How to Uninstall Adobe Illustrator On Mac (Full Guide)

author avatarTodor Pichurov Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Before we dive in

Trying to uninstall an app completely? SpyHunter for Mac includes an App Uninstaller that removes unwanted apps and their leftover files in just a few clicks.

Avoid clutter and save time — download SpyHunter right here and follow the steps to clean up your system.

Download SpyHunter

Thinking of removing Adobe Illustrator from your Mac but unsure how? This guide will walk you through the process of uninstalling Illustrator.

Whether you’re freeing up disk space or switching to a different design software, this article will provide you with clear instructions on how to remove Illustrator completely from your system.

This Article Contains:

Why remove Adobe Illustrator from your Mac?

There are a handful of reasons why a user might want to uninstall Adobe Illustrator from their Mac. Here are the main ones:

  • Storage Space: Adobe Illustrator, along with its associated files and libraries, can consume a significant amount of disk space. Users looking to free up storage might opt to remove applications that are seldom used or have large footprints.
  • Performance Issues: Over time, even the best software can encounter bugs or performance issues. These can manifest as slow load times, crashes, or other unpredictable behavior, which can hinder the user’s productivity and efficiency.
  • Transitioning to Alternative Solutions: Some users might decide to switch to different graphics editing software due to preference, cost, or feature availability. Removing Adobe Illustrator becomes a necessary step in making room for these new tools.
uninstall illustrator on mac

No matter which of those reasons applies to your personal situation, this guide can provide you with the information or tools you need to remove Adobe Illustrator thoroughly and ensure your computer performs smoothly.

Using SpyHunter to completely Uninstall Adobe Illustrator on Mac

To completely remove Adobe Illustrator from your Mac and avoid any residual files that might clutter your system, you can use SpyHunter’s App Uninstaller feature.

This utility provides an efficient way to completely remove applications. Here’s a step-by-step guide to uninstalling Adobe Illustrator using SpyHunter:

  1. Download SpyHunter and follow along with the simple the on-screen instructions.
  2. After installation finishes, open SpyHunter and go to the App Uninstaller tab. This will start an automatic scan of all installed applications, including Adobe Illustrator and files linked to the app.
  3. Once the scan is complete, locate Adobe Illustrator in the list of applications. Make sure to select all related files to ensure a full cleanup.
uninstall adobe illustrator from mac using spyhunter
  1. Confirm your choices and proceed with the uninstallation. SpyHunter will then remove Adobe Illustrator and all its related files from your Mac, freeing up storage space and wiping clean any redundant files.
spyhunter can completely remove adobe illustrator

By using SpyHunter’s App Uninstaller, you can streamline the removal process, ensuring that Adobe Illustrator is fully deleted from your system, along with any leftover files tucked away in directories and paths most users do not interact with.

This is essential for keeping your system clean and running smoothly, particularly when you are preparing to install a new software solution.

Step-by-step guide to uninstall Adobe Illustrator manually

The manual uninstall process outlined below ensures the complete removal of Adobe Illustrator and its associated files, freeing up your system for new software.

Step 1: Quit Adobe Illustrator

The first step to ensuring a problem-free uninstall is quitting the application properly.

You can do this by clicking on Illustrator in your Mac’s top menu bar while the app is focused, then selecting Quit Illustrator in the dropdown.

quit illustrator from menu

Another way to reliably quit the Illustrator app is to right-click its icon in the Dock and then click Quit.

quit illustrator from dock

Finally, if the Adobe Illustrator app is not responsive, you can force quit its process. To do this, launch Activity Monitor on your Mac. In the list of active processes, find all entries that have “Adobe Illustrator” in their names, select them and force quit them using the [X] button above.

force quit illustrator using activity monitor

Step 2: Uninstall Adobe Illustrator from Applications

To remove Adobe Illustrator, you need to locate it in the Applications folder and delete it. Here’s how to do this:

  1. Open Finder on your Mac.
  2. Click on the Applications tab in the Finder sidebar.
  3. Scroll through the list of applications until you find Adobe Illustrator. Right-click on it and select Move to Trash or simply drag and drop it into the Trash can icon.
  4. Empty your Trash to finalize this step and remove the app permanently.
delete illustrator from applications

This step removes the main components of Adobe Illustrator but to fully uninstall it you must also clean up its leftover files.

