Photo & Design
How to Completely Uninstall Lightroom Classic on Mac
To remove Lightroom Classic, use the uninstaller within the Creative Cloud desktop app under Apps > the app's menu > Uninstall. Dragging the icon to the Trash only removes the application binary, leaving behind associated data and background services.
Remove Lightroom Classic and everything it leaves behind
Lightroom Classic data usually takes 5 GB – 200 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.
Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+
OptiClear is a Mac app. Copy this page's link and open it on your Mac.
Email me the link- Application
- Lightroom Classic
- Typical data size
- 5 GB – 200 GB
- Category
- Photo & Design
- File Location
~/Pictures/Lightroom
Lightroom Classic has its own uninstaller
- Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
- Uninstall it from the Creative Cloud desktop app (Apps > the app's menu > Uninstall); removing the Creative Cloud app itself needs Adobe's separate Creative Cloud Uninstaller.
- Remove the folders Lightroom Classic left behind, listed in the table below.
- Empty the Trash to free up the space.
Everything Lightroom Classic keeps on your Mac
11 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.
Locations are the standard macOS folders Lightroom Classic uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.
What remains after removing Lightroom Classic
Specific to Lightroom Classic
Moving the app to the Trash preserves your catalogs, previews, presets, and plugins across several folders. Background helpers like Core Sync and Adobe Desktop Service remain active because they are shared with other Adobe software. Licensing data and shared libraries also persist since they are utilized by multiple applications. Deleting the app itself does not touch these directories or your original photos.
- Background items
- Creative Cloud installs background services such as Adobe Desktop Service, Core Sync and the Creative Cloud launch agents, which stay until Creative Cloud itself is removed.
- License
- The subscription is tied to your Adobe ID; signing out of Creative Cloud frees the activation for another computer.
- Account and sync
- Lightroom Classic needs an Adobe ID subscription; photos stay local unless synced.
Preparing to uninstall Lightroom Classic
Before removal, manage your data which typically ranges from 5 GB – 200 GB. Since edits are stored in the catalog rather than the photos, this file is critical to preserve. You should also address large preview bundles that grow after building 1:1 previews. Signing out of Creative Cloud ensures the subscription activation is freed for another computer.
0 of 4 done
By hand or with OptiClear
| By hand | With OptiClear | |
|---|---|---|
| Places to check | 11 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
Try it without risk
- Download and scan for freeSee every Lightroom Classic 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.
After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.