How to uninstall Day One on Mac
Day One's own guide asks you to verify your journal is synced before uninstalling, at dayone.me if you use Day One Sync, and to export a JSON backup as a second copy, since it keeps both text and media and can be imported again later. Do this before you remove the app. Your entries live in a local database folder that Mole lists but keeps, which is still no reason to skip the backup. This guide covers the Mac App Store build.
Back up, then quit and remove the app
- In Day One, choose File > Export, pick your journal and export it to JSON as a backup, even if Day One Sync is on.
- Quit Day One, including its menu bar Quick Entry helper if you turned it on.
- Remove Day One the usual Mac App Store way, from Launchpad or by dragging it out of Applications.
Where Day One keeps its data
In Finder, press Shift + Command + G and open each location that exists.
| Location | What it holds | What to do |
|---|---|---|
~/Library/Containers/com.bloombuilt.dayone-mac |
Day One's sandboxed container | Selected by default, removed with the app |
~/Library/Application Scripts/com.bloombuilt.dayone-mac |
Scripts folder tied to the container | Selected by default, removed with the app |
~/Library/Group Containers/5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp2 |
Your local journal database and media, named in Day One's own uninstall and reinstall guide | Back it up or copy it somewhere safe if you do not fully rely on sync; delete it yourself only after that |
~/Library/Group Containers/5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp and ~/Library/Group Containers/5U8NS4GX82.ob |
Two more App Group containers Day One declares | Delete them yourself only together with 5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp2 |
| Share, Safari and widget extension containers (a few KB each) | Small extension data | Selected by default, removed with the app |
Check the result
pgrep -il "day one"
ls -d ~/Library/Group\ Containers/5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp2 ~/Library/Group\ Containers/5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp ~/Library/Group\ Containers/5U8NS4GX82.ob
No output from pgrep means Day One is not running. For ls, a printed path is expected for all three Group Containers, since Mole keeps them; "No such file or directory" means that folder is gone, so if you did not delete it yourself, check your export before you rely on this Mac's copy.
Account and subscription
Removing the app does not cancel a Day One Premium subscription or delete your account. Manage those inside the app before removing it, or later from dayone.me.
What Mole lists
For a Day One app installed from the Mac App Store:
~/Library/Containers/com.bloombuilt.dayone-macand~/Library/Application Scripts/com.bloombuilt.dayone-macare named after the bundle id and selected by default.- The Share, Safari and widget extension containers and their scripts folders are selected by default, because those extensions ship inside Day One and their ids continue Day One's bundle id.
- The three Group Containers (
5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp2,5U8NS4GX82.dayoneappand5U8NS4GX82.ob) and their Application Scripts folders are listed but not selected. If you tick them, Mole still keeps them and the row reads "Kept: couldn't confirm no other app uses this group": Mole's App Group check does not accept a two-part name like5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp2, so it never removes these folders, and your journal data stays put.
What this test covered
Day One was first tested on September 21, 2026 with Mole 1.15.0 (build 282) and Full Disk Access, without ticking the review rows: the app, its scripts folder and its temporary cache went to the Trash, the 360 KB container stayed because macOS refused to move it to the Trash, and the extension containers and the Group Containers were left unticked. Day One 2026.19 was reinstalled from the Mac App Store and uninstalled again on September 26, 2026, with a development build of Mole and every listed row ticked. The app, its container, Application Scripts, the three extension containers and the temporary cache went to the Trash. The three Group Containers, including about 4.5 MB in 5U8NS4GX82.dayoneapp2, and their scripts folders were ticked but kept by the App Group check. No new login item was found before or after either run, and the update channel was the Mac App Store. Uninstalling and Reinstalling Day One for macOS · Backup and Sync options on iOS and macOS