How to Uninstall Avast on Mac

As scams get more sophisticated and hackers become increasingly prevalent online, it’s never been more important to protect your Mac from threats. Avast is a popular antivirus used by many—particularly because it’s free. However, many features are locked behind a paywall, and lots of users find Avast to be clunky and can sometimes cause your Mac to overheat.

 

Hence, there are alternatives to Avast out there, and if you’re reading this, hopefully, you’ve found one. So stay tuned, and we’ll show you the best ways to uninstall Avast on Mac.

Before we start:

 

We’ll run through plenty of different ways to delete Avast Security from Mac, but we believe the simplest and cleanest way to uninstall it is to use software like MacKeeper, which is not only an effective antivirus software, but also includes a handy Smart Uninstaller feature - which streamlines the process by allowing you to uninstall multiple apps at once, here’s how to use it:

  1. Download MacKeeper.
  2. Click Smart Uninstaller from the side menu.
  3. Choose Start Scan and MacKeeper will list all the apps currently installed on your Mac.
  4. Select the apps you want to uninstall from the list.
  5. Click Remove Selected and MacKeeper will begin to remove the apps you no longer require.

What is Avast

Avast Security is an antivirus application, typically installed to protect your Mac from viruses and malware. Avast offers both free and premium tiers for its software, with the premium option offering more protection and features. Though a popular and effective antivirus, the app can negatively affect your Mac’s speed, as it requires quite many resources to perform properly.

Is it okay to uninstall Avast from your MacBook

In short, ye. It’s fine to completely remove Avast from Mac. Though Avast is useful for protecting you from viruses, many of us find it to be quite slow and intrusive, as there are many ads and additional features that are locked behind a paywall.

 

We recommend, however, that if you’re to uninstall Avast, you should look to install an alternative antivirus as soon as possible. This is because your Mac will be vulnerable to any threats from hackers without adequate protection. MacKeeper is a great alternative, as it not only features an Antivirus, but also has other tools to speed up your Mac. One of them is Memory Cleaner that cleans up your Mac’s RAM to help it to run quicker.

Possible reasons to uninstall Avast from your Mac

Among the many reasons to want to uninstall Avast from your Mac, many users often complain that it uses lots of memory and CPU power, and it’s also impossible to stop the app from running when your laptop is switched on, which means that the software lacks flexibility.

How to delete Avast from Mac

To delete Avast from Mac, do the following:

  1. Open up the Avast app and select Uninstall Avast Security.
  2. You’ll then need to follow the instructions in the uninstallation window.
  3. You may also wish to remove all leftover files using Finder.

Here’s a complete list of ways to uninstall Avast on Mac:

  1. Using Avast’s built-in uninstaller
  2. Via Finder
  3. Use a third-party program

1. Using Avast's built-in uninstaller

Avast can be resource-intensive and can sometimes make your Mac run slow, but, fortunately, it’s simple to uninstall Avast Cleanup from Mac using its built-in uninstallers. However, we should note that the process can be quite long, and you have to complete a survey to uninstall the product. Here’s how to use Avast’s built-in uninstaller:

  1. Open Launchpad by clicking on the icon in your Dock.
  2. Then, click on the Avast Security app.
  3. With Avast open, click on the Avast Security option in the toolbar.
  4. Click Uninstall Avast Security from the drop-down menu.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove Avast from your Mac.
To remove Avast on Mac, open Launchpad by clicking on the icon in your Dock. From here, find the Avast app and click to open it.
Step 1. Open Launchpad from your Dock > open Avast
To uninstall Avast on Mac, with the Avast app open - select Avast Security from the toolbar and then choose Uninstall Avast Security. Then, follow the instructions in the uninstall wizard.
Step 2. Click Avast Security in the toolbar > Uninstall Avast Security > follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Via Finder

Another way to remove Avast from your Mac is to use Finder. Meanwhile, it can be tricky when uninstalling Avast in particular, as the app keeps itself open on your Mac at all times. Still, uninstalling software with Finder is a useful process to learn to delete any app you’re no longer using and free up space on your Mac. Here’s how you can uninstall Avast using Finder:

