How to uninstall MacVim on Mac
MacVim can use ~/.vimrc and shared ~/.vim plugins. Keep copies of your vimrc, plugins and edited files before removing the GUI app. These files may also serve terminal Vim or Neovim; deleting them would change those editors even if MacVim is gone.
The recorded test used the official Mac package; the Homebrew route below is separate.
Remove the app
Quit MacVim and move MacVim.app from Applications to Trash. The project documents Homebrew formula and cask installs as separate channels. If mvim remains on PATH, identify whether it came from the formula, cask or another installation before changing that executable.
Review local data
The path below is documented by the vendor. In Finder, use Go › Go to Folder to inspect it. Do not remove its parent directory or another product’s data.
| Location | Decision |
|---|---|
~/.vimrc |
Shared Vim configuration documented by the project. Keep it; it is not in the MacVim cask zap list. |
The tested package uses bundle ID org.vim.MacVim. Review only files that actually appear on this Mac. A missing path needs no cleanup.
Vendor documentation · Additional vendor instructions
Check what remains
Run these read-only commands after quitting the app:
pgrep -il 'MacVim'
ls -d /Applications/MacVim.app "$HOME/Library/Preferences/org.vim.MacVim.plist"
No process output means there is no matching process running now; it does not prove every helper is gone. A listed process needs its owner checked. Each printed app or preference path still exists. “No such file or directory” applies only to the named path, and a permission error is inconclusive. Keep ~/.vimrc regardless of this check; it is shared configuration, not proof that MacVim remains installed.
If you installed it with Homebrew
The current macvim-app cask has a zap list covering org.vim.MacVim cache and preferences; it does not include shared ~/.vim. A direct brew command with --zap applies the cask list without consulting Mole’s checkboxes. After backing up, use this command without --zap:
brew uninstall --cask macvim-app
Mole checks each zap path against your selections, other installed apps, and protected locations. An unchecked, shared, or unverifiable path suppresses --zap; selected remnants can still use Mole’s own removal flow. This cask was not the recorded installation channel.
What Mole lists
Mole selects exact org.vim.MacVim cache and preference rows when found. It does not claim ~/.vim or ~/.vimrc as MacVim-only remnants, because they can belong to other Vim-based editors. Project folders also stay outside app cleanup.
What this test covered
The official MacVim.app 9.2.321 was removed on September 21, 2026. The review had no extra unchecked leaf; ~/.vim was not written by this run and was not claimed. No existing terminal Vim setup or real project was tested.