# What Is ~/Library/Application Support on Mac?

> Application Support is where Mac apps keep their data — not a cache. Folders of apps you use can hold your work; leftovers of removed apps can go.

- Updated: 2026-10-10
- URL: https://fresh.ist/library/application-support/

**TL;DR:** ~/Library/Application Support is where apps store the data they need to run — databases, downloaded content, plug-ins and sometimes your own work. It isn't a cache, so only remove folders that belong to apps you've already uninstalled.

## Definition

- Full path: `~/Library/Application Support`
- Scope: user (inside your home folder)
- Freshist checks this folder when uninstalling an app. When you uninstall an app, Freshist looks here for items that belong to it. Matches on the app's bundle ID can be pre-selected; name-only guesses are labeled “not sure” and never pre-selected. Removed items go to the Trash, so you can undo.

## What apps keep here

Application Support is the place macOS gives each app for the files it needs to work: databases, downloaded content, plug-ins, templates and other app data. Most apps create a folder named after the app or its developer, or after the app's bundle ID (for example `com.example.App`).

Unlike Caches, nothing here is guaranteed to be rebuilt. Some apps store your own content in Application Support — notes, libraries, projects or game saves — so deleting a folder for an app you still use can lose data.

## Why leftovers pile up

When you drag an app to the Trash, macOS removes only the app itself. Its Application Support folder stays behind, sometimes for years, and can be large if the app downloaded content.

## Removing leftovers by hand

1. Quit the app if it's still installed — and be sure you no longer need its data.
2. In Finder, choose **Go → Go to Folder…** and enter `~/Library/Application Support`.
3. Find the folder named after the app, its developer or its bundle ID, and move it to the Trash.
4. Keep the Trash until you're sure nothing is missing.

If you're not sure which app a folder belongs to, leave it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is it safe to delete the Application Support folder?

No — not the folder itself, and not the folders of apps you still use. Apps keep real data here, sometimes including your own content. Remove only the folders of apps you've already uninstalled.

### Why is Application Support still full after I deleted an app?

Dragging an app to the Trash removes only the app bundle. Its folder in Application Support stays behind until you remove it.

### How do I open it?

In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder… and enter ~/Library/Application Support. The Library folder is hidden by default, so it won't show up in your home folder otherwise.

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Canonical page: https://fresh.ist/library/application-support/
Official site: https://fresh.ist/ (fresh.ist only)
Generated: 2026-10-10