How to Delete Mail App on Mac [5 Methods]

Your Mac comes with default apps, such as the Mail app. Some of them are critical, some aren’t. There might even be some apps that you won’t use at all. They’ll just take up so much space on your Mac. You might not find the need for it, especially if you’re already using a web-based mail app. Instead of letting the app take up so much space on your Mac, you might want to delete it. That’s a valid thought and if you’re wondering how to delete Mail app on Mac, there are 5 ways to do it.

Keep in mind that you need to go through each method first before diving into deleting a default app on your Mac. While some of the methods might look simple enough for you to do, you might want to take some time to really think about deleting a default app because you don't want your system to run out of application memory for some useless apps.

The first method is pretty easy. However, consider going through all the other methods first before choosing which one to use.

Contents: Part 1. 5 Easy Methods to Delete Mail App on MacPart 2. Powerful Tool to Keep Your Mac in Top ConditionTo Wrap It All Up

Part 1. 5 Easy Methods to Delete Mail App on Mac

You can firstly try these 5 easy ways here to solve the storage problem on Mac or delete the Mail app.

Method #1. Remove Account & Emails on Mail App Mac

Even if you think the Mail app on your Mac computer takes up a lot of storage space and you never use it, we don't recommend you to delete the pre-installed Mail app that is part of your operating system.

You can disable it to stop the Mail app from automatically downloading emails, or clear the Mail app's cache, delete emails or their attachments (you can use a smart Mail cleanup tool mentioned in Method#5 / Part 2 to clean them easily).

If you don't want to receive new emails in Mail anymore, in the case of Gmail emails, users can open the Mail email app, click Preferences > Accounts > find your Gmail account > Click the minus "-" button to de-enable it so that Mail can't download new Gmail emails.

If users need to delete the old emails in Mail app on Mac, please find the account icon on Mail's home page > click Library (or press the "Option" button while clicking the "Go" button in the menu bar) > select "Mail" and then you will be able to open the folder containing all emails. Note that instead of deleting the entire folder, you only need to delete those emails that generally end in ".emlx".

If you want to clean the Mail application cache and the email attachments easily on your Mac, then we recommend you use the PowerMyMac tool.

Method #2. Search Mail App on Mac and Move it to Trash

This method can be done to remove any software installed on your macOS. Here are the steps.

1. Open the Finder.
2. Search for Applications folder and click on it. You will find all the applications that you installed in that particular folder.
3. Go to the Search bar and type in "Mail". You will get the files related to your Mail app.
4. Click on the plus button on the upper right -hand side of your screen. This button is beside the Save button. By clicking on the plus button, you will be able to find all the files related to your Mail app.
5. Click on Kind on the top left-hand side of your screen. This is the top option you will get from the list.
6. Click on Other, which you will see on the button part of the drop-down list.
7. Do a search again and type in the system. You will get System files under Attribute.
8. Check the box underneath the In Menu on the right-hand side.
9. Click OK to get all the related files of your Mail app.
10. Select “are included” on the drop-down box beside System files. “Are included” is your second and last option on the drop-down list. When you click on it, you will see more files related to your Mail app. By removing all the files, you see, you can finally uninstall the software.
11. Select all the files
12. Drag all of the files to the Trash to delete them.

Make sure the software you want to remove is closed. If not, you won’t be able to move it to the Trash. There might still be some files associated with Mail app. You can check on those files in the Library. The thing is, you might not be able to see Library since it’s usually hidden. The Library is designed to be hidden so that you won’t end up deleting any app by accident.

You can go to the Library by holding down the Option key. Then click on GO on the menu above. Once the GO menu is open, press and release Option. That will show the Library in the menu. Select library to view other associated files. You can delete these files or drag them to the Trash.

Method #3. Delete the Mail App on Mac via Terminal

This third method is a very technical. You have to be very careful if you resort to this method. It’s not as simple as the first two methods. Nonetheless, it is very effective if done properly.

Before you proceed, here’s the thing that you have to keep in minds. It’s not exactly advisable to delete the standard apps that come with your Mac. While there are ways to do it, you might realize the impossibility of the task. Even if you close the app before dragging it to the Trash, you might still encounter an error.

Truth be told, deleting the standard apps on Mac is prohibited. It’s not just discouraged but it’s prohibited. Using the two methods mentioned above can damage the system. After all, the Mail app is built-in. Simply deleting it can affect the system.

Nonetheless, this third method can show you how to delete Mail app on Mac. As a reminder, this method requires technical knowledge. You would have to type in some commands and if you’re not comfortable with that, then this method is not for you.

The first thing you would need to do is to disable SIP or the System Integrity Protection of Apple. Here are the steps for you to do that.

1. Restart Mac in recovery mode by holding the Command + R keys.
2. Wait until you see the Apple logo.
3. Restart Mac again if the macOS Utilities window does not appear.
4. Select Terminal under the Utilities menu.
5. Type in the command csrutil disable.
6. Reboot Mac.

