How to uninstall Ollama on Mac
Stop running models before removing the app. Downloaded models, configuration, and the command-line entry need separate checks. These steps cover the official Mac download.
Separate memory use from disk space
Open Terminal and run these read-only commands. The first lists downloaded models; the second lists loaded models. A model stored on disk is not necessarily using working memory.
ollama ls
ollama ps
If the command cannot connect to Ollama, open the app before checking. A connection error does not prove that your models have been deleted.
Stop a model to release its memory
Finish tasks that use the model. Replace MODEL_NAME below with its full NAME from ollama ps, including the tag after the colon.
ollama stop MODEL_NAME
ollama ps
The model should disappear from the running list. Stopping unloads it from memory without deleting its downloaded files. Another client can load it again by making a request.
Remove unused models to reclaim disk space
This deletes the model rather than moving it to Trash. Public models can usually be downloaded again; keep the source and backups for custom models. Check ollama ls first. Replace MODEL_NAME with a model you no longer need, then run:
ollama rm MODEL_NAME
ollama ls
Confirm the name disappears from the list. Shared files can make reclaimed space differ from the listed model size.
Quit Ollama and remove the app
- Finish active tasks and quit Ollama from its menu bar menu. Closing a conversation window does not necessarily stop the service.
- Search for Ollama in Activity Monitor and check whether its processes have exited. If you started ollama serve in Terminal, stop it in that terminal too.
- Find Ollama in Finder’s Applications folder and move it to Trash. If macOS says it is in use, return to the previous step before deleting its data.
These steps cover the official Mac download. Homebrew, Docker, and remote servers are different installations; a missing app icon does not establish that those installations are gone.
Review models, configuration, and caches
In Finder, press Shift + Command + G and inspect these public locations individually. Skip missing paths. Review existing contents before moving anything to Trash; do not remove the parent Library or Application Support folder.
| Location | What to do |
|---|---|
| ~/.ollama | Contains models and configuration. Keep it if you still need it; otherwise back it up before moving it to Trash. |
| ~/Library/Application Support/Ollama | Review application settings and local data before removal. |
| ~/Library/Caches/ollama | Check after quitting the app; handle it only if it exists. |
| ~/Library/Caches/com.electron.ollama | A cache location used by some versions. Its absence is not an error. |
| ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.electron.ollama.savedState | Saved window state; review after quitting the app. |
| ~/Library/WebKit/com.electron.ollama | Embedded web data; remove only if its local state is no longer needed. |
The default model directory is ~/.ollama/models. If you set OLLAMA_MODELS, also check that custom location. These locations come from the official uninstall instructions; not every Mac has every entry.
Check the command-line entry and the result
After removing the app, check whether the command is still available:
command -v ollama
ls -l /usr/local/bin/ollama
If /usr/local/bin/ollama remains, inspect whether it is a symbolic link to the Ollama.app you just removed. Only after confirming ownership, open /usr/local/bin in Finder and remove that ollama entry. Administrator authorization may be required. Do not remove the bin directory.
If the command points to Homebrew or another location, check that installation separately. No output from command -v only means the current shell’s PATH cannot resolve the command. It does not prove that symbolic links or other files are gone. A missing path from ls -l differs from a permission error; investigate errors first. Check the app, background processes, and any model directory you chose to remove independently. Deliberately kept models are not a cleanup failure.
Review associated files with Mole
The instructions above follow the official Mac download. The recorded installation test used a Homebrew cask, which is a different removal flow. Homebrew’s zap operation removed the local model directory in that test, so it does not demonstrate model preservation.
Current Mole code classifies Ollama local data as user data requiring review; that does not establish the behavior of every published version or uninstall channel. In Mole, open Software, find Ollama, expand its associated files, back up models, and review the deletion plan before proceeding. Custom model directories and separately installed command-line tools need separate checks.