Step 3: Remove Adobe Illustrator leftovers

Uninstalling Illustrator or any other app on your Mac completely usually involves sweeping up residual files in unusual locations you may not be familiar with.

To clean up those files for Illustrator, do the following:

  1. Open a new Finder window and click Go > Go to Folder or press the Command + Shift + G keys.
  2. In the new window, either type out or paste the following paths, one after the other:
    • ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator
    • ~/Library/Caches/com.adobe.illustrator
    • ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Illustrator
    • ~/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.illustrator.plist
  3. Delete any files found within those locations by dragging them into the Trash.
remove folders related to illustrator
  1. Empty your Trash can to finalize this step.

Manually locating and removing these files ensures a thorough cleanup. However, it’s crucial not to delete files you’re unsure about, as this could affect other applications or your system’s stability.

Uninstall Adobe Illustrator using the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app

Finally, you can also manually uninstall Illustrator through the interface of the Adobe Creative Cloud app, which serves as a front end launcher for all your Adobe apps such as Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Photoshop.

Launch Creative Cloud, then locate Illustrator in its main interface under the All Apps tab. Click on the three dots menu button for Adobe Illustrator and then click Uninstall in the dropdown menu.

uninstall illustrator using the adobe creative cloud app

This will uninstall the Illustrator app using Adobe’s built-in uninstaller.

Conclusion

Removing an app from your Mac completely is usually more complex than simply dragging it to the Trash. However, with the right tool or knowledge of process, it can be a breeze.

With Adobe Illustrator now fully unistalled from your Mac, you can enjoy a clean system that runs well and is not cluttered with leftover files.

For a thorough removal of the Adobe products, check out our guide on how to uninstall Adobe Creative Cloud on Mac to ensure all associated files are completely deleted.

Share this post on your favorite social media
author avatar

Todor has over a decade of experience in creating content about cybersecurity. He specializes in making complex security topics understandable for all. As part of the SpyHunter team, Todor uses his expertise to educate users, empowering them to better understand and manage their digital environments securely and efficiently.

Keep Your Mac Fast and Secure
Optimize your Mac and stay malware-free with SpyHunter
Download SpyHunter For Free

For a better understanding of our policies, please review our Free Trial Offer below, EULA, and Privacy/Cookie Policy.

SpyHunter Free Trial: Important Terms & Conditions

The SpyHunter Trial version includes, for one device, a one-time 7-day Trial period for SpyHunter 5 Pro (Windows) or SpyHunter for Mac, offering comprehensive malware detection and removal functionality, high-performance guards to actively protect your system from malware threats, and access to our technical support team via the SpyHunter HelpDesk. You will not be charged upfront during the Trial period, although a credit card is required to activate the Trial. (Prepaid credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards are not accepted under this offer.) The requirement for your payment method is to help ensure continuous, uninterrupted security protection during your transition from a Trial to a paid subscription should you decide to purchase. Your payment method will not be charged a payment amount upfront during the Trial, although authorization requests may be sent to your financial institution to verify that your payment method is valid (such authorization submissions are not requests for charges or fees by EnigmaSoft but, depending upon your payment method and/or your financial institution, may reflect on your account availability). You can cancel your Trial by contacting EnigmaSoft’s payment processor (identified in your confirmation email) or EnigmaSoft directly no later than two business days before the 7-day Trial period expires to avoid a charge coming due and being processed immediately after your Trial expires. If you decide to cancel during your Trial, you will immediately lose access to SpyHunter. If, for any reason, you believe a charge was processed that you did not wish to make (which could occur based on system administration, for example), you may also cancel and receive a full refund for the charge any time within 30 days of the date of the purchase charge. See FAQs.

At the end of the Trial, you will be billed upfront immediately at the price and for the subscription period as set forth in the offering materials and registration/purchase page terms (which are incorporated herein by reference; pricing may vary by country per purchase page details) if you have not timely canceled. Pricing typically starts at $72 for 3 months (SpyHunter Pro Windows) and $42 for 3 months (SpyHunter for Mac). Your purchased subscription will be automatically renewed in accordance with the registration/purchase page terms, which provide for automatic renewals at the then applicable standard subscription fee in effect at the time of your original purchase and for the same subscription time period, provided you’re a continuous, uninterrupted subscription user. Please see the purchase page for details. Trial subject to these Terms, your agreement to EULA/TOS, Privacy/Cookie Policy, and Discount Terms. If you wish to uninstall SpyHunter, learn how.

