# What Application Data Does Mole's Uninstaller Remove? Complete Technical Breakdown > Mole's uninstaller removes caches preferences Application Support files LaunchAgents Dock icons and Homebrew cask artifacts. Get a complete breakdown of what Mole uninstaller removes. - Repository: [Tw93/Mole](https://github.com/tw93/Mole) - Tags: deep-dive - Published: 2026-03-20 --- **Mole's uninstaller removes every trace of macOS applications including user caches, preferences, Application Support files, system-level LaunchAgents, Launch Services registrations, Dock icons, and Homebrew cask artifacts while strictly validating paths to prevent system damage.** Mole is an open-source macOS application management tool that provides comprehensive uninstall capabilities. When you need to know what application data does Mole's uninstaller remove, the answer spans both user-level directories and system-wide frameworks, ensuring complete cleanup of residual files that standard macOS uninstallation leaves behind. ## User-Level Application Data Mole targets every user-specific directory where macOS applications store data. In [`lib/core/app_protection.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/core/app_protection.sh), the `find_app_files()` function scans approximately 30 distinct locations to identify application artifacts. ### Standard macOS Directories The uninstaller removes files from these **user library locations**: - `~/Library/Application Support//` - `~/Library/Caches//` - `~/Library/Logs//` - `~/Library/Saved Application State/.savedState/` - `~/Library/Containers//` - `~/Library/WebKit//` - `~/Library/HTTPStorages//` - `~/Library/Cookies/.binarycookies` - `~/Library/LaunchAgents/` (matching plist files) - `~/Library/Application Scripts//` - `~/Library/Services/` - `~/Library/QuickLook/` - `~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/` - `~/Library/PreferencePanes/` - `~/Library/Input Methods/` - `~/Library/Screen Savers/` - `~/Library/Frameworks/` - `~/Library/Autosave Information/` - `~/Library/Contextual Menu Items/` - `~/Library/Spotlight/` - `~/Library/ColorPickers/` - `~/Library/Workflows/` ### Cross-Platform Configuration Files Mole also cleans **Unix-style configuration directories** that many cross-platform apps utilize: - `~/.config//` - `~/.local/share//` - Hidden dot-files in the home directory matching the app name or bundle ID ## System-Level Files For applications that install global components, Mole's `find_app_system_files()` function in [`lib/core/app_protection.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/core/app_protection.sh) (lines 1240-1248) targets system-wide directories. ### Global Library Locations The uninstaller removes files from these **system library paths** when they match the target application: - `/Library/Application Support//` - `/Library/LaunchAgents/` (system-wide user agents) - `/Library/LaunchDaemons/` (system services) - `/Library/Preferences/` (global preferences) - `/Library/Receipts/` (installer receipts) - `/Library/Frameworks/` - `/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/` - `/Library/Input Methods/` - `/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/` - `/Library/QuickLook/` - `/Library/PreferencePanes/` - `/Library/Screen Savers/` - `/Library/Caches/` ## Runtime and Service Registrations Beyond static files, Mole scrubs **live system registrations** that persist after an app is deleted from disk. ### Launch Services Database In [`lib/uninstall/batch.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/uninstall/batch.sh), the `unregister_app_bundle()` function (lines 22-31) removes the app's entry from the Launch Services database. This eliminates the app from the "Open With" menu and removes stale Spotlight references. ### Launch Agents and Daemons The `stop_launch_services()` function (lines 84-90) unloads matching `plist` files from `launchctl` before deleting them, preventing "file not found" errors in system logs and ensuring background processes terminate cleanly. ### Login Items and Dock Mole removes the app from the user's **Login Items** via `remove_login_item()` (lines 71-78) and cleans stale icons from the **Dock** using `remove_apps_from_dock()` in [`lib/core/common.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/core/common.sh) (lines 44-78). ### Preference Domains The uninstaller deletes the app's **defaults domains** (including ByHost variants) to remove all `NSUserDefaults` entries and cached preferences. ## Homebrew Cask Integration For apps installed via Homebrew, Mole delegates to `brew uninstall --cask --zap` through the `brew_uninstall_cask()` function in [`lib/uninstall/brew.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/uninstall/brew.sh) (lines 79-97). This ensures Homebrew's metadata, download caches, and associated caveats are cleaned alongside the application bundle, providing a more thorough removal than simple file deletion alone. ## Safety and Validation Mechanisms Mole implements **path validation** to prevent accidental deletion of system files. The `validate_path_for_deletion()` helper in [`lib/core/app_protection.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/core/app_protection.sh) blocks paths matching `/System/*`, `/usr/*`, `/private/*`, and other protected locations. All deletions flow through `safe_remove` and `safe_sudo_remove` wrappers that verify file ownership and bundle ID matches before execution. ## Practical Usage Examples ### Interactive Uninstall Launch the TUI to select apps visually: ```bash mo uninstall ``` ### Preview Before Deletion Use dry-run mode to see exactly what application data Mole's uninstaller would remove without actually deleting anything: ```bash mo uninstall --dry-run ``` ### Uninstall Specific Paths Target an app directly by path: ```bash mo uninstall /Applications/SomeApp.app ``` ### Batch Uninstall via Script Programmatically remove multiple apps matching a pattern: ```bash #!/usr/bin/env bash apps=$(mo list --json | jq -r '.[] | select(.name|contains("Chrome")) | .path') for app in $apps; do mo uninstall "$app" done ``` ## Summary - Mole's uninstaller removes **user-level files** from `~/Library/` subdirectories including Caches, Preferences, Application Support, and Containers. - It cleans **system-level files** from `/Library/` including LaunchDaemons, LaunchAgents, and global Frameworks. - It unregisters **Launch Services** entries, removes **Login Items**, clears **Dock icons**, and stops running **launchctl** services. - For **Homebrew Cask** installations, it invokes `brew uninstall --cask --zap` for complete metadata cleanup. - All operations include **path validation** to protect system directories and provide **dry-run** capability for safe preview. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does Mole's uninstaller remove system files or only user data? Mole removes **both** user and system files, but only those specifically associated with the target application. The `find_app_system_files()` function in [`lib/core/app_protection.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/core/app_protection.sh) targets system-wide directories like `/Library/LaunchDaemons` and `/Library/Frameworks`, while strict validation prevents deletion of critical OS paths like `/System` or `/usr`. ### Is it safe to use Mole's uninstaller on system applications? No, Mole explicitly **blocks** the uninstallation of system applications. The `validate_path_for_deletion()` helper and related safety functions in [`lib/core/app_protection.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/core/app_protection.sh) reject paths matching `/System/*`, `/usr/*`, and other protected locations. This prevents accidental removal of macOS components while allowing thorough cleaning of third-party apps. ### Can I preview what files will be deleted before running the uninstaller? Yes, Mole provides a **dry-run mode** via the `--dry-run` flag. When invoked as `mo uninstall --dry-run`, the tool executes the full discovery logic—including `find_app_files()` and `find_app_system_files()`—but replaces all deletion operations with debug logs. The final output includes a summary of prospective disk space reclamation without modifying any files. ### Does Mole handle Homebrew Cask installations differently from regular apps? Yes, Mole detects Homebrew Cask installations and delegates to `brew uninstall --cask --zap` through the `brew_uninstall_cask()` function in [`lib/uninstall/brew.sh`](https://github.com/tw93/Mole/blob/main/lib/uninstall/brew.sh). This ensures that Homebrew's metadata, download caches, and associated caveats are cleaned alongside the application bundle, providing a more thorough removal than simple file deletion alone.