How to uninstall IGV on Mac
Before removing IGV, save and copy your session files and the genomic files referenced by them to a separate backup, then open the copy. This guide covers the official Mac download; Homebrew-specific removal is separate below.
Quit and remove the app
Finish current work and quit IGV. Check Activity Monitor for its process before removing the app in Finder. In Applications, move IGV_2.19.8.app to the Trash; if you keep it elsewhere, use its actual location. Keep the Trash until your backup has been checked. Official documentation
Check the result
This read-only check searches full process command lines, not disk contents.
pgrep -ifl 'IGV'
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
For the desktop app cask, uninstall without running zap:
brew uninstall --cask igv-desktop
The current cask manages the desktop app and names these additional zap locations:
~/.igv~/igv~/Library/Preferences/org.broad.igv.plist
The zap list includes IGV configuration and its home-directory data, not only preferences. Copy wanted contents first and keep independently installed Java and genomic datasets.
A direct brew uninstall --cask --zap igv-desktop acts on the cask’s full zap list without consulting Mole’s checkboxes. Mole suppresses zap when it reaches unchecked or shared data, an unreviewed scope, or unsupported actions; selected remnants still use its own removal flow.
What Mole lists
Mole lists the application and matching attributable remnants that exist during the scan. The test below does not establish a complete data-location inventory. Exact bundle-identity preferences and caches are generally selected by default; app-name support folders are listed for review and are not selected by default. Check the actual rows before confirming removal.
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. The version-named official app was copied and removed, but launching it produced no running process. Session handling and data cleanup were not verified.