Mac app management: download, install, update, uninstall

This article was first published on the LIZHI.SHOP WeChat official account (shumalizhi) on 2024/11/20 and has since been synced here with appropriate adjustments.

Over the past period, many of you got your first Mac device.

But after using it for a while, they gradually started complaining about a series of things like Mac software download, installation, update, and uninstallation.

Today, I'd like to share with you the ultimate solution for Mac software management!

TL;DR: App Store + Homebrew (+ Applite) + App Cleaner & Uninstaller

App Store

Searching for, downloading, installing, and updating apps through the App Store is fairly convenient, but it has one drawback:

Many commonly used apps are no longer listed on the App Store, or only a "stripped-down version" is available.

▲ Starting in March this year, PopClip was removed from the App Store

The App Store does not directly provide app uninstall functionality, so users need to uninstall apps in one of the following two ways.

Method 1 (App Store versions only): Open Launchpad, press and hold the Option key, and click the delete (x) button in the upper-left corner of the target app;

Method 2 (for all types of apps): Go to the Applications folder, select the target app, and choose "Move to Trash" from the context menu.

Homebrew

Homebrew is a free project many people use. It supports searching, downloading, installing, updating, and uninstalling apps (one more feature than the App Store: uninstall!).

But it has two drawbacks:

• It is a command-line tool, which is cumbersome to use and not friendly enough for average users;

• It has requirements for the network environment; if it is not properly configured, downloads will be very slow or may even fail.

The first drawback can be solved by installing Applite. This tool serves as a graphical interface for Homebrew, making it much easier to use after installation.

I've covered it before, so you can take a look back.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller

App Cleaner & Uninstaller is a Mac software management tool that you can learn about at LIZHI.SHOP. It supports app uninstallation, leftover cleanup, and managing app startup items and other permissions.

In version 8.3 released this year, it also added a batch update feature for apps on your computer.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller 10

Mac 软件卸载清理工具 安全彻底删除应用

macOS

¥99.00

For the App Store and Homebrew, they share a common drawback: they can only update apps installed through their respective channels.

App Cleaner & Uninstaller, however, supports updating, uninstalling, and cleaning apps from all kinds of sources! Moreover, after an app is updated, its source type will not change.

That is, App Store versions remain App Store versions after updating, and standalone installer versions downloaded from the web will also remain the same as before.

When we uninstall apps from Launchpad or the Applications folder, App Cleaner & Uninstaller will automatically detect it in the background and promptly show a reminder.

This helps us thoroughly clean up uninstall leftovers and avoid junk files taking up disk space.

To sum up, here is the Mac software management setup I use:

• For searching and installing apps, you can rely on the App Store, Homebrew, and official websites;

• For updating and uninstalling apps, you can rely on App Cleaner & Uninstaller and Homebrew;

• You can also rely on App Cleaner & Uninstaller to manage startup items and clean extensions and leftovers.

How do you usually manage Mac software? Share your secret tips in the comments!