Uninstall Google Drive on Mac without deleting cloud files
Copy files you still need out of Drive before you disconnect an account. Streaming files that exist only as placeholders are not a local backup, and moving them in Finder can move the cloud copy too. Also look for a Lost and Found notification or folder: Google deletes Lost and Found files when the account is disconnected, so copy anything you need from it first. These steps cover Google's installer package and the Homebrew cask.
The longer article is Uninstall Google Drive on Mac Without Deleting Cloud Files. The essential steps before and after removal are below.
Disconnect the account and remove the app
Open Google Drive from the menu bar, then Settings, Preferences, and Advanced Settings. Select the account and choose Disconnect account. Offline copies of streamed files may be removed at that point, so download complete files, copy them outside Drive, and open the copies first. Then quit Google Drive and move it from Applications to the Trash. Google’s current setup notes are Drive for desktop settings. Disconnecting a streaming account is separate from removing the app, and neither one deletes files that are already in the Google account.
Google Drive registers a login item called Google Drive; check System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions after removal. Google's installer also brings Google's shared updater, which Chrome and other Google apps use as well. Leave it in place while any Google app remains.
Where Drive keeps local data
| Location | What it holds | What to do |
|---|---|---|
~/Library/CloudStorage |
Your synced Drive folders | Keep it; these are files, not a cache |
~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS |
Drive for desktop's local data | Remove it only after the account is disconnected and your files are confirmed |
~/Library/Application Support/FileProvider/com.google.drivefs.fpext |
macOS File Provider data for Drive | Leave it to macOS; do not delete it by hand |
~/Library/Application Support/Google |
Folder shared by Google apps | Keep it |
The DriveFS and File Provider paths come from the Homebrew Google Drive cask's cleanup list.
Check the result
Run these read-only commands in Terminal:
pgrep -ilf "Google Drive"
ls -d "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS"
ls "$HOME/Library/CloudStorage"
pkgutil --pkgs | grep -i drivefs
No output from pgrep means Drive is not running. For the first ls, "No such file or directory" means the DriveFS folder is gone. The CloudStorage listing shows which synced folders are still on this Mac; an entry there is not a sign the app is running. pkgutil lists installer receipts: lines starting with com.google.drivefs mean the package is still registered, and no output means it is not.
A synced folder still visible in Finder after Drive leaves Applications does not by itself mean its background app is running. Confirm that the account is disconnected and the files open on the web. A managed work account may have its own sync and removal policy; stop before clearing a synced directory when you cannot establish whether a file exists only on this Mac.
If you installed it with Homebrew
Mole skips --zap when its list reaches unchecked or shared data, or cannot be fully checked, and still cleans the leftovers you selected.
Running brew uninstall --cask --zap google-drive yourself runs the cask's zap list on its own, whatever you selected in Mole. It includes ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS, the File Provider data at ~/Library/Application Support/FileProvider/com.google.drivefs.fpext, and Drive's containers and preferences. It also unloads Google's shared updater services (Keystone and GoogleUpdater) and removes files tracked by the Keystone package receipt before forgetting it. Chrome and other Google apps can depend on those shared installed files for updates. Disconnect the account first, and keep that in mind if Chrome is installed. Homebrew Google Drive cask
To remove Drive and its recorded package files without running the shared-updater zap or deleting zap-listed local data:
brew uninstall --cask google-drive
What Mole lists
With Remove data and settings with apps off, ~/Library/Application Support/Google/DriveFS starts unchecked; enabling it can preselect eligible reviewed app data. Exact Drive extension containers and the user-level FileProvider leaf can appear in the list. Shared App Group rows still need ownership confirmation before removal. Keep sync folders and Google’s shared updater; an app-named review row is not a reason to empty Drive.
What this test covered
On September 19, 2026, only Google Drive.app was copied from Google's package and removed with Mole 1.15 Preview (build 277); the package installer was not run, so the file-system components and Google's updater were never installed, and no account was signed in. The residue review screen did not appear in that run, and the DriveFS folder stayed on disk. The test does not show how a signed-in streaming or mirrored account behaves.
On October 4, 2026, Google Drive 132.0 was removed again. The app, reviewed user-level DriveFS data and FileProvider leaf, preferences and Finder extension containers went to the Trash. Its shared App Group and paired Application Scripts folder remained because exclusive ownership could not be confirmed; the system-level DriveFS folder was left unchecked. This did not verify signed-in sync, cloud recovery or complete installer removal.