TidyMacQuit VS Code, drag Visual Studio Code from Applications to the Trash, then remove ~/.vscode (installed extensions), ~/Library/Application Support/Code (settings, keybindings, snippets, workspace storage), its caches including the ShipIt update cache, preferences and saved state. Back up your User settings first or use Settings Sync.
Uninstall Visual Studio Code step by step
- Turn on Settings Sync, or copy ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User (settings.json, keybindings.json, snippets).
- Quit VS Code (Code › Quit Visual Studio Code).
- Drag Visual Studio Code from Applications to the Trash.
- Move ~/.vscode and ~/Library/Application Support/Code to the Trash.
- Move ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode and com.microsoft.VSCode.ShipIt to the Trash.
- Move ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.VSCode.plist and its Saved Application State to the Trash.
- If you installed the code command, remove it with: rm /usr/local/bin/code
- Empty the Trash.
Where Visual Studio Code leaves files
| Location | What it is | After uninstalling |
|---|---|---|
| ~/.vscode | Installed extensions | Safe |
| ~/Library/Application Support/Code | Settings, keybindings, snippets, workspace storage, logs | Check first |
| ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode | Cache | Safe |
| ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode.ShipIt | Downloaded updates | Safe |
| ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.VSCode.plist | Preferences | Safe |
| ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.microsoft.VSCode.savedState | Window positions | Safe |
| /usr/local/bin/code | The code command, if you installed it from the Command Palette | Safe |
In Finder choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G) and paste a path to open it. Safe means nothing you made is inside; Check first means it may hold the only copy of something. To see how much space they use, run this read-only command in Terminal:
du -sh ~/.vscode ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.VSCode.ShipIt ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.VSCode.plist ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.microsoft.VSCode.savedState 2>/dev/nullWhere VS Code keeps its weight
Extensions live in ~/.vscode/extensions, one folder per extension and version. Language servers and debuggers can make these large. Per-project state (search indexes, local history) lives in workspaceStorage inside ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User, with one folder for every project you’ve opened.
Insiders and other editors are separate
VS Code Insiders uses its own folders (Code - Insiders and ~/.vscode-insiders), so removing one doesn’t affect the other. Editors built on VS Code keep their own folders too.
Your projects are untouched
None of these folders contain your code. Repositories stay wherever you cloned them. More developer cleanup
Uninstall Visual Studio Code with TidyMac
TidyMac’s uninstaller lists every app with its size and last use, and finds the leftovers that belong to it by bundle ID. Remove Visual Studio Code and its leftovers in one review: everything goes to the Trash first, you confirm twice, TidyMac checks the disk afterwards, and you can put anything back. Leftovers from apps you already deleted are found too, labelled Check first.
Uninstall apps and their leftovers in one step
See every part of your storage explained, and clean only what’s safe after you confirm twice. $9.99, one time.
Frequently asked questions
Does dragging Visual Studio Code to the Trash uninstall it completely?
No. It removes the app, but Visual Studio Code leaves 7 kinds of files behind in your Library and elsewhere: installed extensions; settings, keybindings, snippets, workspace storage, logs; cache. The steps above remove them.
What is Visual Studio Code’s bundle ID on Mac?
com.microsoft.VSCode. Most of its leftover files and folders are named after it, which is how you (and TidyMac) can tell they belong to Visual Studio Code.
Can I reinstall Visual Studio Code later?
Yes. Download it again from Microsoft. Anything stored in your account online comes back when you sign in; local-only data you removed does not.