Ella Walter
If you're a Mac user, you've likely customized your machine with System Preferences, which includes individual sections called preference panes. While you can't delete macOS's built-in System Preference panes, you may want to remove or hide third-party preference panes that are causing clutter or issues. This can be done manually by locating the corresponding .prefPane file and dragging it to the Trash, or with the help of a program like App Cleaner & Uninstaller. Removing preference panes will permanently delete them from your system, so it's important to ensure you're deleting the correct pane.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Can I delete a preference pane? | Yes, you can delete a preference pane, but it depends on whether it is a macOS built-in preference pane or a third-party preference pane. |
| Deleting a macOS built-in preference pane | You can't permanently delete macOS built-in preference panes, but you can hide them. |
| Deleting a third-party preference pane | You can permanently delete third-party preference panes. |
| Tools to delete a preference pane | You can use tools like App Cleaner & Uninstaller or do it manually. |
| Manual steps to delete a preference pane | Control-click the third-party preference pane and select "Remove". If it doesn't work, locate the corresponding .prefPane file and drag it to the Trash. |
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What You'll Learn
Removing macOS built-in preference panes
It is not possible to delete macOS built-in System Preference panes. However, you can hide them to simplify settings for other users.
To hide built-in System Preference panes, first, open "System Preferences". Then, in the menu bar at the top of the screen, select "View" > "Customize". This will add a checkbox to all of Apple’s built-in preference panes. Deselect the checkbox for every preference pane that you want to hide, then click "Done".
If you change your mind and want to re-add these hidden preference panes, repeat the steps above, but this time select the pane’s accompanying checkbox.
You can, however, remove third-party preference panes. To do this, hold down the "Control" key and click the icon of the pane you'd like to remove. A small pop-up button will appear that says "Remove [name] Preference Pane". Click it, enter your password, and click "OK". The third-party preference pane will then be deleted from your system permanently.
If you are struggling to remove a pane in the usual way, you might have more luck deleting its corresponding .prefPane file. To do this, open a new "Finder" window and select "Go > Go to Folder…" from the Finder menu bar. This will open a new popup. Copy and paste the following into the popup, making sure to replace "HomeFolder" with the name of your actual home folder:
/Users/HomeFolder/Library/PreferencePanes
Find the correct .prefPane file, then drag and drop it into the Trash.
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Using App Cleaner & Uninstaller
App Cleaner & Uninstaller is a useful tool that allows you to manage and remove user and system extensions on your Mac. This includes preference panes, which are special dynamically loaded plugins that customize the working of apps.
To use App Cleaner & Uninstaller, you can follow these steps:
- Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller on your Mac.
- In the app's menu bar, go to Preferences to customize the app's settings. Here, you can enable or disable various options, such as monitoring deleting apps and reminding you to delete their service files, searching for service files in System folders, and sending anonymous usage data to the developer.
- You can also set up the Large & Old criteria to specify the size and date of usage for scanned apps. By default, the app searches for apps in the Applications folder, but you can add additional folders for scanning in the Locations tab.
- Once you have customized the settings according to your preferences, you can start scanning for apps and extensions to uninstall.
- The app will display a list of outdated apps in the Updates tab. Select the apps you want to update and click the Update button.
- To remove preference panes, go to the Preference Panes section. Here, you can preview and remove all the preference panes installed by third-party apps.
- Before removing any preference panes or their associated files, ensure that you don't need those files. Deleting certain files without removing the app can cause malfunctions.
- After selecting the preference panes for removal, you can choose whether to uninstall them permanently or move their files to the Trash first. By default, App Cleaner & Uninstaller moves items to the Trash, allowing you to restore them if needed.
- You can also enable or disable the confirmation window after successful removal and the logging of removed files. The logging option helps you easily find deleted files in the Trash.
- If you encounter any errors during the removal process, App Cleaner & Uninstaller will show an exclamation mark in the Removal window. Common reasons for errors include running processes in the background related to the app or kernel extensions that protect the files from removal.
By following these steps, you can effectively use App Cleaner & Uninstaller to manage and remove preference panes and other extensions on your Mac.
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Manually removing third-party preference panes
You can manually remove third-party preference panes on your Mac by locating their actual files in Finder. First, launch System Preferences and locate the pane you want to remove. Control-click the third-party preference pane and select "Remove". If this doesn't work, you may need to locate the file that is powering the particular preference pane.
To do this, open a new "Finder" window and select "Go > Go to Folder" from the Finder menu bar. A Finder window will pop up, which should include files that correspond with the third-party preference panes you see in System Preferences. Locate the file for the preference pane you want to remove and drag its file into the "Trash" icon on your Dock. Once you empty your trash, the preference pane will be deleted permanently and the only way to get it back will be to reinstall its associated application.
You can also use a special program like App Cleaner & Uninstaller, which automatically finds all extensions on your Mac.
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Hiding preference panes
You can hide preference panes on your Mac by following these steps:
Firstly, open the "System Preferences" application on your Mac. This can be found in the Applications folder or by selecting it from the Apple menu bar. From the System Preferences menu bar, select "View" and then "Customize". Alternatively, you can click and hold the "Show All" button located to the right of the forward and back arrow buttons at the top of the System Preferences window.
The System Preferences window will then change to include small checkboxes beside each icon. To hide a preference pane, simply uncheck the icon and then click "Done". The hidden icons will no longer be visible when you return to the regular icon display.
It is important to note that you cannot permanently remove macOS's built-in System Preference panes, but you can hide them to simplify settings for other users.
If you wish to remove third-party preference panes, you can do so by control-clicking on the preference pane you want to delete and selecting "Remove". If this does not work, you can manually remove the preference pane by locating its corresponding .prefPane file. You can do this by opening a "Finder" window and dragging the file into the "Trash" icon on your Dock. Once you empty your trash, the preference pane will be permanently deleted.
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Deleting preference panes permanently
Deleting preference panes can help to reduce clutter in your System Preferences app. However, it is not possible to permanently delete macOS's built-in System Preference panes. If you try to remove Apple system preference panes, you may damage your Mac operating system.
Third-party preference panes, on the other hand, can be permanently deleted. To do this, locate the relevant .prefPane file. You can do this by opening a "Finder" window and selecting "Go > Go to Folder..." from the Finder menu bar. Then, copy and paste the following into the popup, replacing "HomeFolder" with the name of your actual home folder:
/Users/HomeFolder/Library/PreferencePanes/
Once you have located the correct .prefPane file, simply drag and drop it into the Trash.
Alternatively, you can hold down the "Control" key and click the icon you want to remove. A small pop-up button will appear, saying "Remove [name] Preference Pane." Click it, enter your password, and click "OK."
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Frequently asked questions
You can delete a preference pane by dragging and dropping it into the Trash. Alternatively, you can use the 'App Cleaner & Uninstaller' program to uninstall the application.
No, you cannot delete macOS's built-in System Preference panes. However, you can hide them by opening "System Preferences", selecting "View" > "Customize", unchecking the icons you would like to hide, and then clicking "Done".
Hold down the "Control" key and click the icon you would like to remove. A small pop-up button will appear, prompting you to confirm the removal. After entering your password and clicking "OK", the third-party preference pane will be deleted.