Now, you can delete Mail app on Mac via Terminal. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Open up Terminal window.
2. Go to Applications folder by typing in the appropriate command. The command is cd /Applications/.
3. Type in the next command, which is sudo rm -rf Mail.app/. This command will delete Mail app.
4. Hit enter.
5. Type in your password. Your Mail app will be deleted.

As you can see, this method is technical. If you have no programming experience, you might end up typing in the wrong command. You need to be very careful with the commands because even a simple space can ruin it. Although you can get the various commands online, typing in a wrong one can wreak havoc on the system. That is something you don’t want to happen to your Mac. You need to be an experienced Terminal user to resort to this method.

Method #4. Try to Unlock the Mail App

With this method, you will be able to drag the app to the Trash without error. This method just requires you to unlock the app. Check out the steps below.

1. Right-click on the Mail app.
2. Select Get Info.
3. Click on the lock button. You will see this on the lower right-hand side of the pop-up window.
4. Type in your password in the pop-up window. That will give you full system access to the Mail app.
5. Click the lock icon again.
6. Drag Mail app to the Trash. Chances are, you won’t see any error in moving the Mail app to the Trash.

Method #5. Make Use of the Mac Uninstaller

Making use of the Mac Uninstaller is the easiest method, that is if you truly want to know how to delete Mail App on Mac easily.

The "App Uninstaller" feature from iMyMac PowerMyMac can totally help you. It can remove the apps that you don’t need and clean up the remaining files for you. Here are the steps for you to follow so that you can make use of the Mac Uninstaller to delete the Mail app on Mac.

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1. Download PowerMyMac for free.
2. Install the software.
3. Click on the feature App Uninstaller
4. Start the scanning process to search for the Mail app.
5. Select the Mail app and delete it by clicking CLEAN.

It’s that easy with the Uninstaller. The best part is that you are sure that all files associated with the app are deleted as well. It just took a few clicks to clean up your Mac. You’ll have more space without having to go through the trouble of deleting each app.

It will just take a couple of seconds and clicks for you remove the Mail app. It’s always good to know how to delete Mail app on Mac. However, the various methods might be too complicated for the less tech savvy folks. If you’re not exactly tech savvy, you might have some reservations in pursuing the task.

If you’re having some reservations in deleting the Mail app, why not just sync it with the web-based mail app that you’re already using?

Tips for Mail App: How to Synchronize Email Account

Instead of deleting Mail app on your Mac, set it up with a web-based mail app. That way, you’re sure to get all the messages without having to go online. You will also be getting all your messages in just one location. Here are the steps for you to follow.

1. Open Mail.
2. Click on Mail on the menu.
3. Select Add Account. You will get a pop up with a list of mail app options.
4. Choose your preferred mail app.
5. Click on Continue below.
6. Type in the email address that you want to add.
7. Click the Next button below.
8. Type in your password.
9. Click the Next button below.
10. Select Mail. This is the first option on the list.
11. Click the Done button below.
12. Click on Mailbox on the menu above.
13. Click on Synchronize Account. You will be able to see your preferred mail app on the left-hand side of your screen. You will be able to see all your incoming emails on your preferred mail app in your Mac Mail. If you want to add another account, go back to the menu bar above and click on Mail. Then select Add Account again.
14. Click on the settings icon below to set up your mailbox the way you want it to work.

So, if you’re uncomfortable with how to delete Mail app on Mac, make it work with your web-based mail instead.

Part 2. Powerful Tool to Keep Your Mac in Top Condition

The App Uninstaller is just one of the modules of a powerful tool called PowerMyMac. It is packed with functionalities that can help clean and optimize your Mac. So. when you download the PowerMyMac, you’re guaranteed a bunch of other features that can help keep your Mac in top condition. You will be able to save a lot of your precious time.

So, if you choose to sync your web-based mail app with your Mac Mail, PowerMyMac can do the cleaning up for you instead. It locates and removes attachments that you don’t need anymore. Your Mac can benefit from PowerMyMac.

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You can use PowerMyMac's "Junk Cleaner" module to clean the Mail app caches on Mac or delete the email attachments quickly.

To Wrap It All Up

While it is good to know the various methods as to how to delete Mail app on Mac, it is also wise to choose the most efficient way of doing it. You wouldn’t want to waste your precious time in deleting the task only to end up ruining your Mac.

While the five methods can definitely show you how to delete Mail app on Mac, you would have to be very careful in pursuing the task itself. After all, the Mail app is one of the standard Apple apps. It might be better to just leave it alone especially if you’re not tech savvy.

Nonetheless, the decision to delete the Mail app on Mac is yours to make. Now, if you really want to delete it, choose the most efficient way of doing it. There’s no doubt that making use of the Mac Uninstaller is the way to do it. It will save you a lot of time. Most importantly, it will fully delete the app.