How to uninstall Macs Fan Control on Mac

Macs Fan Control installs a privileged smcwrite helper and a LaunchDaemon for it under /Library the first time it runs, outside the app bundle. Dragging the app to the Trash does not remove them, and neither does the Homebrew cask. Note any custom fan settings first if you plan to reinstall, because they live in the preferences file that goes with the app. This guide covers the official download and the Homebrew cask macs-fan-control.

Use the app's own uninstall command

CrystalIDEA's uninstall page says Macs Fan Control has a built-in More › Uninstall… command. Use it while the app is still installed.

Remove it by hand

If you already deleted the app, or prefer to do it yourself, CrystalIDEA's page lists these commands. They quit the app, delete its preferences file, reload the preferences cache, then unload and delete the daemon and helper; the sudo lines ask for your administrator password:

killall "Macs Fan Control"
rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.plist
killall -u `id -u -n` cfprefsd
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite.plist
sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite.plist
sudo rm /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite

Then move Macs Fan Control.app to the Trash if it is still in Applications.

Where its data lives

Mole's own Fan feature uses a separate helper of its own. Removing Macs Fan Control does not touch it.

Check the result

pgrep -il "macs fan control"
launchctl print system/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite
ls -l /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite.plist /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite

• No output from pgrep means the app is not running.
• launchctl print reporting that the service could not be found means the smcwrite daemon is not loaded. A block of service details means it is still loaded.
• ls -l printing "No such file or directory" for a path means that file is gone. A listed file is still there and needs the administrator step above.

If you installed it with Homebrew

The macs-fan-control cask signals the app to quit when it uninstalls, and its zap list names only ~/Library/Preferences/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.plist, the file Mole selects by default. While that row stays ticked, nothing in the zap list is left unreviewed, so Mole can use --zap; untick it and Mole leaves --zap out. Neither the cask's uninstall step nor its zap list removes the smcwrite daemon or helper, so tick those two rows in Mole or use CrystalIDEA's commands above.

Running the zap step yourself removes the preferences file but not the daemon or helper:

brew uninstall --cask --zap macs-fan-control

What Mole lists

For Macs Fan Control installed from the official download:

• ~/Library/Preferences/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.plist is selected by default.
• /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite.plist and /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.crystalidea.macsfancontrol.smcwrite are listed but not selected; when you tick them, Mole asks for your administrator password and moves them to the Trash together with the app.

For a Homebrew install, the zap list names only the preferences file.

What this test covered

Macs Fan Control was tested twice from the official download. On September 19, 2026, it was copied into Applications, opened, and removed with a Preview build of Mole 1.15 (build 277); there was no Homebrew receipt. First run had installed the smcwrite LaunchDaemon, and Mole's startup list showed it. That build could not remove root-owned files under /Library, so the daemon and its helper stayed after the app was removed. On September 23, 2026, the official package was installed and removed again with a later Preview build: the daemon plist and the PrivilegedHelperTools helper went to the Trash after an administrator password prompt, and nothing from the app was left afterwards. Mole's own Fan helper was untouched both times. Custom fan settings and the Homebrew cask were not tested.