Communication

How to Completely Uninstall Signal on Mac

To uninstall Signal, quit the app and drag it to the Trash. However, this action does not remove your personal data or configuration files, which typically occupy 200 MB – 2 GB.

Last updated: November 1, 20263 min read

Remove Signal and everything it leaves behind

Signal data usually takes 200 MB – 2 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: Signal
Typical data size: 200 MB – 2 GB
Category: Communication
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Signal

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything Signal keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Application Support/Signal App data · encrypted message database, attachments and stickers Back up first: your data~/Library/Preferences/org.whispersystems.signal-desktop.plist Settings · app settings Yes, settings reset~/Library/Saved Application State/org.whispersystems.signal-desktop.savedState Window state · window positions from the last session Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Signal/attachments.noindex App data · received photos, videos and files Back up first: your data~/Library/Application Support/Signal/Code Cache Cache · compiled JavaScript cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Signal/GPUCache Cache · GPU shader cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Signal/logs Logs · Signal app logs Yes, rebuilt automatically

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

What Signal leaves behind

Specific to Signal

Dragging the app to the Trash preserves your encrypted message database, attachments, and settings in separate system folders. These directories remain on your Mac because they contain your own data rather than application code. While some items like caches and logs rebuild automatically, the core message history stays until you manually delete the associated Library folders.

Background items: The key for the encrypted database is kept in your login keychain, so copying the folder alone does not make the messages readable elsewhere.
Account and sync: Signal Desktop is linked to the phone account; messages are stored encrypted on each device, not on Signal's servers.

Preparing to remove Signal

Because the app stores an encrypted local copy of messages that servers do not keep, deleting its folders removes them from this Mac permanently. You should secure any necessary files before proceeding. Access the hidden directory via Finder > Go > Go to Folder using the path ~/Library.

Save attachments from chats you wish to keepUnlink the Mac from Linked devices using your phoneQuit the app completely

0 of 3 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 Signal 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 Signal 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.

Can I read my messages on another computer by copying the data folder?

No, because the encryption key is stored in your login keychain and not within the folder.

Will my messages reappear if I reinstall the app later?

Messages received only on this Mac will not return if their local folders were deleted.