How to uninstall OpenEmu on Mac
Before removing OpenEmu, save and copy your complete game library, imported ROMs, battery saves and save states to a separate backup, then open the copy. This guide covers the official Mac download; Homebrew-specific removal is separate below.
Keep game images, save files and memory-card data. A library or emulator support folder can contain your progress, so copy the entire folder before reviewing it for removal.
Quit and remove the app
Finish current work and quit OpenEmu. Check Activity Monitor for its process before removing the app in Finder. In Applications, move OpenEmu.app to the Trash; if you keep it elsewhere, use its actual location. Keep the Trash until your backup has been checked. Official documentation
Check the result
This read-only check searches full process command lines, not disk contents.
pgrep -ifl 'OpenEmu'
No output with exit status 1 means no matching command line was found. A printed entry needs inspection in Activity Monitor because names can match unrelated processes. An error is not proof of removal. Also check that the app is absent from its original Finder location; a retained data folder or independent component does not mean the app is still installed.
If you installed it with Homebrew
Use the installed cask receipt and uninstall without zap.
brew uninstall --cask openemu
The command removes the cask’s managed application artifacts without running zap. The live cask additionally names these zap targets, which can erase settings, local data or integration files; this is Homebrew’s list, not a vendor data-location claim.
~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/com.apple.LSSharedFileList.ApplicationRecentDocuments/org.openemu.openemu.sfl*~/Library/Application Support/OpenEmu~/Library/Application Support/org.openemu.OEXPCCAgent.Agents~/Library/Caches/OpenEmu~/Library/Caches/org.openemu.OpenEmu~/Library/Cookies/org.openemu.OpenEmu.binarycookies~/Library/HTTPStorages/org.openemu.OpenEmu~/Library/HTTPStorages/org.openemu.OpenEmu.binarycookies~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Atari800.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Bliss.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.BSNES.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.CrabEmu.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.desmume.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.dolphin.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.FCEU.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Gambatte.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.GenesisPlus.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Higan.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Mednafen.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.mGBA.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Mupen64Plus.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.NeoPop.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Nestopia.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.O2EM.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.OpenEmu.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Picodrive.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.PPSSPP.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.ProSystem.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.SNES9x.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.Stella.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.TwoMbit.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.VecXGL.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.openemu.VisualBoyAdvance.plist~/Library/Saved Application State/org.openemu.OpenEmu.savedState
This cask is disabled for new installation; that does not establish whether an existing receipt can be uninstalled on your Mac.
A direct brew uninstall --cask --zap openemu runs its own zap scope without consulting Mole’s checkboxes. Mole uses zap only when the complete scope passes its gate; unchecked or shared paths, paths outside the review boundary, unknown stanzas and unsupported directives suppress it. Selected remnants still use Mole’s deletion path.
What Mole lists
Mole lists the application and matching attributable remnants that exist during the scan. The test below does not establish a complete data-location inventory. Exact bundle-identity preferences and caches are generally selected by default; app-name support folders are listed for review and are not selected by default. Check the actual rows before confirming removal.
These defaults assume “Remove data and settings with apps” is off. Opting in also selects eligible reviewed app data; shared stores and protected data retain individual review or stay locked.
What this test covered
The September 21, 2026 record covers the following test. The Intel official zip app was removed but could not be launched; Rosetta was not installed. It created no OpenEmu support directory. Game-library handling was not tested.