How to uninstall Hazel on Mac
Hazel's rules and settings live outside the app, in ~/Library/Application Support/Hazel and the preference files starting with com.noodlesoft, so save them first if you might set Hazel up again. The simplest way is Hazel's own export: select a folder in Hazel and choose Export All from the Action menu, which writes one rules file per folder (Export Rules). This covers the DMG from noodlesoft.com (bundle id com.noodlesoft.Hazel) and the Homebrew cask hazel, which installs the same download.
Quit and remove the app
Hazel's uninstall page says Hazel has no uninstaller and is removed by dragging the Hazel app from the Applications folder to the Trash. Quit Hazel first if it is open, and check Activity Monitor for a Hazel helper process before you remove the app.
Where the data lives
Press Shift + Command + G in Finder and check each path. The first two rows are where Noodlesoft's developer says Hazel keeps its rules and settings (Noodlesoft forum); the rest come from Homebrew's zap list for Hazel and the recorded test.
| Location | What it holds | What to do |
|---|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/Hazel |
Your rules and settings | Export or back up first; it is not disposable app data |
~/Library/Preferences/com.noodlesoft.Hazel.plist, com.noodlesoft.HazelHelper.plist |
Settings for the app and its helper | Back up with the folder above if you want the same setup again, otherwise remove |
~/Library/Preferences/86Z3GCJ4MF.com.noodlesoft.HazelHelper.plist |
Another helper preference file | Remove it for a clean start |
~/Library/Caches/com.noodlesoft.HazelHelper |
Helper cache | Safe to remove |
~/Library/Logs/Hazel |
Log files | Safe to remove |
~/Library/Group Containers/86Z3GCJ4MF.com.noodlesoft.Hazel |
A small group folder Hazel created in the test | Remove it in Finder if you want it gone |
Hazel also needs Full Disk Access to use its Trash-related features (Install Hazel). Removing the app does not revoke that grant; open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Full Disk Access and remove Hazel's entry yourself if it is still listed.
Check the result
pgrep -il hazel
ls -d ~/Library/Application\ Support/Hazel ~/Library/Preferences/com.noodlesoft.Hazel.plist
No output from pgrep means neither Hazel nor its helper is running; a listed process should be quit before you continue. For ls -d, "No such file or directory" means that folder or file is gone; a printed path means it is still there, which is what you want if you kept your rules on purpose.
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.
The hazel cask quits the 86Z3GCJ4MF.com.noodlesoft.HazelHelper helper before removing the app, and its zap list includes ~/Library/Application Support/Hazel (your rules), the helper's cache, ~/Library/Logs/Hazel, the three preference files above and Hazel's saved window state. Mole lists the rules folder without a tick, so unless you tick it Mole's Homebrew removal drops --zap and removes only the rows you left ticked. Running brew uninstall --cask --zap hazel yourself moves everything on the list, whatever you ticked in Mole.
To keep your rules, export or back them up first, or remove only the app:
brew uninstall --cask hazel
What Mole lists
~/Library/Application Support/Hazelis listed but not selected, so you choose between keeping your rules and reclaiming the space.~/Library/Preferences/com.noodlesoft.Hazel.plistand~/Library/Logs/Hazelare selected by default when they exist; back up the preference file first if you want your settings back later.- Files named after the helper,
com.noodlesoft.HazelHelper, can appear as well; check whether each one is ticked before you continue. - The Finder extension's container and the
86Z3GCJ4MF.com.noodlesoft.Hazelgroup folder appear in the list. Mole's safety check does not delete a group folder named this way, and macOS can refuse to move the container, so either may stay after the uninstall.
What this test covered
Hazel 6.1.2 was copied into Applications from the official DMG, with no Homebrew receipt, and uninstalled on September 20, 2026, with Mole 1.15 Preview (build 280), without granting it the Accessibility or Full Disk Access permission. The app went to Trash. The Finder extension container (36 KB) failed with a macOS permission error, and the group folder 86Z3GCJ4MF.com.noodlesoft.Hazel (4 KB) was refused as a protected App Group path, so both stayed. No rules were created, and exporting rules and the Homebrew cask were not tested.