How to Completely Uninstall Anaconda on Mac: Step by Step

Installing Anaconda on a Mac is easy, but it can be complicated to get rid of it, let alone clean up all traces it left on your internal drive. Here, in this blog, we will show you how to uninstall Anaconda from your Mac step by step.

How to Completely Uninstall Anaconda on Mac: The Easiest Way

Uninstalling Anaconda is easy if you have the right tool in hand. BuhoCleaner is ready to help. It lets you remove the Anaconda application and its associated files with just a few clicks. If you are not a seasoned Mac user, using BuhoCleaner to remove Anaconda may be your best choice.

Here's how to uninstall Anaconda with BuhoCleaner:

1. Download, install, and launch BuhoCleaner.
2. Click "App Uninstall" in the sidebar and you will find all apps installed on your Mac.
3. Find Anaconda in the results list, check it, and click the "Remove" button.

   

How to Manually Uninstall Anaconda on Mac with Terminal

According to the official, you have two options to uninstall Anaconda on your Mac. One is simple removal, and the other is complete removal. The former will delete the entire Anaconda directory only, while the latter will completely uninstall Anaconda and all its related files.

How to Do a Simple Remove:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type and run the command: cd ~ ; rm -rf anaconda3 to remove the entire Anaconda directory.

How to Do a Full Remove:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type in the command: conda install anaconda-clean and press the Return key to install the Anaconda-Clean package.
3.  Then enter and run one of the following commands to remove Anaconda-related files and directories.
   • anaconda-clean 
   • anaconda-clean --yes
4. Type and run the command: cd ~ ; rm -rf anaconda3.
5. The last step is to remove the backups of Anaconda-Clean. Just run the command below into Terminal: cd ~ ; rm -rf .anaconda_backup.

How to Manually Uninstall Anaconda on Mac with Finder

1. Open Activity Monitor and quit all the processes of Anaconda.
2. Open Finder and find Anaconda in Applications.
3. Right-click on the Anaconda icon, select "Show Original", and drag "Anaconda Navigator" to the trash.
4. In the Applications folder, find the Anaconda Navigator icon and drag it to the trash.

   

5. Click the "Go" menu in Finder and choose "Go to Folder".
6. Type the following paths to find and delete all files related to Anaconda.
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda-client.bom
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda-client.plist
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda-navigator.bom
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda-navigator.plist
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda-project.bom
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda-project.plist
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda.bom
   • ~/Library/Receipts/io.continuum.pkg.anaconda.plist 
7. Even if you have completed the above steps, there is no guarantee that all relevant files will be deleted. You'd better check the following folders to remove all the Anaconda-associated files.
   • ~/Library/Containers/
   • ~/Library/Application Support/
   • ~/Library/Logs/
   • ~/Library/Application Scripts/
   • ~/Library/Caches/
   • ~/Library/Preferences/
8. Empty your Trash.

Bonus Tip: How to Remove Anaconda PATH from .bash_profile

After deleting Anaconda and its related files, you may also want to remove its path from the .bash-profile. Here's what you need to do:

1. Open Terminal via Spotlight or Launchpad.
2. Enter and run the command: cd ~.
3. Type and run the command: open .bash_profile.
4. Delete the content in the red box in the picture, and then save the file.

5. Back to the Terminal, type and run the command: source ~/.bash_profile.

Conclusion

As you can see, uninstalling Anaconda using BuhoCleaner is easy and quick. If you don't want to spend a lot of time dealing with commands and related files, let BuhoCleaner do it for you.

By the way, BuhoCleaner is also equipped with other practical tools, such as junk cleaner, duplicate file and large file finder, and startup program manager. Give it a try now.