have previously backed up your recovery phrase.

Where are the remaining files located since the Library is hidden?

Use Finder > Go > Go to Folder to access the hidden ~/Library directory.