Virtualization

How to Completely Uninstall VMware Fusion on Mac

To remove VMware Fusion, quit the app and drag it to the Trash. This process removes the application but leaves behind all virtualization data, configuration files, and network helpers.

Last updated: November 1, 20263 min read

Remove VMware Fusion and everything it leaves behind

VMware Fusion data usually takes 10 GB – 500 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: VMware Fusion
Typical data size: 10 GB – 500 GB
Category: Virtualization
File Location: ~/Virtual Machines.localized

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything VMware Fusion keeps on your Mac

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

~/Virtual Machines.localized Your files · virtual machine bundles with disks and snapshots Back up first: your data~/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion Settings · Fusion preferences and network settings Yes, settings reset~/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion App data · Fusion app support data Yes, once the app is gone/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion Settings · system-wide virtual network settings Yes, settings reset/Library/Application Support/VMware App data · system-wide VMware data such as USB rules Only if no other app uses it~/Library/Caches/com.vmware.fusion Cache · Fusion app cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Logs/VMware Logs · Fusion and VM service logs Yes, rebuilt automatically~/Library/Saved Application State/com.vmware.fusion.savedState Window state Yes, rebuilt automatically

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

What remains after removing VMware Fusion

Specific to VMware Fusion

Dragging the app to the Trash preserves your virtual machines and settings folders. It leaves behind preference files, network configurations, and system-wide USB rules in Library folders. Because these items reside outside the application bundle, they remain on your disk until you delete them via Finder > Go > Go to Folder. Your saved data typically occupies 10 GB – 500 GB.

Background items: Fusion installs network services for virtual machine networking that start when the app runs.
License: VMware Fusion Pro is now free for personal and commercial use, so there is no paid license to deactivate.
Account and sync: Downloading Fusion requires a Broadcom account.

Preparing VMware Fusion for removal

Before uninstalling, ensure all guest operating systems are fully shut down rather than suspended. Suspending a machine saves a memory image as large as its RAM to the disk. You should also manage your snapshots to reclaim space, as some can be as large as the virtual disk itself.

Copy necessary files out of each virtual machineDelete unused snapshots to save disk spaceShut down every virtual machine instead of suspending itQuit the app before moving it to the Trash

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	8 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 VMware Fusion 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.

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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 VMware Fusion 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 VMware Fusion is installed, so remove them after the app.

Do I need to deactivate a license before uninstalling?

No, because the Pro version is now free for personal and commercial use.

Will deleting the app remove my .vmwarevm bundles?

No, virtual machine bundles stay in their folder until you remove them separately.