How to uninstall Trilium Notes on Mac
Back up the actual Trilium data directory before removing the desktop app. It contains the note database, configuration and backups, so deleting it is a separate decision from uninstalling Trilium Notes. The recorded test used the official Trilium Notes download; the current Homebrew cask has TriliumNext naming.
Quit and remove the app
Open Menu › About Trilium Notes and note the data directory. Quit Trilium, then copy that whole directory to a separate backup location. Remove Trilium Notes.app from Applications in Finder only after the backup is in place. A separately hosted Trilium server or Docker volume is not removed with the desktop bundle.
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/Application Support/trilium-data |
Default Mac data directory documented by Trilium; keep it unless intentionally deleting the note database and its backups. |
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/Trilium Notes.app"
ls -ld "$HOME/Library/Application Support/trilium-data"
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 trilium-notes
This removes Homebrew's managed app artifacts without applying its zap list. 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/Application Support/trilium-data~/Library/Application Support/TriliumNext Notes~/Library/Preferences/com.electron.triliumnext-notes.plist~/Library/Saved Application State/com.electron.triliumnext-notes.savedState
Some targets can hold settings or personal data. Keep the paths you still need and back them up before considering brew uninstall --cask --zap trilium-notes. 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 offers discovered Trilium support data for review rather than selecting it by default with the app-data option off. Inspect the full path and contents before selecting it: trilium-data is a database location, not just a cache. Do not infer that a custom data directory is covered. 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 Trilium Notes desktop bundle was installed and removed on 21 September 2026. The selected support directories included a small trilium-data directory and a temporary Trilium support folder. No personal note library or sync server was used; this does not verify restoring a real notebook. Homebrew instructions were checked against the current cask, but this record does not establish a Homebrew-managed uninstall or removal of every possible leftover.