Google Drive is a fantastic cloud storage service that's also available on a variety of platforms, including macOS. Google Drive's desktop app integrates backups from Google Drive and Google Photos into the same app.

However, if you don't prefer it or plan to switch to iCloud for your storage needs, you may want to uninstall it. This guide shows you how to uninstall Google Drive from your Mac safely.

Disconnect Your Google Account

Google Drive for desktop automatically syncs files on your Mac with your Google account. As a result, your cloud storage fills up, leading you to buy and increase your Google account storage.

Hence, you must disconnect your Google account first. Follow these instructions to learn how to do it:

  1. Select the Google Drive icon from the menu bar.
  2. Click the Settings icon and then select Preferences from the dropdown menu.
    Select Google Drive from Menu bar, click Settings, and then Preferences
  3. Hit the Settings icon in the dialog box.
  4. Select the Disconnect account option next to your email.
    Select Disconnect Account from Google Drive Preferences
  5. Click Disconnect and then Done.

Once you disconnect your Google account from the Google Drive app, you can safely uninstall it from your Mac.

How to Uninstall Google Drive on a Mac

Before removing Google Drive from your Mac, you'll need to close it. To do so, click the Google Drive icon in the menu bar, then the Settings icon, and select Quit.

After quitting the application, you can uninstall the Google Drive app on your Mac. There are various ways to uninstall apps on a Mac, but the easiest way is to move them to the Trash. So, here's what you need to do:

  1. Open the Applications folder in Finder.
  2. Control-click on Google Drive and select Move to Trash. Alternatively, you can drag it to the Trash.
    Delete Google Drive from Applications folder in Finder
  3. Next, open Trash from your Mac's Dock.
  4. Control-click on Google Drive and select the Delete Immediately option.
    Delete Google Drive from Trash in macOS

Alternatively, you can Control-click on the Trash and choose Empty Trash to remove Google Drive permanently from your Mac.

Remove Residue Google Drive Files Using Finder

You'll have to remove the leftovers even after uninstalling Google Drive from your Mac. These junk files may affect your Mac in the long run if accumulated. So, follow these steps to learn how to delete residual Google Drive files using Finder:

  1. Open Finder and press Cmd + Shift + G.
  2. Type ~/Library/ in the Go to Folder search box.
    From Finder, use Go To Folder option to open ~/Library folder
  3. Now, use the Search bar at the top-right corner to find Google Drive.
  4. Select "Library" instead of "This Mac" to filter your search.
    Search Library folder for "Google Drive"
  5. Look for any matching files and move them to Trash if you find any.

Once again, to permanently remove these files from your Mac, you'll need to empty your Mac's Trash.

Please be careful when deleting these junk files. You may delete other important files by mistake. So, double-check the files you moved to the Trash before permanently deleting them.

Besides the Library folder, you can also check inside the following subfolders for any leftovers:

  • ~/Library/Preferences
  • ~/Library/Caches
  • ~/Library/Application Support
  • ~/Library/LaunchAgents
  • ~/Library/PreferencePanes
  • ~/Library/Saved Applications State
  • ~/Library/StartupItems
  • ~/Library/LaunchDaemons

Alternatively, you can use apps like CleanMyMac X to remove residual files while uninstalling any app from your Mac.

Get Rid of Google Drive From Your Mac

Syncing files over the cloud is essential for many of us. And Google Drive for Mac is an excellent tool for syncing files stored on your Mac.

However, remember that iCloud lets you achieve the same and isn't limited to Apple devices. Besides, many Apple services rely on iCloud.

Once you've uninstalled Google Drive from your Mac, we recommend setting up and using iCloud on your Mac if you haven't already.