How to Completely Uninstall Xcode and Clear All Settings

28 February 2025 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Xcode

If you’re experiencing persistent issues with Xcode, such as apps taking an unusually long time to run or frequent crashes, you might be considering a complete uninstallation and reinstallation of Xcode. This guide will walk you through the steps to ensure that all settings and preferences are removed, allowing for a fresh start.

Steps to Completely Uninstall Xcode

To fully uninstall Xcode and its associated files, follow these steps:

• Delete the Xcode application itself located at:
  /Applications/Xcode.app
• Remove cached files and preferences:
  • ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode
  • ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dt.Xcode.plist
  • /Library/Preferences/com.apple.dt.Xcode.plist
• Remove developer-related directories:
  • ~/Library/Developer
  • /Library/Developer (except for the PrivateFrameworks folder)
• Delete additional system receipt files:
  • /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.XcodeExtensionSupport.bom
  • /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.XcodeExtensionSupport.plist
  • /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.XcodeSystemResources.bom
  • /System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.XcodeSystemResources.plist
  • /private/var/db/receipts/com.apple.pkg.Xcode.bom
• Optionally, search for any remaining files named “Xcode” in /private/var/ and remove them selectively.

Retaining Customizations

If you wish to retain certain customizations, consider saving the following files or directories before deletion:

• ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/UserData/CodeSnippets
• ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/UserData/FontAndColorThemes
• ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/UserData/KeyBindings
• ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/Templates
• ~/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning Profiles

Alternative Solutions

Before opting for a complete uninstallation, you might want to explore other solutions such as clearing the Xcode caches or updating to the latest version if you haven’t done so already. For more detailed guidance on resolving specific Xcode issues, you can refer to our related articles like Resolving the ‘iPhone Has Denied the Launch Request’ Error in Xcode 9.

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