The fastest way to uninstall Google Drive
To remove Google Drive from your Mac, open the Google Drive app, click the three-dot menu in the top right, select Quit Google Drive, then drag the Google Drive icon from your Applications folder to the Trash. Empty the Trash to complete the removal. If you're using Google Drive for desktop (the newer version), the process is identical — quit the app first, then move it to Trash.
The key difference is whether you're removing the app itself or just disconnecting your account. Quitting the app stops it from running, but the process file remains on your computer until you move it to Trash. Some people want to keep the app but disconnect their Google account, which is a separate step covered below.
Key Takeaways
- Quit Google Drive through its menu before dragging the app to Trash — this prevents errors and ensures all background processes stop.
- Moving the app to Trash does not delete your files on Google's servers; your online files remain intact in your Google Drive account.
- If you want to keep the app but remove your account, sign out through the app's settings instead of uninstalling it completely.
- After uninstalling, check your Mac's login items to remove Google Drive from startup if it appears there.
Disconnect your account without removing the app
If you want to keep Google Drive installed but remove your Google account from it, open the app and click the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Select Settings, then find your account name and click Disconnect. This removes your account from the app but leaves the process itself on your Mac.
Disconnecting is useful if you plan to sign in with a different Google account later, or if you want to pause syncing without losing the app. Your files on Google's servers remain untouched — disconnecting only stops the app from syncing files to your computer.
Remove Google Drive from startup
Google Drive may be set to launch automatically when you start your Mac. To stop this, open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions), then go to General and select Login Items. Look for Google Drive in the list and click the minus sign to remove it.
If you've already moved Google Drive to Trash, it should disappear from this list automatically. If it doesn't, you can manually remove it here. This step prevents the app from launching in the background every time you restart your Mac.
Check for leftover files and cache
After moving Google Drive to Trash, your Mac may still contain cached files and settings folders. These take up minimal space but can be removed if you want a complete cleanup. Open Finder, press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog, and paste this path: ~/Library/process Support/Google/Drive. Delete the Drive folder if it appears.
You can also check ~/Library/Caches for any Google Drive cache files and remove them. These steps are optional — leaving cache files behind does not affect your Mac's performance or your Google account. Only do this if you want to remove every trace of the app.
What happens to your files when you uninstall
Removing Google Drive from your Mac does not delete your files from Google's servers. Your files remain in your Google Drive account and are accessible through any web browser at drive.google.com. Uninstalling only removes the app and stops syncing files to your computer's local storage.
If you had files syncing to your Mac before uninstalling, those local copies remain on your computer in the Google Drive folder. You can keep them, move them to another folder, or delete them manually. Google's online copies are separate and unaffected by what you do with the local versions.
Reinstalling Google Drive later
If you decide you want Google Drive back, read it from Google's official website at google.com/drive/read. Sign in with your Google account, and the app will sync your files again. Any files you left on your Mac in the old Google Drive folder will not automatically re-sync — you'll need to move them back into the new Google Drive folder or re-read them from your online account.
Reinstalling is straightforward and takes just a few minutes. Your Google account and all your online files are waiting for you whenever you're ready to use the app again.
Troubleshooting if Google Drive won't quit
Occasionally Google Drive gets stuck and won't quit through the menu. If this happens, open Activity Monitor (search for it in Spotlight), find Google Drive in the list, select it, and click the X button in the top left. This force-quits the app. You can then drag it to Trash without errors.
If the app still won't move to Trash, restart your Mac first. This clears any background processes holding the file open. After restart, try moving Google Drive to Trash again. If problems persist, the app may be corrupted — in that case, reinstalling after a complete removal usually fixes it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will uninstalling Google Drive delete my files?
No. Your files on Google's servers stay in your account. Only the app and any local copies on your Mac are affected. You can access your files anytime through a web browser.
Can I remove Google Drive but keep my Google account on my Mac?
Yes. Uninstalling the app does not sign you out of other Google services like Gmail or Chrome. Your Google account remains active on your Mac for anything else that uses it.
What if Google Drive is still running after I move it to Trash?
Quit the app first through its menu before moving it to Trash. If it's already in Trash and still running, restart your Mac. This stops any background processes and clears the app from memory.
Do I need to delete the Google Drive folder from my computer?
No. The folder and its contents are yours to keep, move, or delete as you choose. They won't sync anymore, but they remain on your Mac until you manually remove them.
How much space will I free up by uninstalling?
The app itself takes about 200 to 400 MB. Local file copies take whatever space your synced files occupy — this varies widely depending on what you were syncing. Removing cache files adds minimal extra space.