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How to Completely Uninstall Surfshark on Mac

To remove Surfshark, quit the app and drag it to the Trash. This process removes the application but leaves behind system configurations and local data folders.

Last updated: 2 min read

Remove Surfshark and everything it leaves behind

Surfshark data usually takes 100 MB – 1 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
Surfshark
Typical data size
100 MB – 1 GB
Category
VPN
File Location
~/Library/Application Support/Surfshark

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything Surfshark keeps on your Mac

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

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

What Surfshark leaves behind

Specific to Surfshark

Dragging the app to the Trash does not delete its support folders, which typically occupy 100 MB – 1 GB. It also leaves a VPN configuration and network extension registered in macOS. These remaining items include the kill switch settings and app data located in ~/Library/Application Support/Surfshark. Because these persist, they can continue to affect your network connection.

Background items
The app adds a VPN configuration and network extension to macOS that stay registered until the app is removed.
Account and sync
Your subscription belongs to your Surfshark account and is not cancelled by deleting the app.

Preparing to remove Surfshark

Before deletion, ensure all active network modifications are disabled to avoid connectivity issues. You should sign out of your account within the interface first. Since the app modifies system-level network extensions, manual cleanup in System Settings may be required after the main binary is gone. Remember that your subscription remains active regardless of whether the software is installed.

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

By handWith OptiClear
File sizesYou look them up yourselfShown for every item
Removing the wrong thingEasy to delete the wrong folderGoes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
CostFreeScan 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

  1. Download and scan for freeSee every Surfshark file and its size. No account needed.
  2. Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
  3. 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

Yes. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Surfshark is installed, so remove them after the app.
Will deleting the app cancel my subscription?
No, your subscription belongs to your account and is not cancelled by removing the software.
Why is my internet behaving strangely after I trashed the app?
The VPN configuration and kill switch settings stay registered until they are removed separately.

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