Avast can be a super handy antivirus and anti-malware program on a Mac, but it can be equally frustrating, too. Whether it’s blocking pop-ups you actually intended to open, stopping emails from getting through to you, or just unnecessary (thanks to Apple’s innate virus-immunity), we’re here to show you how to quickly and easily uninstall (or delete) Avast on a Mac.
To learn how to delete Avast on a Mac, follow our step-by-step tutorial down below. For all other information, or if you have further questions on the matter, please direct your attention to our FAQ section at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
How to uninstall Avast on a Mac
- Power up your Mac and sign into your user profile
- Via the App finder, locate and launch Avast
- Once Avast is open, left-click “Avast Security” located in the top-left of your screen, between the Apple logo and the ‘Edit’ tab
- From the drop-down menu, select “Uninstall Avast”
- Confirm the uninstallation by then left-clicking “Uninstall” in the next pop-up window
- When the window reading “Uninstall Additional Protection Products” pops-up, make sure to check the box next to Avast Online Security, by left-clicking the blank box to check it.
- Next, press “Continue” in the “Uninstall Additional Protection Products” window
- You will be asked to enter your Avast ID and password to confirm the deletion/uninstallation. Enter them now, and then click “OK”
- Lastly, click “Quit”
- Avast Security is now fully uninstalled. You should finally reboot your computer just to ensure the process has fully integrated into the system. To do so, click the Apple logo in the top-left, and select “Reboot” from the drop-down menu.
And there you have it! A straightforward 10-step plan to help you uninstall/delete Avast on a Mac. If you have any further questions or would like a little more information on the subject, be sure to check out our FAQs below.
FAQs
What is Avast?
Avast Antivirus is an anti-virus and anti-malware program that helps to protect computer systems from various viruses and malware which would jeopardize their continued operations. On many computers, including Windows PCs and Macs, Avast comes preinstalled.
Avast Antivirus is sometimes preinstalled and free to the user, whilst in other instances, it comes pre-installed but is only available free on a trial basis, after which time the user would have to pay to continue using its services.
Avast can be super helpful as a means of protecting your programs, files, and sensitive user information from corruption by malicious viruses and malware.
Why would I want to delete Avast from my Mac?
Whilst Avast Antivirus comes preinstalled on all Macs, the reasoning behind this is curious. After all, even Apple – the company behind the Mac – has declared that Macs are impervious to viruses. In other words, it is impossible for a Mac to get a virus! Note that this immunity does not extend to malware. Apple Macs can still get malware.
Still, since Macs are – by their very design – pretty well-defended against viruses and malware, you may well, and understandably, decide that there’s no reason to have Avast on your computer.
Perhaps it’s taking up valuable space on your Mac’s hard drive; space you need to free up. Maybe you’re simply sick of the pop-ups from Avast, asking you to upgrade the app or your Avast account. It could even be blocking emails or websites from getting through to you, or from opening, despite you wanting them.
Whatever reason you have for wanting to delete Avast from your Mac, you’ve come to the right place. To learn how to delete Avast from a MAc, simply follow our step-by-step guide above.
Does this method also work for deleting Avast from a Windows PC?
No, this method cannot be copied on Windows computers. This method for uninstalling Avast from a Mac only works on Macs. To uninstall Avast from a Windows computer, go to your Settings menu, then to the Applications/Apps part of your Settings. Search for Avast, left-click on it, and then click the button below the app which says ‘Uninstall’. Confirm your decision in any pop-up windows which appear, and once uninstallation is complete, finally reboot your computer by hitting the Start menu, and selecting ‘Restart’ from the Power options.
Can I delete Avast by moving the application to Trash?
No. If you move the Avast application to your Trash folder, you will not be fully deleting or uninstalling the program. Avast has, like all other apps, lots of different folders embedded onto your Mac, following initial installation.
To fully delete or uninstall Avast via the Trash folder, you’d have to find each individual folder and file related to Avast, and move them separately to Trash. It’s much easier and more foolproof to use the method described above.
Can I recover or reinstall Avast after deleting it from my Mac?
Sure you can! Any programs you uninstall and delete from your Mac, you can always redownload. Simply visit the appropriate website via your preferred browser (in this case, the Avast Antivirus website). Then, look for the download option to download the Avast Antivirus app.
Make sure you click the download link for Apple computers/Macs. Once the installer file has been downloaded, open it up through Viewfinder, or in the Downloads folder, and run it to install Avast Antivirus again. Be sure to follow all the steps you are instructed to on-screen to complete the installation.
If you ever change your mind again, you can simply delete and uninstall it once more, by following our set instructions up above.
