How to uninstall Cursor on Mac
Removing Cursor, clearing editor data, and uninstalling Cursor Agent CLI are separate tasks. This guide covers the Mac desktop app while preserving projects and command-line tools you still use.
Save your work and quit Cursor
Save open files and uncommitted work. Back up the data directories below if you want to keep configuration. Quit through the Cursor application menu, then search Activity Monitor for Cursor and check that the desktop app’s processes have exited.
Move Cursor from Finder’s Applications folder to Trash. This is the Mac removal method in Cursor’s current official instructions. If macOS says it is in use, address the corresponding process first; deleting its data is not a way to make it quit safely.
Separate app data, caches, and projects
Press Shift + Command + G in Finder and inspect the paths below. Skip missing directories. Do not create them or delete every similarly named file to make the search results empty.
| Location | What to do |
|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/Cursor |
Application data, not one disposable cache. Back up settings and local state you want, then move it to Trash only if no longer needed. |
~/.cursor |
User configuration and extensions require review. Do not delete the whole directory while still using Cursor command-line tools. |
~/Library/Caches/cursor-compile-cache |
Compiled cache confirmed in this inspection; review for removal after quitting Cursor. |
.cursor inside a project |
Project rules and configuration belong with that project. Removing the editor does not require deleting projects. |
These are inspected locations, not an exhaustive list for every version. Check ownership and contents before deleting other caches or support files. A matching name alone is not enough.
Handle Cursor Agent CLI separately
Cursor’s official CLI has a separate installation process. When removing only the desktop editor, keep the CLI and configuration you still use. Do not delete the whole ~/.local/bin directory or project configuration.
These read-only commands show whether entries remain:
command -v cursor
command -v agent
No output means the command was not found in this shell’s PATH, not that every related file has been removed. An error message does not confirm removal; check the reported error first.
Output means a command resolves to a location, not that the desktop app is running. A name alone also does not establish that the command belongs to Cursor. If cursor points to the removed app, inspect whether that exact path is a symbolic link and check its target before removing the stale entry individually.
Verify the result
Check that Cursor is absent from Applications, that Activity Monitor shows no processes belonging to that desktop app, and that the specific directories you chose to delete are gone. Keeping projects, backups, or an independently used CLI is expected, not a failed uninstall.
Removing the editor does not cancel a subscription. If you no longer want a paid service, check the subscription in your account settings separately.
What Mole checked
This regularly used app received a local configuration inspection, not a complete live uninstall. Mole treats user configuration as requiring review and distinguishes compiled cache from independent CLI data. Review the actual selection before removing files; this page does not claim verification of every version or installation method.