How to completely uninstall Android Studio on Mac?

Asked 12/7, 2013 at 23:56 Answered 12/12, 2021 at 9:56

Solved macos android-studio uninstallation

675

I recently downloaded Android Studio on my Macbook Pro and I messed up with it every time I open it. It gives me plugin errors and several other errors. I need to uninstall it completely from my mac. I tried to delete it from my mac and then install it again as if you would do the first time, but it did nothing and now the same problems occur.

How can I manage to remove it completely and install a fresh one again?

Ultravirus answered 12/7, 2013 at 23:56 Comment(1)

The latest versions of Android Studio for M1 chips have some errors. The following link may enable you to make a successful installation after completely removing existing installations. 1. programhub.net/… 2. youtube.com/watch?v=0Mq560sg-Mw – Maid 9/3, 2022 at 2:40

1636

Execute these commands in the terminal (excluding the lines with hashtags - they're comments):

# Deletes the Android Studio application
# Note that this may be different depending on what you named the application as, or whether you downloaded the preview version
rm -Rf /Applications/Android\ Studio.app
# Delete All Android Studio related preferences
# The asterisk here should target all folders/files beginning with the string before it
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/AndroidStudio*
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes the Android Studio's plist file
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.google.android.*
# Deletes the Android Emulator's plist file
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.android.*
# Deletes mainly plugins (or at least according to what mine (Edric) contains)
rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/AndroidStudio*
rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes all logs that Android Studio outputs
rm -Rf ~/Library/Logs/AndroidStudio*
rm -Rf ~/Library/Logs/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes Android Studio's caches
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/AndroidStudio*
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes older versions of Android Studio
rm -Rf ~/.AndroidStudio*

If you would like to delete all projects:

rm -Rf ~/AndroidStudioProjects

To remove gradle related files (caches & wrapper)

rm -Rf ~/.gradle

Use the below command to delete all Android Virtual Devices(AVDs) and keystores.

Note: This folder is used by other Android IDEs as well, so if you still using other IDE you may not want to delete this folder)

rm -Rf ~/.android

To delete Android SDK tools

rm -Rf ~/Library/Android*

Emulator Console Auth Token

rm -Rf ~/.emulator_console_auth_token

Thanks to those who commented/improved on this answer!

Notes

The flags for rm are case-sensitive¹ (as with most other commands), which means that the f flag must be in lower case. However, the r flag can also be capitalised.
The flags for rm can be either combined together or separated. They don't have to be combined.

What the flags indicate

The r flag indicates that the rm command should-

attempt to remove the file hierarchy rooted in each file argument. - DESCRIPTION section on the manpage for rm (See man rm for more info)
The f flag indicates that the rm command should-

attempt to remove the files without prompting for confirmation, regardless of the file's permissions. - DESCRIPTION section on the manpage for rm (See man rm for more info)

Turku answered 27/8, 2013 at 6:54 Comment(25)

Please add removing paths. Here is a complete thread about where path settings appear: #7502178 – Amblyopia 2/4, 2015 at 13:0

@Simon, Where is the Windows instructions? – Jacobine 1/7, 2015 at 10:59

@Jacobine I suggest you to open a new question at SF. I'm not a Windows user, but you can try to uninstall it from the control panel. – Turku 2/7, 2015 at 6:41

Also remove /usr/local/var/lib/android-sdk/ folder. In my case it occupied 17G! – Retinue 20/4, 2016 at 7:21

I think you'll also want to remove /usr/local/bin/adb. – Kyungkyushu 22/4, 2016 at 16:38

@Turku add this rm -Rf ~/.AndroidStudio* as well – Excitability 29/4, 2016 at 11:4

@ShanXeeshi i don't have this folder in my computer.. what is this folder about? – Turku 9/7, 2016 at 6:54

@Turku you must have this folder under your USER. May be you are checking on wrong path. Its under Users -> Your User Name – Excitability 18/7, 2016 at 21:11

+1 for @ShanXeeshi. I did have this directory : ~/.AndroidStudio1.5/ which needed to be removed. Simon: Great work for the perfect answer! – Megagamete 26/9, 2016 at 19:22

You can also edit your path in your .bash_profile or .zshrc if you're using that. Mine had Users/user/Library/Android/sdk/platform-tools: and Users/user/Librabry/Android/sdk/tools in it. Those sections can be removed – Bechuanaland 22/11, 2016 at 22:52

There is also the additional com.android.Emulator.plist file located in ~/Library/Preferences/ – Justino 13/12, 2016 at 11:45

if it wasn't for Apples amazing 2mb hard drives. – Ditter 20/1, 2017 at 9:5

@Simon, I used one command to install android sdk and didn't notice that there was one --all flag at the end, after half an hr i get a notification on my mac saying that I am running out of space. I did the steps mentioned above but only 15gb got free, before installing SDK through command line I had 80+gb free. How can I know where the sudo update android-sdk command would have saved the files? – Calvinna 22/2, 2017 at 8:52

@sahil did you use homebrew to install the android-sdk? if so, use brew uninstall android-sdk. or try this handy tool for finding large files in your Mac www.derlien.com – Turku 22/2, 2017 at 17:31

@Turku I had this issue where when I executed react-native run-android it used to say you have not accepted license. I already had android studio and sdk, but then I did this command, android update sdk --no-ui --all, and then it took up 80gb in no time, then I followed your answer but could only get 15gb free. It still shows in my system that it has 90gb of data in it, although I only have few apps. – Calvinna 22/2, 2017 at 17:40

