Uninstall Perplexity on Mac
Check conversations you need on the website and save local downloads, then quit Perplexity and move it from Applications to the Trash. Threads live in your Perplexity account, not in the Mac app's folders. These steps cover the official disk image and the Homebrew cask. Uninstalling does not cancel a Perplexity subscription or delete the account; cancel a subscription where you bought it, in your Perplexity account or in the App Store.
Quit and remove the app
Quit Perplexity, check Activity Monitor for a remaining Perplexity process, and move the app from Applications to the Trash. Browser extensions are separate installations; manage them in each browser. Perplexity's Comet browser is a separate app as well and is not removed with it.
Where Perplexity keeps local data
After quitting Perplexity, copy any complete local data or configuration you want to keep, including ~/Library/Application Support/ai.perplexity.macv3 and ~/Library/Preferences/ai.perplexity.macv3.plist, to a private backup outside the folders you will delete and check the copies. In Finder, press Shift + Command + G to open each exact path below, then move only confirmed, unwanted Perplexity items to the Trash. Keep shared groups and Comet data for separate ownership review.
| Location | What it holds | What to do |
|---|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/ai.perplexity.macv3 |
App data on this Mac | Remove only after needed account content is checked on the web and wanted local data has a verified backup |
~/Library/Caches/ai.perplexity.macv3 |
Cache | Safe to remove after quitting |
~/Library/HTTPStorages/ai.perplexity.macv3 |
Web session storage | Remove it if you no longer want this Mac signed in |
~/Library/Preferences/ai.perplexity.macv3.plist |
App preferences | Remove for a clean reinstall |
~/Library/Group Containers/group.ai.perplexity.app |
A shared Perplexity group | Keep it when ownership or sync status is unclear |
~/Library/Application Scripts/group.ai.perplexity.app |
Scripts associated with the shared group | Keep it while the group is in use or ownership is unclear |
The first four paths come from the Homebrew Perplexity cask's cleanup list. ~/Library/Application Support/Perplexity can belong to the Comet browser's updater rather than this app; keep it if Comet is installed.
Check the result
Run these read-only commands in Terminal:
pgrep -ilf "Perplexity.app"
ls -d "$HOME/Library/Application Support/ai.perplexity.macv3" "$HOME/Library/Group Containers/group.ai.perplexity.app"
If pgrep runs without errors and prints nothing, no full command line matched the pattern Perplexity.app; differently named helpers are outside the match. Check each matching PID and executable path in Activity Monitor to distinguish this desktop app from other Perplexity tools. For ls, "No such file or directory" means the folder is gone; a listed path still exists. A remaining group.ai.perplexity.app is expected, see below.
If Perplexity still works in a browser after uninstalling, that may be the website or an extension rather than the Mac app restarting. Remove an extension separately in the browser if that is what you intend.
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 perplexity yourself runs the cask's full zap list, whatever you selected in Mole. It includes local support data, caches, HTTP storage, preferences, window state and web data, plus ~/Library/Group Containers/group.ai.perplexity.app and ~/Library/Application Scripts/group.ai.perplexity.app. It also removes matching folders whose names end in .ai.perplexity.macv3.shared under Group Containers and Application Scripts. This can remove shared local data that Mole protects; check and back up wanted contents first, or use the command below to retain these folders. It does not delete your online account. Homebrew Perplexity cask
To uninstall without zap and keep local app data and shared groups:
brew uninstall --cask perplexity
What Mole lists
The rows named ai.perplexity.macv3 (support data, cache, HTTP storage, preferences) and the crash-report cache are selected by default. With Remove data and settings with apps off, ~/Library/Application Support/Perplexity is listed but not selected; enabling it can select eligible reviewed app data, so uncheck that folder if Comet still needs it. ~/Library/Group Containers/group.ai.perplexity.app is not listed: Mole treats it as protected. Its Application Scripts entry can appear in the list, but Mole skips it at removal time for the same reason.
What this test covered
Official disk image, September 21, 2026, removed with Mole 1.15 Preview (build 282), without signing in. The app, caches, crash reports, HTTP storage and preferences went to the Trash; the group's Application Scripts entry was skipped as protected. Because the test did not sign in, it does not show whether a signed-in user's copy of that group is safe to delete.