How to uninstall OmniFocus on Mac

OmniFocus (from The Omni Group, bundle id com.omnigroup.OmniFocus4) keeps its local database inside its sandboxed Container. If you sync through Omni Sync Server or your own WebDAV server, the server holds a copy too; if you do not sync, that Container holds your only copy. Open OmniFocus once more and confirm sync shows no pending changes before you remove it, or back up the database if you do not sync. This guide covers the app downloaded from The Omni Group and the Homebrew cask omnifocus.

Confirm sync, then quit and remove

  1. Open OmniFocus and check that its sync status shows nothing pending.
  2. Quit OmniFocus from its menu.
  3. Move OmniFocus from Finder's Applications folder to the Trash.
  4. Open System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions and turn off an OmniFocus entry if one is listed.

If you sync, your task data also lives on the sync server, independent of this Mac; The Omni Group has a separate guide for removing or renaming that server-side database if you want to disconnect completely. (Removing your OmniFocus data from the server)

Where OmniFocus keeps local data

Location What it holds What to do
~/Library/Containers/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus4 OmniFocus's local database and settings Confirm sync has caught up, or back it up if you do not sync, then remove with the app
~/Library/Group Containers/34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniFocus App Group container that other Omni apps, such as OmniOutliner, also use Leave it while another Omni Group app is installed
~/Library/Application Scripts/34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniFocus* and ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus* Sandbox automation scripts Remove with the app
~/Library/Preferences/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus*.LSSharedFileList.plist Recent-file list Safe to remove
~/Library/Preferences/com.omnigroup.OmniSoftwareUpdate.plist Shared update-check preference used by every Omni Group app Shared; remove only once no other Omni app is installed
~/Library/Saved Application State/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus*.savedState Saved window state Safe to remove
~/Library/Caches/Metadata/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus* Cache Safe to remove

Check the result

Run these read-only commands in Terminal:

pgrep -il omnifocus
launchctl list | grep -i omnigroup
ls -d "$HOME/Library/Containers/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus4"
ls -d "$HOME/Library/Group Containers/34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniFocus"
  • No output from pgrep means OmniFocus is not running.
  • No output from launchctl list means no Omni Group login item is loaded in this session.
  • "No such file or directory" from either ls means that folder is gone, and a printed path means it is still there. The Group Container staying is expected while another Omni Group app is installed or when you left its row unticked in Mole.

If you installed it with Homebrew

Mole skips --zap when its list reaches unchecked or shared data, or cannot be fully checked, and still cleans the leftovers you selected.

The omnifocus cask's zap list includes ~/Library/Application Scripts/34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniFocus*, ~/Library/Application Scripts/34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniSoftwareUpdate, ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus*, ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus*, ~/Library/Containers/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus*, ~/Library/Group Containers/34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniFocus, both OmniFocus*.LSSharedFileList.plist and OmniSoftwareUpdate.plist under Preferences, and com.omnigroup.OmniFocus*.savedState. The Group Container on that list is an unticked row in Mole and other Omni apps also use it, so Mole leaves --zap out while that row is unticked or another Omni app is installed. Running brew uninstall --cask --zap omnifocus yourself moves all of them to the Trash, whatever you selected in Mole, including the Group Container and the OmniSoftwareUpdate items other Omni Group apps also use.

To skip the zap step:

brew uninstall --cask omnifocus

What Mole lists

For an OmniFocus app downloaded directly from The Omni Group:

  • ~/Library/Containers/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus4 is named after the bundle id and selected by default. It holds your local database, so if you do not sync, back it up or untick it before you remove.
  • ~/Library/Group Containers/34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniFocus and the 34YW5XSRB7.com.omnigroup.OmniSoftwareUpdate scripts folder are listed but not selected. If you tick them, Mole moves them to the Trash only when no other installed app claims the group; with another Omni app installed that uses it, such as OmniOutliner, Mole keeps it and the row reads "Kept: couldn't confirm no other app uses this group".

What this test covered

OmniFocus 4.9.1, downloaded from The Omni Group's site, was installed and uninstalled on September 20, 2026 with Mole 1.15.0 (build 280) and Full Disk Access, as part of a ten-app batch. The reviewer expanded the review list and selected every row before removing. OmniFocus was not signed into Omni's sync service during the test. Its Container (about 52 KB) was selected but stayed because macOS refused to move it to the Trash, and the Group Container and the OmniSoftwareUpdate group folder were selected and kept by Mole's App Group check. A background item for OmniFocus appeared in System Settings after install, unchecked; afterward its record still pointed at the app in the Trash, a macOS bookkeeping entry rather than a running process. Server-based sync and OmniOutliner's own removal were not part of this test. OmniFocus