Developer Tools

How to Completely Uninstall Yarn on Mac

To uninstall Yarn, quit the app and move it to the Trash. However, dragging the application icon alone does not remove the associated developer tool data, which typically occupies 500 MB – 10 GB.

Last updated: November 1, 20262 min read

Remove Yarn and everything it leaves behind

Yarn data usually takes 500 MB – 10 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: Yarn
Typical data size: 500 MB – 10 GB
Category: Developer Tools
File Location: ~/Library/Caches/Yarn

Manual cleanup steps

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

Everything Yarn keeps on your Mac

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

~/Library/Caches/Yarn Cache · Yarn 1 (classic) global package cache Yes, rebuilt automatically~/.yarn/berry Cache · Yarn 2 and later global cache and metadata Yes, rebuilt automatically~/.config/yarn/global App data · Yarn 1 global packages Yes, once the app is gone

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

What Yarn leaves behind

Specific to Yarn

Moving the app to the Trash preserves global package caches, metadata, and settings folders. Because different versions store data in separate locations, including ~/Library/Caches/Yarn for classic versions, multiple directories may remain on your Mac. These items stay on your disk until you manually delete their respective folders.

License: Yarn is free and open source.
Account and sync: An npm registry account is only needed to publish packages.

Preparing to remove Yarn

Before deletion, identify any globally installed packages you wish to keep. Ensure you have backed up configuration files containing registry tokens. Verify if your projects rely on Plug and Play, as the cache serves as part of the installation in those cases.

Save .yarnrc or .yarnrc.yml files holding registry settings or tokensNote all currently installed global packagesCheck if active projects utilize Plug and PlayQuit the app before removing its files

0 of 4 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 Yarn file and its size. No account needed.
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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

Yes. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Yarn is installed, so remove them after the app.

Will deleting the app remove my project node_modules?

No, project dependencies live within the project folders and are not deleted by removing the app.

Do I need to deactivate my npm registry account?

An account is only required to publish packages and does not need deactivation for uninstallation.