  1. Open Finder and select Applications from the side menu.
  2. Find Avast Security in your Applications, then right-click on it and select Move to Trash.
  3. To truly delete the app, you must then empty your trash. To do this, click on the trash can icon in your Dock and click empty trash in the top-right corner.
To uninstall Avast on Mac using Finder - open up Finder and select Applications from the side menu. Then find your Avast app you want to delete.
Step 1. Open Finder > go to Applications > locate Avast Security
To uninstall Avast using Finder, right click on the Avast app and select Move to Trash. Then, open your Trash by clicking the Trash icon in your dock, and select Empty Trash in the top right corner.
Step 2. Right-click on Avast > select Move to Trash > empty your Trash

3. Use a third-party program

Though the above-mentioned methods are adequate for removing Avast, many of you might prefer to do a clean uninstallation of it by using third-party software. MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup is a great option to try, as it automatically scans your Mac and identifies any rarely used apps. Delete apps in just a few clicks using our handy guide below:

  1. Download and install MacKeeper.
  2. Open MacKeeper select Smart Uninstaller from the menu.
  3. Click Start Scan, and our app will scan your Mac for files you can uninstall.
  4. Then, tick Avast and the Avast Uninstaller apps.
  5. Press Remove Selected, and MacKeeper will immediately perform a clean app uninstallation.
To uninstall Avast using third-party software, download and open MacKeeper, and select Smart Uninstaller from the side menu. Then click Applications.
Step 1. Open MacKeeper > Smart Uninstaller > select Applications
To uninstall Avast using third-party software, in Applications, tick all the unused or useless applications you want to remove. Then click Remove Selected.
Step 2. Find Avast in the Applications list > tick Avast > Remove Selected

Hint from our experts: 

 

Though MacKeeper’s Smart Uninstaller will perform a clean uninstallation of unused or useless apps, there can be some residual logs or cache files left. To get rid of them, you might need to use MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup feature to locate these files first.

 

To easily delete files on Mac, find out how to use it below:

  1. Download and install MacKeeper.
  2. Select Safe Cleanup from the side menu.
  3. Hit Start Scan to find all junk files on your Mac.
  4. Select the file types you’d like to delete, such as logs and caches.
  5. Then, click Clean Junk Files and MacKeeper will then do the heavy lifting for you and remove the junk from your system.
To remove residual logs and cache files from Avast on Mac, open MacKeeper and select Safe Cleanup. Click Start Scan.
Step 1. Open MacKeeper > Safe Cleanup > Start Scan
To remove residual logs and cache files from Avast on Mac, tick all the file types you want to remove, e.g. Logs and Caches. Then, click Clean Junk Files and they will be removed.
Step 2. Choose the file types you want to delete > hit Clean Junk Files

Conclusion

Hopefully, after reading our guide, you’ve managed to uninstall Avast, and can already notice a performance boost on your Mac. Though there are lots of reasons to want to uninstall Avast, we recommend installing a newer, more lightweight antivirus as soon as possible. Trying out MacKeeper is worth your time, as it not only features a state of the art Antivirus, it also keeps you safe online with Private Connect, which is a built-in VPN that will hide your IP from prying eyes. So, our app improves performance and keeps you more safe online, making it an absolute no-brainer. Try it today!

FAQ about uninstalling Avast on Mac

1. Should I have Avast on my Mac?

Though Avast is useful in protecting your MacBook from threats, it can be intrusive and resource-intensive when compared to other options on the market, such as MacKeeper. Besides, Avast is also lacking in additional security features, whereas MacKeeper includes the Private Connect feature, which uses VPN technology to hide your IP address from hackers online. What’s more, MacKeeper also has performance features to make your Mac run faster.

2. What happens if I uninstall Avast from my MacBook?

If you uninstall Avast, you should absolutely look to install an alternative antivirus as soon as possible. This is because your Mac will be operating without protection from malware and viruses. We recommend installing MacKeeper to protect your laptop after removing Avast. MacKeeper’s Antivirus is lightweight and won’t slow down your Mac—all while keeping you protected from the latest threats.

3. How do I permanently remove Avast from my Mac?

You can uninstall Avast using Finder or the built-in uninstaller, but these options risk leaving some files on your Mac, such as logs and cache files. If you want to completely uninstall an application on Mac, such as Avast, you should use cleaning software such as MacKeeper’s Smart Uninstaller to remove the software and then use our Safe Cleanup to remove any remaining logs or cache files.

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