Gaming
How to Completely Uninstall Steam on Mac
To uninstall Steam completely, you must manually remove its support folders and login agents because dragging the app icon to the Trash leaves several gigabytes of data behind. These remaining files contain your installed games, account settings, and cached content.
Remove Steam and everything it leaves behind
Steam data usually takes 5 GB – 500 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
- Steam
- Typical data size
- 5 GB – 500 GB
- Category
- Gaming
- File Location
~/Library/Application Support/Steam
Manual cleanup steps
- Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
- Move Steam from the Applications folder to the Trash.
- Remove the folders Steam left behind, listed in the table below.
- Empty the Trash to free up the space.
Everything Steam keeps on your Mac
2 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.
Locations are the standard macOS folders Steam uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.
What Steam leaves behind
Specific to Steam
Dragging the application to the Trash does not remove the associated data folders, which typically occupy 5 GB – 500 GB. This includes the core client bundle, all installed games, and personal account data like screenshots. Additionally, a login agent called com.valvesoftware.steamclean.plist remains in LaunchAgents to run a content clean-up tool.
- Background items
- Steam adds a login agent (com.valvesoftware.steamclean) that runs its content clean-up tool and stays in LaunchAgents if only the app is deleted.
- Account and sync
- Games are licensed to your Steam account and can be downloaded again; saves are only safe if the game uses Steam Cloud or you back them up.
Preparing to remove Steam
Since everything is kept within one Application Support folder, deleting it removes all games and any local saves not synced to the cloud. You should identify which titles lack Steam Cloud support and manually back up those saves from Application Support or Documents. Also note any library folders located on external drives, as they reside outside the primary directory.
0 of 4 done
By hand or with OptiClear
| By hand | With OptiClear | |
|---|---|---|
| Places to check | 2 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 Steam 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.