Do you find Google Drive an unwanted application and wish to remove it from your Mac? Everyone likes accessing data from any and everywhere, and for this, they prefer using cloud storage services. The most widespread name amongst trusted cloud storage solutions is Google Drive. It comes in two versions: online and desktop for PC and macOS.
However, in March 2018, Google Drive on macOS was replaced by Backup and Sync app. This was done to give data backup a more unified line.
But not many Mac users liked it; hence, they are looking for ways to ditch Google Drive, or we can say they want to remove the Backup and Sync app.
Understanding this and at the user’s request, we will discuss ways to uninstall Google Drive from Mac in this post.
How to Manually Remove Google Drive App From Mac?
To uninstall the Google Drive folder, you will first need to delete the Backup and Sync app. But before that, we will need to stop automatic syncing. To learn how to remove your Google account, and stop data syncing to drive.google.com, follow the steps below:
Ways to delete Google Drive from Mac without making any changed to the files stored on the cloud:
Step 1. Delink you Google account
1. Look for the Backup and Sync icon on the menu bar.
Quick tip:
If you cannot see the Backup and Sync icon on your menu bar, head to the Applications folder and from here launch the Backup and Sync app. You will now be able to see the icon on the menu bar.
2. Next, click the three stacked dots and select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
3. This will open the Preferences window. Click Setting tab > DISCONNECT ACCOUNT > confirm the account by again clicking the Disconnect button.
This will delink your account from the Backup and Sync app. You can delete the app without affecting uploaded data as no longer the Google Drive folder, and the data is synced.
Step 2. Remove the Backup and Sync app
1. Assuming you can see the Backup and Sync icon on the menu bar, we suggest you again click the three stacked dots.
2. From here, select Force Quit Backup and Sync.
3. Next, navigate to the Applications folder > Backup and Sync app.
4. Right-click > Move to Trash. or Drag the selected folder to the Trash.
5. Empty Trash.
Note: While deleting the Backup and Sync app from Mac, if you encounter an error message like Can’t remove the Backup and Sync app, we suggest Quitting the app.
For this open Activity Monitor and look for any processes related to Backup and Sync or Google Drive. Select them and click the X at the left corner > Quit. This will close all running processes. After doing so, try deleting the Backup and Sync app from Google. Now that the app is removed, let’s learn how to eliminate the Backup and Sync leftovers. As these files clutter your Mac and slow down the performance, we need to remove them.
To delete leftovers completely, follow the steps below.
Step 3. Eliminating Backup and Sync leftovers
1. Open Finder > Go > Go to Folder
2. Type following commands one by one. Make sure you press the Go button after entering each command:
~/Library/Cookies/
~/Library/Preferences/
~/Library/Containers/
~/Library/Group Containers/
~/Library/Application Scripts/
3. In all the folders that open, look for files related to Google Drive or Backup and Sync.
4. If you find any, select them >right click > Move to Trash.
Note: While moving files to the trash, you need to be careful. If you are not sure about any file, do not delete it. Removing a vital file might harm your system and hamper the performance.
This is it; you’ve now successfully deleted and removed the Backup and Sync app along with Google Drive files. However, if this seems like too much or you are not comfortable deleting files manually, don’t worry.
Luckily, we’ve something that might help and straighten things for you. Using this excellent app, you can not only delete Google Drive from Mac but can also clean up Mac.
Wondering what this magic tool is?
Well, it is called CleanMyMac X. This one-shot Mc optimizer is simply amazing. It offers various tools to optimize and clean up Mac. Moreover, using it, you can also protect your Mac from infections, and if you end up encountering low disk space, then too, it will help.
Easiest Ways to Remove Google Drive files from Mac
To uninstall Google Drive from Mac quickly, use the Uninstaller module offered by CleanMyMac X. This third party uninstaller is worth relying on. It helps uninstall an app without leaving any leftovers.
To use this tool and remove Backup and Sync offered by Google, follow the steps below:
1. Install, and launch the free version of CleanMyMac X.
2. Click the Uninstaller tab.
3. Choose Backup and Sync from Google > hit the Uninstall button.
This is it, in just 3 simple steps, you can remove and delete all traces of Google Drive from Mac. To check for junk files and other clutter on Mac, click System Junk run the scan, and remove all junk files. This will not only help recover storage space but will also boost system performance. So, what are you waiting for? Try either the manual steps or the automatic way to delete Google Drive from Mac. Do let us know which method you tried in the comments section below. We are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.