How to uninstall Foxit PDF Reader on Mac
Before removing Foxit PDF Reader, save and copy your PDFs, annotations and any custom reader settings to a separate backup, then open the copy. This guide covers the official Mac download; Homebrew-specific removal is separate below.
This test did not run the package installer. A normal package installation may add UpdateService; keep the vendor package and any supplied uninstaller until its service removal finishes. Do not treat the application-only test as proof that the service is gone.
Quit and remove the app
Finish current work and quit Foxit PDF Reader. Check Activity Monitor for its process before removing the app in Finder. In Applications, move Foxit PDF Reader.app to the Trash; if you keep it elsewhere, use its actual location. Keep the Trash until your backup has been checked. Official documentation
Review local data
These exact locations were observed in the removal record. Open them through Finder’s Go › Go to Folder. Copy wanted contents first; leave them if you want to keep settings or cannot establish ownership. They are optional data removal, not a prerequisite for removing the app.
~/Library/Application Support/Foxit Software/Continuous/Foxit PDF Reader~/Library/Application Support/Foxit Software/Continuous/Addon/Foxit PDF Reader
Check the result
This read-only check searches full process command lines, not disk contents.
pgrep -ifl 'Foxit PDF Reader'
No output with exit status 1 means no matching command line was found. A printed entry needs inspection in Activity Monitor because names can match unrelated processes. An error is not proof of removal. Also check that the app is absent from its original Finder location; a retained data folder or independent component does not mean the app is still installed.
If you installed it with Homebrew
Use the installed cask receipt and uninstall without zap.
brew uninstall --cask foxitreader
It unloads the PDFReaderUpdateService, removes the app and handles its package receipt. The live cask additionally names these zap targets, which can erase settings, local data or integration files; this is Homebrew’s list, not a vendor data-location claim.
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.foxit.PDFReaderUpdateService.plist~/Library/Application Support/Foxit Software/Addon/Foxit PDF Reader~/Library/Application Support/Foxit Software/Foxit PDF Reader~/Library/Caches/com.foxit-software.Foxit PDF Reader~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.foxit-software.Foxit%20PDF%20Reader.binarycookies~/Library/Preferences/com.foxit-software.Foxit PDF Reader*~/Library/Preferences/Foxit Software~/Library/Saved Application State/com.foxit-software.Foxit PDF Reader.savedState
A direct brew uninstall --cask --zap foxitreader runs its own zap scope without consulting Mole’s checkboxes. Mole uses zap only when the complete scope passes its gate; unchecked or shared paths, paths outside the review boundary, unknown stanzas and unsupported directives suppress it. Selected remnants still use Mole’s deletion path.
Keep ~/Library/Preferences/Foxit Software while another Foxit product uses it, and keep the shared Continuous updater. A direct zap command may touch the shared preference directory; use uninstall without zap when that ownership is unclear.
What Mole lists
~/Library/Application Support/Foxit Software/Continuous/Foxit PDF Reader is listed for review and is not selected by default. ~/Library/Application Support/Foxit Software/Continuous/Addon/Foxit PDF Reader is listed for review and is not selected by default.
These defaults assume “Remove data and settings with apps” is off. Opting in also selects eligible reviewed app data; shared stores and protected data retain individual review or stay locked.
What this test covered
The September 21, 2026 record covers the following test. Only the application payload was copied from the official package; installer scripts and UpdateService were never run. The app was removed, while Continuous product leaves survived and were later added for review. This did not test a complete package installation or service removal.