How to uninstall Opera GX on Mac

Opera GX keeps its profile, with bookmarks, Speed Dial, history, saved passwords, extensions and settings, in ~/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.OperaGX. Deleting that folder takes every unsynced item with it, so sync to your Opera account or copy the folder before you remove anything. These steps cover Opera GX downloaded from opera.com and the Homebrew cask opera-gx; the recorded tests used the download from opera.com. Opera and Opera GX are separate apps with separate profiles, so removing one leaves the other alone.

Sync or back up first

Opera's sync, described in Opera's help on features, carries bookmarks, Speed Dial entries, browsing history, passwords, settings and open tabs through an Opera account. The help is written for the Opera browser; in Opera GX, look for the same Synchronization section in its settings, sign in, and use Advanced sync settings to check that passwords are included if you need them. Opera's help also notes that signing out leaves the synced data on the device, so signing out is not a way to clear this Mac.

Without sync, export your bookmarks as an HTML file from the bookmarks manager, then quit Opera GX and copy ~/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.OperaGX to a place outside Library. A copied profile can be put back for a reinstall on this Mac; for another browser, the exported bookmarks file is the portable part.

Quit Opera GX and remove the app

Quit Opera GX with Command-Q, then move Opera GX from Applications to the Trash. It runs many helper processes: in the September 26 test it started 24, about 1.2 GB together, including its updater opera_autoupdate. Confirm they are gone before you touch the profile. Both tests found no login item, background item or launch agent from Opera GX.

Where Opera GX keeps its data

These are the paths in the Homebrew cask's zap list. Open each with Shift + Command + G in Finder and skip the ones that do not exist.

Location	What it holds	What to do
`~/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.OperaGX`	The profile: bookmarks, Speed Dial, history, passwords, extensions, settings	Back up first; keep it unless you want a full reset
`~/Library/Caches/com.operasoftware.OperaGX`	Disk cache	Safe to remove after Opera GX has quit
`~/Library/Caches/com.operasoftware.Installer.OperaGX`, `~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.operasoftware.Installer.OperaGX`	Files left by the Opera GX installer	Safe to remove
`~/Library/Cookies/com.operasoftware.OperaGX.binarycookies`	Cookies stored for the app itself	Safe to remove with the app
`~/Library/Preferences/com.operasoftware.OperaGX.plist`	App preferences	Remove for a clean start
`~/Library/Saved Application State/com.operasoftware.OperaGX.savedState`	Window state	Safe to remove

Folders named com.operasoftware.Opera belong to the regular Opera browser. Leave them alone unless you are removing it too; the Opera guide covers that app.

Check the result

Run these read-only commands in Terminal after the app is in the Trash:

pgrep -ilf "Opera GX.app"
ls -d "$HOME/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.OperaGX"

No output from pgrep means Opera GX is no longer running. A listed process means Opera GX or a helper is still open; quit it before copying or deleting the profile. The regular Opera runs from a different app and does not match this pattern.
ls printing the path means your profile is still on this Mac, which is what you want if you kept it. "No such file or directory" means it is gone.

If you are keeping Opera GX and only want disk space back, see Free Up Chrome and Safari Storage on Mac Safely; Opera GX is Chromium-based and the same cache layers apply.

If you installed it with Homebrew

Opera GX is a browser, so Mole removes a Homebrew install with brew uninstall --cask opera-gx and never adds --zap, whatever you tick in its review list.

A zap you run yourself is different. brew uninstall --cask --zap opera-gx moves every path in the table above to the Trash, the profile folder included. Back up first, or leave --zap out:

brew uninstall --cask opera-gx

Account

Removing the app does not delete your Opera account or the data already synced to it. For account questions, see Opera account help.

What Mole lists

For Opera GX downloaded from opera.com:

~/Library/Application Support/com.operasoftware.OperaGX is listed as sensitive browser data, because the profile can hold passwords, keys or extension data. It is never selected by default or by select-all. You can tick it on its own; Mole asks you to confirm and moves it to the Trash, where it stays recoverable until you empty the Trash.
The cache, preferences and temporary caches filed under com.operasoftware.OperaGX are selected by default.
Profiles of the regular Opera belong to another bundle ID and are not listed when you remove Opera GX.

What this test covered

On September 21, 2026, Opera GX was downloaded from opera.com, copied into Applications, opened without signing in, and uninstalled with a Preview build of Mole 1.15; there was no Homebrew receipt and no regular Opera on the test Mac. The app, its cache and preferences went to the Trash, and the profile folder, about 29 MB, stayed on disk as sensitive browser data. On September 26, 2026, a newer Opera GX was installed again from opera.com, opened once, and removed with a development build of Mole with every row ticked. Mole's Status view showed it as one row of 24 processes, about 1.2 GB. The app and the 4 selectable items went to the Trash, no process or startup item was left, and the profile, about 30 MB, again stayed because select-all never includes it. Opera sync, a signed-in account and the Homebrew cask were not tested.