Developer IDEs

How to Completely Uninstall Sublime Text on Mac

To remove the app, drag it from Applications to the Trash. This action alone does not delete your personal data, settings, or licenses, which remain stored in system folders.

Last updated: November 1, 20263 min read

Remove Sublime Text and everything it leaves behind

Sublime Text data usually takes 200 MB – 2 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: Sublime Text
Typical data size: 200 MB – 2 GB
Category: Developer IDEs
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything Sublime Text keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text App data · Packages, installed packages, settings, session and license Back up first: your data~/Library/Caches/com.sublimetext.4 Cache · syntax and index cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Preferences/com.sublimetext.4.plist Settings · macOS-level app preferences Yes, settings reset~/Library/Saved Application State/com.sublimetext.4.savedState Window state · window positions from the last session Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text/Local App data · session and hot-exit copies of unsaved files Back up first: your data~/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text/Installed Packages App data · packages installed by Package Control Yes, once the app is gone

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

What happens when you trash Sublime Text

Specific to Sublime Text

Dragging the app to the Trash leaves behind several directories containing between 200 MB – 2 GB of data. These include your license, custom settings, and installed packages. While syntax and index caches are rebuilt automatically, other folders hold unique user configurations and unsaved work that persist until manually deleted.

License: Sublime Text is sold with a license key; it can be evaluated without one.

Preparing to uninstall Sublime Text

Quit the app before removing any files. Because hot exit stores unsaved tabs only in the session file, you must save them manually first. You should also secure your license key and back up the Packages/User directory to preserve your snippets and key bindings. Finally, remember to remove the subl command link if you previously created one.

Save all unsaved tabs currently open in the appBack up the Packages/User folder containing your settings and snippetsCopy your license key from the Local folderRemove the subl command link from your system

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	4 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 Sublime Text 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 Sublime Text 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. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Sublime Text is installed, so remove them after the app.

Where is the license key stored?

It is located within the Local folder inside the application support directory.

How do I find the hidden Library folders?

Use Finder > Go > Go to Folder to access the ~/Library path.