How to uninstall apps on Linux
If you’re new to Linux, you’re probably wondering how you can uninstall apps you’ve installed previously. This guide will go over several ways you can uninstall apps from your Linux PC.
Uninstall apps with Gnome Software
Most Linux distributions use the Gnome Shell desktop environment and, as a result, have the Gnome Software/Software app store installed out of the box. This app makes it very easy to uninstall apps on Linux. Here’s how to do it on your system.
First, open up Gnome Software on the Linux desktop. Then, you can launch the Gnome Software app by pressing the Windows key on the keyboard, typing in “Software,” and launching the app with the shopping bag icon.
Once the Software app is open, follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Inside Gnome Software, find the “Installed” button and click on it with the mouse to access all apps installed on your Linux system.
Step 2: In the “Installed” section of Gnome Software, you should see an entire list of apps installed on your Linux system. Scroll through and find the one you wish to uninstall on your Linux system.
Step 3: When you’ve located the app you wish to uninstall from your Linux PC in Gnome Software, click on the “Uninstall” button. When you select the “Uninstall” button, a pop-up window will appear.
In the pop-up window, it says, “Are you sure you want to uninstall APP NAME.” Select the “Uninstall” button to remove the app from your system.
Uninstall apps with KDE Discover
While many Linux distributions use Gnome Shell and Gnome Software, not all of them do. Instead, some use KDE Plasma 5. If you’re on a Linux operating system that uses KDE, you’ll most likely use the KDE Discover app store.
To uninstall apps from your Linux system using the KDE Discover, do the following. First, launch Discover by pressing the Windows key on the keyboard. Then, type “Discover” and open the app with the blue shopping bag icon.
With the Discover app store open, follow the step-by-step instructions below to uninstall apps with it.
Step 1: Find the “Installed” button in Discover, and click on it with the mouse. It is located in the bottom left-hand corner of the app.
Step 2: After selecting the “Installed” button, you’ll load up the list of installed programs on your computer in Discover. Look through the list of installed apps and select the “Remove” button.
Step 3: Once the “Remove” button is selected in Discover, your Linux system will ask you for your password. Enter your password to uninstall the app from your system.
Uninstall apps with the Snap Store
Snap packages are self-contained, sandbox apps from Snapcraft.io. Snaps can run on any Linux OS with the Snap package runtime set up. If you have the Snap Store
installed on your system as a Snap package and want to uninstall apps from it, launch the app by pressing the Windows key on the keyboard. Then, search for “Snap Store,” and launch the app with the green shopping bag icon.
With the Snap Store open, follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Click on the “Installed” button at the top of the Snap store page. After selecting this button, you’ll see a list of all installed Snap apps on your system.
Step 2: Look through the list of installed apps for the one you wish to remove from your system. Click on the “Remove” button to uninstall it when you’ve located it.
Step 3: A pop-up window will appear when the “Remove” button is selected in the Snap app store. Select the “Remove” button a second time to uninstall the app. Note that you will need to enter your password to finish the removal.
Uninstall apps with the terminal
In addition to app stores on Linux, removing apps via the terminal is also possible. To remove apps from your Linux system in the terminal, start by opening up a terminal window.
Unsure about how to open a terminal? Press Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard. Alternatively, the terminal can be opened via the app menu on the desktop. When it is open, follow the instructions to uninstall apps from your Linux system.
Ubuntu/Mint/Pop
If you use Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or Pop_OS, you’ll be able to uninstall apps with the apt remove command.
sudo apt remove name_of_app
Debian
Those using Debian Linux can uninstall apps in the terminal with the apt-get remove command.
sudo apt-get remove name_of_app
Arch Linux
If you are using Arch Linux, you will be able to uninstall apps using the pacman -R command.
sudo pacman -R name_of_app
Fedora
Are you using Fedora Linux? If so, you’ll be able to uninstall apps using the dnf remove command.
sudo dnf remove name_of_app
OpenSUSE
Apps on OpenSUSE Linux can be removed with the zypper remove command.
sudo zypper remove name_of_app
Flatpak
If you’ve installed Flatpak apps and want to remove them from your Linux system via the terminal, use the flatpak uninstall command.
sudo flatpak uninstall name_of_app
Snap package
If you’ve installed a Snap app on your Linux system and want to uninstall it via the terminal window, you can do so with the snap remove command.
sudo snap remove uninstall
