How to uninstall MarginNote on Mac
Before removing MarginNote 4, open Settings › Backup & Restore and make a Full Export that includes the database and all documents. Save the .marginbackupall file outside MarginNote’s data areas and confirm it exists. A database-only export omits original PDFs; check which option you chose. If CloudKit sync is enabled, verify it separately instead of treating sync as the local backup.
The recorded test used the official Mac package; the Homebrew route below is separate.
Remove the app
Quit MarginNote and move MarginNote 4.app from Applications to Trash. Keep the exported backup and any source PDFs stored in your own folders. Older MarginNote identities can coexist, so inspect a historical-ID container before deleting it and do not assume every QReader folder belongs to this installation.
Review local data
The path below is documented in the current Homebrew cask. In Finder, use Go › Go to Folder to inspect it. Do not remove its parent directory or another product’s data.
| Location | Decision |
|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/QReader.MarginStudyMac |
Cask zap names this support folder; it was not written during the recorded first run. Do not infer it is absent on a used Mac. |
The tested package uses bundle ID QReader.MarginStudy.easy. Review only files that actually appear on this Mac. A missing path needs no cleanup.
Check what remains
Run these read-only commands after quitting the app:
pgrep -il 'MarginNote'
ls -d "$HOME/Library/Application Support/QReader.MarginStudyMac"
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. If ls prints the path, that item remains and needs review. “No such file or directory” means this path is absent; a permission error means its state was not established.
If you installed it with Homebrew
The current marginnote cask has a zap list covering the QReader.MarginStudyMac support and container paths. 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 marginnote
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 lists exact app-ID containers and caches when found. Exact-ID rows are selected by default; a QReader support folder with uncertain ownership is a review row and starts unchecked. Keep the exported backup outside the app data area.
What this test covered
The official DMG build 4.4.6 was installed and removed on September 20, 2026. Historical-ID containers and temporary caches were selected; no account was signed in and no populated notebook was tested. The QReader.MarginStudyMac support path did not appear on that first run.