How to Completely Uninstall TeamViewer on Mac

This guide walks you through removing TeamViewer from your Mac completely, including the app, its helper tools, and leftover files. By the end, you’ll have a clean system with no traces of TeamViewer left behind. You’ll need admin access to your Mac and, if you have an active TeamViewer session, make sure you can still control the computer locally.

What You’ll Need

• Administrator account on your Mac
• Finder and Terminal (both built-in)
• Time to restart your Mac after removal

Step-by-Step

1. Quit TeamViewer completely. Right-click the TeamViewer icon in the menu bar (top-right) and choose “Quit TeamViewer.� If it’s not there, press Cmd+Q while the app is active.
2. Move the app to Trash. Open Finder, go to the Applications folder, find TeamViewer.app, and drag it to the Trash. You may be prompted for your admin password.
3. Remove the helper tool. TeamViewer installs a background helper that runs even when the app is closed. Open Terminal (in Utilities) and run:
   sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist
   Enter your password when asked. If the file doesn’t exist, skip this step.
4. Delete the launch daemon and agent files. In Terminal, run:
   sudo rm -f /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist /Library/LaunchAgents/com.teamviewer.teamviewer_desktop.plist
   This removes the auto-start entries.
5. Remove application support files. In Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G and go to ~/Library/Application Support/. Delete the TeamViewer folder if it exists. Also check /Library/Application Support/ for a TeamViewer folder and delete it.
6. Clean up preferences and caches. Go to ~/Library/Preferences/ and delete files starting with com.teamviewer. (e.g., com.teamviewer.TeamViewer.plist). Also check ~/Library/Caches/ and ~/Library/Logs/ for any TeamViewer folders and delete them.
7. Remove the TeamViewer folder in /Library/Application Support. If you didn’t do it in step 5, go to /Library/Application Support/ and delete the TeamViewer folder. You’ll need admin rights.
8. Empty the Trash. Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and select “Empty Trash.� Confirm the deletion.
9. Restart your Mac. This ensures any remaining background processes are stopped.
10. Verify removal. After restart, search for “TeamViewer� in Spotlight (Cmd+Space). If nothing appears, the uninstall is complete. Also check the menu bar for any lingering icon.

Common Mistakes

• Only moving the app to Trash. This leaves behind the helper tool and preferences, which can cause pop-ups or auto-start later.
• Forgetting to quit TeamViewer first. If the app is running, some files may be locked and won’t delete.
• Skipping the launch daemon removal. Without this, TeamViewer might still run in the background even after the app is gone.
• Deleting the wrong plist files. Double-check the file names – don’t remove anything that belongs to other software.
• Not restarting. Some processes may remain in memory until you reboot.

Tips

• Use a dedicated uninstaller if you’re unsure – TeamViewer’s own uninstall script can be run from the app’s menu, but it may not remove everything.
• If you’re switching to another remote desktop tool, export your TeamViewer settings first (if you need them) from the app’s preferences.
• After uninstalling, check your login items in System Settings > General > Login Items to ensure no TeamViewer entry remains.
• If you’re on an Apple Silicon Mac, there’s no separate Rosetta component for TeamViewer, but you may have an Intel version – the steps are the same.

Troubleshooting

“Operation not permitted� when deleting files. This usually means you lack admin rights. Make sure you’re logged in as an administrator and use sudo in Terminal for system-level files.

TeamViewer icon still appears in the menu bar after restart. You likely missed a LaunchAgent or a helper app. Re-run the Terminal commands from steps 3 and 4, and check ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ for any com.teamviewer plist files – delete them.

“File in use� error when emptying Trash. Some TeamViewer process may still be running. Open Activity Monitor, search for “TeamViewer,� select any process, and click the X button to force quit. Then empty the Trash again.

Can’t find some folders. Hidden files? In Finder, press Cmd+Shift+. to show hidden files. Or use Terminal with ls -la to list all files in a directory.

TeamViewer still appears in the Applications folder after deletion. You may have dragged it to Trash but not emptied it. Check the Trash and empty it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to uninstall TeamViewer if I just want to stop using it?
A: No, you can simply quit it and remove it from login items. But if you want to free up space and ensure no background processes, a full uninstall is recommended.

Q: Will uninstalling TeamViewer affect my other apps?
A: No, TeamViewer is standalone. Removing it won’t affect other software.

Q: Can I reinstall TeamViewer later after a full uninstall?
A: Yes, you can download it again from the official website. The uninstall doesn’t affect your license or account.

Q: What if I don’t have admin rights?
A: You’ll need an admin password to remove system-level files. If you don’t have it, ask the computer’s administrator to do the uninstall for you.

Q: Is there a built-in uninstaller in TeamViewer?
A: Yes, TeamViewer includes an uninstall option in its menu (TeamViewer > Uninstall). However, it may not remove all user preferences, so manual cleanup is still useful.

Q: How do I know if TeamViewer is completely gone?
A: After restart, search Spotlight for “TeamViewer.� If no results appear and no icon shows in the menu bar, it’s fully removed.

Related

• Windows Settings Reset on Reboot? Fix It
• Fix DISM Error 0x80070057 Access Denied
• How to Restart Outlook: 4 Quick Ways