How to Uninstall VMware Fusion on Mac (Clean Removal)

In short: Done with VMware Fusion? Removing it cleanly means quitting the app, trashing the program, and dealing with the virtual machines that quietly eat tens of gigabytes. This guide walks you through the whole thing, step by step, so nothing important gets lost.

VMware Fusion lets you run Windows and Linux inside a window on your Mac, which is genuinely useful right up until you no longer need it. When that day comes, dragging the app to the Trash is only part of the job. The real space hogs are your virtual machine (VM) bundles, which can each be 30, 60, or 100+ GB, plus a handful of support files Fusion leaves behind. This guide shows you how to uninstall VMware Fusion on Mac the calm way: remove the app, delete the VMs on purpose, and tidy up the leftovers, all reversible until you decide otherwise.

Before You Start: Save Anything You Need From Your VMs

A virtual machine is a whole computer stored in a single file bundle. Once you delete it, everything inside it, your Windows installs, files, and settings, goes with it. So do this first if any of it matters to you.

Launch VMware Fusion one last time and open the Virtual Machine Library (Window > Virtual Machine Library). Boot any VM you care about and copy its documents to your Mac, a USB drive, or cloud storage. If you might want the entire machine back someday, you can also export it: with the VM shut down, right-click it in the library and choose the option to reveal or export the package. Only once you are sure nothing valuable is trapped inside should you move on.

Step 1: Quit VMware Fusion Completely

You cannot cleanly remove an app that is still running. Shut down every VM from inside Fusion first, then quit the app with VMware Fusion > Quit VMware Fusion (or Command-Q). To be certain nothing is lingering in the background, open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities), search for vmware, and if you see any related processes still active, select them and use the stop button to quit them.

Step 2: Delete Your Virtual Machines to Reclaim Space

This is where the real storage lives. By default, VMware stores VM bundles here:

• ~/Virtual Machines (the tilde means your home folder)

In Finder, press Command-Shift-H to jump to your home folder, then open the Virtual Machines folder. You will see items ending in .vmwarevm. Each one is a full virtual computer. Drag the ones you no longer want to the Trash. Some people store VMs elsewhere, so if the folder is empty or missing entries, use Spotlight or Finder search for .vmwarevm to locate strays. Because these files are large, emptying the Trash afterward is what actually frees the space on your drive.

Step 3: Remove the VMware Fusion App

Open your Applications folder, find VMware Fusion, and drag it to the Trash. That removes the main program. If macOS asks for your password, that is normal for an app that installed a networking helper.

Step 4: Clean Up the Leftover Support Files

Fusion scatters a few configuration and cache files around your Library folder. None of these are dangerous to keep, but removing them completes the uninstall and clears a little clutter. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (Command-Shift-G) and check these locations, dragging any VMware Fusion items you find to the Trash:

• ~/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion
• ~/Library/Preferences/ (files beginning with com.vmware.fusion)
• ~/Library/Caches/com.vmware.fusion
• ~/Library/Logs/VMware Fusion

Stay inside your own ~/Library folder. There is no need to touch anything in the system /System or top-level /Library areas, and you should never delete files inside /System. Leaving the odd VMware kernel or network file in place does no harm; a clean reinstall or a full macOS update handles those.

A Quick Word on Reversibility and Privacy

Notice that every step above sends things to the Trash rather than deleting them outright. That is deliberate. As long as an item sits in the Trash, you can right-click it and choose Put Back if you moved the wrong thing. The removal only becomes permanent when you empty the Trash, so give the contents a final look before you do. This preview-then-empty habit is the safest way to clean anything on a Mac.

On privacy: a good uninstall, and a good cleanup tool, has no reason to send your data anywhere. If you ever want to confirm what an app is doing on your network, a firewall like Little Snitch shows you every outbound connection in plain sight.

If You Want a Cleaner to Find the Leftovers For You

Hunting through Library folders by hand works, but a purpose-built cleaner can surface the stragglers and show you exactly what it plans to remove first. If you want one, our top free pick is CoreSweep: it is free forever, sends removals to the Trash so they stay reversible, uses zero telemetry, and offers an optional one-time Pro upgrade ($49, no subscription). A strong value runner-up is SkoonMac, which is also free with a one-time Pro at just $19. Either one lets you preview before anything moves.

That is the full picture. Save what you need, delete your VMs to reclaim the big space, trash the app, sweep up the support files, and empty the Trash once you have double-checked. Done carefully, uninstalling VMware Fusion is quick, tidy, and completely reversible right up to the last step.

Frequently asked questions

Does dragging VMware Fusion to the Trash fully uninstall it?

Not quite. Trashing the app removes the main program, but it leaves your virtual machine bundles, which can each be tens of gigabytes, and a few support files in your Library folder. To reclaim the space and finish the job cleanly, delete your VMs and sweep up the leftovers, then empty the Trash.

Will uninstalling VMware Fusion delete my virtual machines?

No. VMs are stored separately, by default in the ~/Virtual Machines folder, so removing the app leaves them behind. Because each VM is a whole computer in one file, copy out anything you need first, then delete the .vmwarevm bundles yourself to actually free the space.

Where does VMware Fusion leave files on a Mac after you remove the app?

Fusion scatters a few configuration and cache files inside your own ~/Library folder, mainly ~/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion, com.vmware.fusion preference files, ~/Library/Caches/com.vmware.fusion, and ~/Library/Logs/VMware Fusion. Stay inside your ~/Library and never delete anything in /System. Any stray VMware kernel or network file is harmless and gets handled by a reinstall or a macOS update.

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