How to completely uninstall Oracle VirtualBox on Mac
Dragging VirtualBox to the Trash removes the app itself, but its support files, caches and settings stay on your Mac. Here is where they are and how to remove all of them.
VirtualBox is installed from a package that also adds system components and command-line tools, so dragging the app to the Trash is not enough. Oracle provides VirtualBox_Uninstall.tool on the installer disk image, and that is the supported way to remove it.
Your virtual machines and their disk images are in ~/VirtualBox VMs by default. They are your data and are usually far larger than the app. Shut down all machines, then keep, export (File > Export Appliance) or delete that folder yourself.
org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBoxRemove VirtualBox by hand
- Quit VirtualBox. If it has a menu bar icon or runs in the background, quit that too.
- Open the Applications folder and drag VirtualBox to the Trash.
- In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), paste each location below, and move what you find to the Trash. Not every location exists for every version.
- Empty the Trash, then restart your Mac so nothing from VirtualBox is left running.
Where VirtualBox keeps its files
/Applications/VirtualBox.app~/Library/Caches/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox~/Library/Preferences/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox.plist~/Library/Saved Application State/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox.savedState~/Library/Containers/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox~/Library/HTTPStorages/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox~/Library/WebKit/org.virtualbox.app.VirtualBox
Other places VirtualBox uses
~/Library/VirtualBoxData/Library/Application Support/VirtualBoxPrivileged helper/usr/local/bin/vboximg-mountTool data
Items under /Library need your administrator password to remove.
The quick way
Diskzy finds VirtualBox and the files listed here, shows the size of each one, and moves them to the Trash together. Files that another app also uses are left alone.
More uninstall guides
See where your Mac's space went
Diskzy maps your disk, explains System Data and clears what's safe. Free for 72 hours, then $9 once for 2 Macs.
Try Diskzy for free