How to Uninstall macOS Applications using Intune
Using Intune's variety of tools, you can uninstall almost any application regardless of whether it was originally installed with Intune or not. Below are several options for uninstalling applications on macOS devices.
Table of Contents
Overview of Uninstallation Options
Let us first examine each option available for uninstalling applications on macOS devices. Once done, we can review different application scenarios and which uninstallation option(s) apply.
Option 1: Use Intune's Uninstall feature (only for Line of Business apps)
This option is only available if the app was originally deployed with Intune, using the "line of business" app deployment method. In addition, this will only be available if you originally selected yes for the install as managed option.
Step 1: Open the Endpoint Manager (Intune) portal, select Apps in the left-hand menu blade, and then select macOS.
Step 2: Select the application you wish to uninstall.
Step 3: Select Properties in the middle menu pane and select Edit next to the Assignments header.
Step 4: Under the Uninstall header, add the appropriate user/device group or select all devices (note that you may have to first remove the assignment under the Install header).
Option 2: Use a Shell or Bash Script
Remember you can use Intune to deploy Bash or Shell scripts to macOS devices. Using a script, you can uninstall applications regardless if they were deployed with Intune or not.
Option 2a: Execute the Vendor-Provided Uninstallation Script
Some application vendors provide an uninstallation script already written for us. All we have to do is write a script that executes/runs the vendor-provided script!
Step 1: Locate the Vendor-Provided Uninstallation Script
First, we must see if the vendor provided such a script within the application's files. There are a few locations we can search. The first location listed below should be the first place to check; I've added some example screenshots. The second and third locations listed below the screenshots can also be checked if the first location does not have the script.
/Applications/app_name/Contents/Resources/
/Library/Application\ Support/app_name/
~/Library/Application\ Support/app_name/
Step 2: Write the Script for Intune
If we can find an uninstallation script, then we can create a bash or shell script similar to the one below that will execute the script. Replace folderpath and filename.sh with the correct folder path and uninstallation script name respectively.
Step 3: Upload the Script to Intune & Deploy It
Lastly, we'll want to upload and deploy the script we created. Click the link below to learn how to deploy scripts using Intune.
Option 2b: Create a Custom Uninstallation Script
This option should be your last resort as it is the most work to create and may not be as accurate.
Step 1: Find the Location of the App File and its Dependent Folders/Files
Check for the application file within the /Applications folder.
Check for any dependent folders/files in the locations listed below (you can normally identify which folders/files are associated with the app you are deleting by looking at the name).
/Library/Application\ Support/
/Library/Caches/
/Library/Logs/
/Library/Preferences/
~/Library/Application\ Support/
~/Library/Caches/
~/Library/Logs/
~/Library/Caches/
Step 2: Create the Script
Once you've found the location of the Application and its dependent folders and files, create a script that manually deletes these files. Below is an example script; edit it, replace the file paths, and add or remove as needed.
Step 3: Upload the Script to Intune & Deploy It
Lastly, we'll want to upload and deploy the script we created. Click the link below to learn how to deploy scripts using Intune.
The Uninstallation Option per Scenario
Remember that there are three different macOS app deployment methods; I'll list them below:
Line of Business App (managed PKG)
macOS App (PKG)
macOS App (DMG)
The uninstallation option(s) you can use depends on the original Intune app deployment method. Also, the options change if the application was not deployed via Intune. See the list of options below based on each scenario.
Line of Business App (managed PKG)
macOS App (PKG)
macOS App (DMG)
App not Deployed via Intune
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