How To Uninstall IntelliJ On Mac (Ultimate 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

Are you considering removing IntelliJ IDEA from your Mac but unsure where to start or why it might even be necessary?

Are you looking to free up disk space? Maybe you are considering other IDE solutions for your code or even switching to a language that is not JVM-based. Whatever the case, this article will help you uninstall IntelliJ in a clean and efficient way.

This Article Contains:

Why remove IntelliJ IDEA from your Mac?

Despite being a powerful and popular IDE for Java developers, there may come a time when the application no longer fits your needs or project requirements.

Here are a few potential reasons why you might consider uninstalling IntelliJ:

  • Project Needs Have Changed: As projects evolve, they may no longer require the specific functionalities offered by IntelliJ IDEA, prompting a switch to an IDE that better suits the new requirements.
  • Storage Space Concerns: IntelliJ IDEA, along with its cache and associated files, can consume a significant amount of disk space.
  • Seeking Simplicity: Some users might find IntelliJ IDEA too complex for their needs and prefer an IDE that offers a more straightforward, less feature-dense environment.
  • Migration to Another Development Environment: Transitioning to a different development environment more aligned with current project goals or personal preferences can lead to the removal of IntelliJ IDEA.
uninstall intellij idea on mac

Regardless of the reason for uninstallation, it’s essential to do it correctly to prevent leftover files from cluttering your system. This ensures your Mac remains clean, efficient, and ready for whatever new tools or applications you decide to install.

Step-by-step guide to manually uninstall IntelliJ on Mac

If you opt for the manual uninstall route, you should make sure you do it properly and remove leftover files. Follow these steps to completely remove IntelliJ IDEA manually:

Step 1: Quit IntelliJ

Before you start the actual uninstall process, you should make sure the application is not running. This step is essential in ensuring a smooth removal.

Right-click the IntelliJ icon found in your Dock and select Quit in the context menu to stop the application’s process.

quit intellij from dock

If IntelliJ is not responding, you can navigate to your Applications and Utilities, then launch the Activity Monitor app. Inside Activity Monitor look through the list of active processes and locate IntelliJ in it. Select the process and click the [X] button above the process list to terminate IntelliJ.

force quit intellij using activity monitor

Confirm using the Force Quit button in the window that comes up. Completely shutting off the process will ensure that it does not interfere with the following steps.

Step 2: Delete IntelliJ from Applications

The next step in the uninstallation process is to find IntelliJ IDEA within the Applications folder and remove it.

  1. Open the Finder application on your Mac.
  2. Navigate to the Applications folder.
  3. Scroll through your installed applications and locate IntelliJ IDEA.
  4. Drag the IntelliJ IDEA icon to the Trash or right-click on the application and select Move to Trash.
  5. Right-click and then empty your Trash to completely remove the application.
  6. Restart your Mac to finalize this step.
manually delete intellij idea app

This action removes the main files of the IntelliJ IDEA application, but some associated service files will remain on your system.

Step 3: Clean up IntelliJ IDEA configuration files

After you’ve deleted the application, the next step is to remove any leftover and configuration files. Here’s how to do this:

  1. Open Finder, click on the Go menu at the top of the screen, then select Go to Folder.
  2. Enter the following directories in the Go to Folder window text box one after the other:
    • ~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/
    • ~/Library/Caches/JetBrains/
    • ~/Library/Preferences/JetBrains/
    • ~/Library/Logs/JetBrains/
  3. Delete all files you find inside those folders by dragging them into the Trash.
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to completely remove the leftover files.
remove files and folders related to intellij

By eliminating these files, you’re ensuring that all your personal settings related to IntelliJ IDEA and any leftover files, caches and logs are removed from your Mac.

Completely uninstall IntelliJ from your Mac using SpyHunter

For an automated removal that will thoroughly uninstall IntelliJ IDEA from your system and will also deal with any leftover files for you, you can use SpyHunter’s App Uninstaller. Using a tool like SpyHunter means simplifying the process significantly and doing away with manually chasing down leftover files.

Follow these steps to uninstall IntelliJ with SpyHunter:

  1. Download SpyHunter and follow the installation instructions.
  2. Once installed, open SpyHunter and go to the App Uninstaller section. SpyHunter will then scan and list all the applications on your Mac and their respective related files.
  3. Find IntelliJ IDEA in this list. SpyHunter will show all the files connected to IntelliJ. Select the app and all its associated files to ensure everything is targeted for removal.
completely uninstall intellij idea using spyhunter
  1. Click the Remove Selected button to confirm the deletion of IntelliJ IDEA and its files.
  2. After the automatic removal process finishes, restart your Mac to complete the cleanup.
spyhunter can uninstall intellij completely

Using SpyHunter makes uninstalling IntelliJ simple and ensures no leftover files remain, which could otherwise impact your Mac’s efficiency and take up disk space.

Conclusion

Well done! You have just completed the full uninstallation process and have completely removed IntelliJ IDEA from your system.

Whether you used the manual approach or chose to do it using SpyHunter and its App Uninstall module, the end result is a significant amount of reclaimed disk space and no unneeded leftover files.

Maintaining a clean system is one of the main steps to ensuring the longevity and good performance of your macOS without the need for a complete reinstall.

If you are interested in further information or want to uninstall other apps from your Mac as well, we have a guide on the general uninstall process on Mac that you can check out.

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.