Browsers

How to Completely Uninstall Microsoft Edge on Mac

To remove Microsoft Edge, quit the app and drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash. This action removes the application but does not delete associated data folders or background helpers.

Last updated: November 1, 20263 min read

Remove Microsoft Edge and everything it leaves behind

Microsoft Edge data usually takes 400 MB – 4 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: Microsoft Edge
Typical data size: 400 MB – 4 GB
Category: Browsers
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything Microsoft Edge keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge App data · profiles, history, favorites, passwords, cookies and extensions Back up first: your data~/Library/Caches/Microsoft Edge Cache · web page, image and script cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.edgemac.plist Settings · app-level settings Yes, settings reset/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0 Other · Microsoft AutoUpdate, shared with Office and other Microsoft apps Only if no other app uses it~/Applications/Edge Apps.localized Other · web apps installed from Edge as Mac apps Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default/GPUCache Cache · GPU shader cache of the default profile (each profile has one) Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default/Service Worker/CacheStorage Cache · offline caches stored by websites through service workers Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/EdgeUpdater Other · Edge updater files and logs Yes, once the app is gone

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

What Microsoft Edge leaves behind

Specific to Microsoft Edge

Dragging the app to the Trash leaves behind profiles, history, and passwords in Application Support. It also retains the disk cache, app-level settings, and web apps installed as Mac apps. Background components like EdgeUpdater or the shared Microsoft AutoUpdate remain on your system. These leftover files typically occupy between 400 MB – 4 GB.

Background items: Newer Edge builds update themselves through an EdgeUpdater folder, while older installs used Microsoft AutoUpdate, which is shared with Office; both stay after Edge is removed.
Account and sync: Signing in with a Microsoft account syncs favorites, passwords, history and extensions; local-only profiles exist only on this Mac.

Preparing to uninstall Microsoft Edge

Because the browser is Chromium-based, profiles reside in one folder while the cache lives in another. Local-only profiles exist only on this Mac and will be lost if their folder is deleted later. Ensure all necessary information is synced to a Microsoft account or exported manually. You should keep the shared auto-update folder if you use other software from the same company.

Sign in to sync favorites, passwords, and history to your accountExport favorites to an HTML file and save passwords locallyQuit the app completely before moving it to the Trash

0 of 3 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	6 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

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Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Folders marked “Back up first: your data” hold your own Microsoft Edge 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. 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 Microsoft Edge is installed, so remove them after the app.

Will removing the app delete my bookmarks and passwords?

No, these are stored in a separate Application Support folder that stays until removed manually.

Can I delete the Microsoft AutoUpdate folder?

Only if you have uninstalled all other apps from the same company that share it.