[3 Ways] How to Completely Uninstall Bitdefender on Mac

Bitdefender proves to be the best antivirus utility. However, it no longer supports the free version, and now you can only try it free for up to 30 days.

If you're having trouble using Bitdefender or don't want to subscribe to its paid plan after the 30-day free trial, read this blog to learn how to completely uninstall it on your Mac.

How to Officially Uninstall Bitdefender on Mac

The most effective way to remove Bitdefender from your Mac is to use its built-in uninstaller, Bitdefender Uninstaller.

Here are the steps:

1. Open Finder.
2. Click Applications and locate the Bitdefender folder.
3. Open it, and you will see a program named BitdefenderUninstaller, double click to open it.

   

4. Follow the prompts to choose to remove Antivirus and VPN, or VPN only.

   

5. Click Uninstall, enter your administrator password when prompted, and wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
6. When finished, click Close.

   

   This method leaves traces on your Mac. The files left behind are located in the following file paths. All you need to do is use the Finder to find and delete them.

• /Library/Application Support/Bitdefender
• /Library/Application Support/Antivus for Mac
• /Library/Extensions/FileProtect.kext
• /Library/Extensions/SelfProtect.kext
• /Library/Extensions/TMProtection.kext

  

How to Completely Uninstall Bitdefender on Mac

If you find the above method cumbersome and want to try a faster way to remove Bitdefender from your Mac, use BuhoCleaner, a handy Mac app uninstaller. It allows you to completely delete any unwanted app with one click, including annoying antivirus software such as Bitdefender, Kaspersky and​ Avast.

Here's how to uninstall Bitdefender on Mac with BuhoCleaner:

1. Download, install, and open BuhoCleaner.
2. Click on App Uninstall option and you will see all installed apps.
3. Click the Search icon in the upper right corner and enter Bitdefender to quickly find all Bitdefender programs.
4. According to your needs, tick the apps you want to delete, and then click the Remove button.

How to Uninstall Bitdefender on Mac with Terminal

If you're familiar with Terminal commands, then you can remove Bitdefender from your Mac using Terminal.

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run the command below in Terminal to quit all Bitdefender processes.

sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.bitdefender.*

3. Execute the following commands one by one.

• sudo rm -rf /Library/Bitdefender/
• sudo rm -rf /Applications/Bitdefender/
• sudo rm -rf /Library/LaunchAgents/com.bitdefender.*
• sudo rm -rf /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.bitdefender.*
• sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.bitdefender.*
• sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.bitdefender.*
• sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.bitdefender.*
• sudo rm -rf /var/log/Bitdefender/
• sudo rm -rf /var/db/Bitdefender/
• sudo rm -rf /var/tmp/Bitdefender/
• sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Bitdefender/

4. Run the commands below to make sure all changes take effect immediately.

sudo kextcache -i /

5. Restart your Mac with the command below:

sudo reboot

What to Do if You Can’t Remove Bitdefender from Mac

For security reasons, Apple may protect your Bitdefender files, especially system extensions, from deletion. To successfully uninstall Bitdefender, you should first disable the SIP (System Integrity Protection) feature.

1. Boot your Mac in Recovery mode.
2. Click the Utility at the upper left of your Mac screen, then click Terminal.
3. Run the command: csrutil status, to check the status of SIP. If it is Enabled, continue to run the command: csrutil disable.
4. Restart your Mac and uninstall Bitdefender using one of the ways above.
5. Once done, restart your Mac in Recovery mode again.
6. Repeat step 2 to open the Terminal, run the command: csrutil enable, and restart your Mac.

Conclusion

We hope you have successfully removed Bitdefender from your Mac. If the uninstall fails, don't forget to check if the reason is from SIP.

By the way, BuhoCleaner is more than just an app uninstaller. It's also a Mac cleaner that cleans and boosts your Mac with just a few clicks. Try it yourself.