How to uninstall Processing on Mac
Save your sketches and back up the sketchbook, including its libraries and modes, before uninstalling Processing. The official Mac app and its settings can be removed independently of your sketch files.
Quit and remove the app
Stop running sketches and quit Processing, then move Processing.app from Applications to the Trash. Keep ~/Documents/Processing if it is your sketchbook. Check your configured sketchbook location as well, since it may be elsewhere.
Review the local data
In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder and open each exact path below. Copy anything you need first, then move only the app-owned item you have decided to discard to the Trash. These locations come from the Homebrew removal list or the recorded local check; a missing location needs no cleanup.
| Location | What to keep or remove |
|---|---|
~/Library/Processing |
Application support data explicitly observed locally; copy it before removing settings or installed components. |
~/Documents/Processing |
Keep the sketchbook; it is not an uninstall remnant. |
Check the result
These commands only list the app and the locations discussed above. The app filename comes from the cask; adjust it if your official-download bundle has a different name.
ls -ld "/Applications/Processing.app"
ls -ld "$HOME/Library/Processing"
ls -ld "$HOME/Documents/Processing"
An entry printed by ls still exists at that path. No such file or directory means that exact item is absent; Permission denied or Operation not permitted means the check could not establish its state. A retained data folder is expected if you chose to keep it. This check does not search every disk or cloud account.
If you installed it with Homebrew
Uninstall without running zap:
brew uninstall --cask processing
This removes Homebrew's managed app artifacts without applying its zap list. The ordinary uninstall stanza also asks the app to quit. A “not installed” error means Homebrew has no matching cask installation; use the Finder route for a manually copied app.
The live cask source names these additional zap targets:
~/Library/Preferences/org.processing.app.plist~/Library/Preferences/org.processing.four.plist~/Library/Preferences/processing.app.tools.plist~/Library/Processing
Some targets can hold settings or personal data. Keep the paths you still need and back them up before considering brew uninstall --cask --zap processing. That direct command applies the cask's entire zap list regardless of Mole's checkboxes. Mole uses zap only when its complete scope passes its selection and shared-data checks; unchecked, shared, out-of-boundary or unsupported targets suppress zap, while selected remnants use Mole's own removal path.
What Mole lists
Mole lists ~/Library/Processing for review, not selected by default. Exact bundle preferences are selected by default. The Documents sketchbook is not listed as an uninstall target. These defaults describe the app-data option switched off. Opting into Remove data and settings with apps also selects eligible reviewed app data; shared stores and protected data retain their individual review or protection.
What this test covered
The official Apple-silicon app, selected preferences and matching temporary cache entries were removed on 21 September 2026. A Library/Processing support location was added to the review rules. The Documents sketchbook was empty in that test, so the record does not verify preservation of a populated sketchbook. Homebrew instructions were checked against the current cask, but this record does not establish a Homebrew-managed uninstall or removal of every possible leftover.