@Turku that URL helped me, it showed the location of the folder with 67gb of data, dont know why it installed it there under /usr/local/var/lib, even android studio was not picking it up. – Calvinna 22/2, 2017 at 17:58

What about ~/.emulator_console_auth_token ? – Chao 20/11, 2017 at 17:34

Don't forget environment variables – Triangulation 8/8, 2018 at 9:59

I think there is another "~/Library/Preferences/com.google.gct.plist" should be covered as well – Antechamber 31/10, 2018 at 1:52

As for the SDK, mine was located at ~/Android/android-sdk-macosx. – Hightoned 9/11, 2018 at 20:18

If you're working with NativeScript, then run also this brew cask uninstall android-sdk – Claribelclarice 18/2, 2020 at 17:17

Newer versions of android studio use this directory rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/AndroidStudio* – Grounds 31/8, 2020 at 0:36

What about the Intel HAXM extension in /Library/Extensions/intelhaxm.kext? Appeared to be a later version of what Apple had installed. Also seems Apple signed their version Apple Inc. whereas the later version is signed Intel Inc. — which I have not allowed in System Preferences > Privacy & Security. – Commercial 15/11, 2020 at 12:51

this too rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Google/AndroidStudio* – Eberly 28/10, 2021 at 21:45

If you installed Android Studio with Jetbrains Toolbox, you may need to remove the application with rm -Rf ~/Applications/JetBrains\ Toolbox/Android\ Studio.app instead. – Avulsion 30/1, 2023 at 18:27

Run the following commands in the terminal:

rm -Rf /Applications/Android\ Studio.app  
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/AndroidStudio*  
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.google.android.*  
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.android.*  
rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/AndroidStudio*  
rm -Rf ~/Library/Logs/AndroidStudio*  
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/AndroidStudio*  
rm -Rf ~/.AndroidStudio*  
rm -Rf ~/.gradle  
rm -Rf ~/.android  
rm -Rf ~/Library/Android*  
rm -Rf /usr/local/var/lib/android-sdk/

To delete all projects:

rm -Rf ~/AndroidStudioProjects

Cathe answered 26/10, 2017 at 17:10 Comment(2)

Note that it's a good idea to add comments on what each line does, for those who are skeptical of what the commands do, or for those who are curious. – Timeous 7/12, 2018 at 7:41

also, if anyone not like to run the command then can use Shift + ⌘ + G on finder and paste the path to check the folder/file in finder. – Orectic 6/10, 2020 at 10:58

For someone using Android Studio 4.0 or above on MacOS 10.15.1 or above. Using command line blow:

# Deletes the Android Studio application
# Note that this may be different depending on what you named the application as, or whether you downloaded the preview version
rm -Rf /Applications/Android\ Studio.app
# Delete All Android Studio related preferences
# The asterisk here should target all folders/files beginning with the string before it
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes the Android Studio's plist file
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.google.android.*
# Deletes the Android Emulator's plist file
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.android.*
# Deletes mainly plugins (or at least according to what mine (Edric) contains)
rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes all logs that Android Studio outputs
rm -Rf ~/Library/Logs/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes Android Studio's caches
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Google/AndroidStudio*
# Deletes older versions of Android Studio
rm -Rf ~/.AndroidStudio*

Difference

Library/Preferences/Google/AndroidStudio*

Library/Logs/Google/AndroidStudio*

Library/Caches/Google/AndroidStudio*

Smaragdite answered 14/11, 2020 at 16:37 Comment(2)

You forgot about ~/Application Support/Google/AndroidStudio* – Pompadour 16/11, 2020 at 9:23

that works for me only deleting this folder – Manslaughter 19/8, 2021 at 11:53

I was also facing same kind of problem on my Macbook Pro. I took these very simple steps and freshly installed Android Studio.

** Link Contains Images, look if facing any problem.

These Very Simple Steps Can Solve Your Problem.

Type "Command+option+Space Bar"
Type "Android Studio"
Click '+' button just below search box.
A new bar will come up "Kind" is "any" click on "kind" --> Others --> search for "system file" and select that by putting a tick mark.! And click on Ok.
Then select "are included" from the drop down menu !
Then you get a lot of system file that need to be deleted to complete the fully un-installation of any app.
Click "command+A" to select all files and take a look on the file remove is some video files are also included. And click "command + Delete"
Empty your trash. Done

Oren answered 17/7, 2015 at 7:28 Comment(0)

You may also delete gradle file, if you don't use gradle any where else:

rm -Rfv ~/.gradle/

because .gradle folder contains cached artifacts that are no longer needed.

Conclude answered 31/12, 2014 at 12:57 Comment(2)

It would help to know what deleting the gradle folder does specifically too. – Professorate 4/7, 2015 at 22:20

careful with this method, any document that contains the search words 'android studio' will be included, and deleted if you do a select-all + delete. – Emilio 13/3, 2020 at 18:24

Some of the files individually listed by Simon would also be found with something like the following command, but with some additional assurance about thoroughness, and without the recklessness of using rm -rf with wildcards:

find ~ \
  -path ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari -prune -o \
  -iname \*android\*studio\* -print -prune

Also don't forget about the SDK, which is now separate from the application, and ~/.gradle/ (see vijay's answer).

Lizliza answered 10/1, 2015 at 12:12 Comment(0)

I chanced upon one other directory which should be deleted (had a date of April 2021 on my system):

rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Android\ Open\ Source\ Project*

...and with credit to Hu1buerger of https://gist.github.com/talal/25d6b05b6969c2a8459b2b3abb86481f

rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/JetBrains*

Diagram answered 12/12, 2021 at 9:56 Comment(0)

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