Cloud Storage

How to Completely Uninstall Dropbox on Mac

To uninstall the app, quit it and drag the icon to the Trash. This process removes the application but leaves behind configuration data and your synced files.

Last updated: November 1, 20263 min read

Remove Dropbox and everything it leaves behind

Dropbox data usually takes 500 MB – 10 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

Scan your Mac free

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

Application: Dropbox
Typical data size: 500 MB – 10 GB
Category: Cloud Storage
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Dropbox

Manual cleanup steps

With OptiClear: about 1 minute

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

Scan your Mac free

By hand

About 8 minutes: find and remove 5 folders one by one.

Show the manual steps

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

Everything Dropbox keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Application Support/Dropbox App data · app data, sync state and logs Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox Your files · your synced Dropbox folder Back up first: your data~/.dropbox Other · account link, instance data and sync database Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Containers/com.getdropbox.dropbox.fileprovider Sandbox container · File Provider extension data used for syncing Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Preferences/com.getdropbox.dropbox.plist Settings · app preferences Yes, settings reset

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

What Dropbox leaves behind

Specific to Dropbox

Dragging the app to the Trash does not remove your personal documents or system settings. It leaves background items like the Finder integration and File Provider extension, along with preference files and cached data ranging from 500 MB – 10 GB. These remain in various Library folders and the home directory until you manually delete them.

Background items: Dropbox adds a Finder integration and a File Provider extension that macOS manages.
Account and sync: Files are stored in your Dropbox account; online-only files are not on the Mac at all.

Preparing to remove Dropbox

Since online-only files occupy no space on your Mac, you must ensure necessary data is available locally before removal. Deleting the synced folder located at ~/Library/CloudStorage without unlinking your account first can remove files from the cloud. Always verify that the final sync has completed to avoid losing recent edits.

Download files needed offline or copy them outside the synced folderVerify the last sync finished to upload recent editsUnlink this Mac within the app settingsQuit the app before moving it to the Trash

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 Dropbox 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.

Download free and scan

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 Dropbox data: back them up before removing them. Folders marked “Yes, settings reset” hold settings, which return to their defaults. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Dropbox is installed, so remove them after the app.

Will my files disappear from the cloud if I delete the local folder?

Yes, deleting that folder without unlinking the account first can remove files from the cloud.

Why are some files still taking up space after I delete the app?

The app leaves behind sync databases, logs, and extensions that must be removed separately.