How to uninstall TextExpander on Mac
Before removing TextExpander, save and copy your snippet groups and local unsynced changes to a separate backup, then open the copy. This guide covers the official Mac download; Homebrew-specific removal is separate below.
Before removal, verify your wanted files or work in the service or another connected device, and COPY local work outside every sync root. Open that copy before quitting; moving a synchronized item may propagate a deletion. Uninstalling the app does not delete your account or cancel a subscription.
Quit and remove the app
Finish current work and quit TextExpander. Check Activity Monitor for its process before removing the app in Finder. In Applications, move TextExpander.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 'TextExpander'
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 textexpander
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/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/com.smileonmymac.textexpander.json~/Library/Application Support/TextExpander~/Library/Caches/com.smileonmymac.textexpander~/Library/Preferences/com.smileonmymac.textexpander.plist~/Library/Saved Application State/com.smileonmymac.textexpander.savedState~/Library/Webkit/com.smileonmymac.textexpander
A direct brew uninstall --cask --zap textexpander 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
~/Library/Application Support/TextExpander is app data for individual review, not selected by default; keep it if you need local snippets or settings. ~/Library/Preferences/com.smileonmymac.textexpander.plist and its exact-identity cache are selected by default unless protected. The recorded Chrome native-messaging file is ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/com.textexpander.textexpander.json; the differently named cask entry is a separate integration target, not the whole Chrome profile.
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 October 3, 2026 record covers the following test. The official app was first-launched without signing in or extra permissions, then removed using a source-built Mole app. Reviewed paths were absent afterward, with partial first-launch scan coverage. Snippet expansion, cloud sync and subscription cancellation were not tested.