For payment on the automatic renewal of your subscription, an email reminder will be sent to the email address you provided when you registered before your next payment date. At the onset of your trial, you will receive an activation code that is limited to use for only one Trial and for only one device per account. Your subscription will automatically renew at the price and for the subscription period in accordance with the offering materials and registration/purchase page terms (which are incorporated herein by reference; pricing may vary by country per purchase page details), provided that you are a continuous, uninterrupted subscription user. For paid subscription users, if you cancel, you will continue to have access to your product(s) until the end of your paid subscription period. If you wish to receive a refund for your then current subscription period, you must cancel and apply for a refund within 30 days of your most recent purchase, and you will immediately stop receiving full functionality when your refund is processed.

For CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS, please see the notice provisions:
NOTICE TO CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS: Per the California Automatic Renewal Law, you may cancel a subscription as follows:

  1. Go to www.enigmasoftware.com and click the "Login" button at the top right corner.
  2. Log in with your username and password.
  3. In the navigation menu, go to "Order/Licenses." Next to your order/license, a button is available to cancel your subscription if applicable. Note: If you have multiple orders/products, you will need to cancel them on an individual basis.

Should you have any questions or problems, you can contact our EnigmaSoft support team by phone at +1 (888) 360-0646 (USA Toll-Free) / +353 76 680 3523 (Ireland/International) or by email at support@enigmasoftware.com.
How do you cancel a SpyHunter Trial? If your SpyHunter Trial was registered via MyCommerce, you can cancel the trial via MyCommerce by logging into the MyAccount section of MyCommerce (see your confirmation email for further details). You can also contact MyCommerce by phone or email to cancel. To contact MyCommerce via phone, you can call +1-800-406-4966 (USA Toll-Free) or +1-952-646-5022 (24x7x356). You can contact MyCommerce by e-mail at ordersupport@mycommerce.com. You can easily identify if your trial was registered via MyCommerce by checking the confirmation emails that were sent to you upon registration. Alternatively, all users may also contact EnigmaSoft Limited directly. Users can contact our technical support team by emailing support@enigmasoftware.com, opening a ticket in the SpyHunter HelpDesk, or calling +1 (888) 360-0646 (USA) / +353 76 680 3523 (Ireland/International). You can access the SpyHunter HelpDesk from SpyHunter's main screen. To open a support ticket, click on the "HelpDesk" icon. In the window that appears, click the "New Ticket" tab. Fill out the form and click the "Submit" button. If you are unsure of what "Problem Type" to select, please choose the "General Questions" option. Our support agents will promptly process your request and respond to you.

———

SpyHunter Purchase Details
You also have the choice of subscribing to SpyHunter immediately for full functionality, including malware removal and access to our support department via our HelpDesk, typically starting at $42 for 3 months (SpyHunter Basic Windows) and $42 for 3 months (SpyHunter for Mac) in accordance with the offering materials and registration/purchase page terms (which are incorporated herein by reference; pricing may vary by country per purchase page details). Your subscription will automatically renew at the then applicable standard subscription fee in effect at the time of your original purchase subscription and for the same subscription time period, provided you’re a continuous, uninterrupted subscription user and for which you will receive a notice of upcoming charges before the expiration of your subscription. Purchase of SpyHunter is subject to the terms and conditions on the purchase page, EULA/TOS, Privacy/Cookie Policy and Discount Terms.

———

General Terms
Any purchase for SpyHunter under a discounted price is valid for the offered discounted subscription term. After that, the then applicable standard pricing will apply for automatic renewals and/or future purchases. Pricing is subject to change, although we will notify you in advance of price changes.
All SpyHunter versions are subject to your agreeing to our EULA/TOS, Privacy/Cookie Policy, and Discount Terms. Please also see our FAQs and Threat Assessment Criteria. If you wish to uninstall SpyHunter, learn how.