How to Uninstall PyCharm Without Leaving Traces

Clicking “Uninstall” isn’t enough. Not with PyCharm.

Most developers who uninstall PyCharm walk away thinking the job is done, only to find leftover JetBrains folders, cached data, and config files still sitting on their system. That incomplete removal causes problems on reinstall, wastes disk space, and in some cases breaks other tools.

This guide covers how to completely uninstall PyCharm on Windows, macOS, and Linux, including every leftover file and folder the standard uninstaller misses. You’ll also learn how to handle JetBrains Toolbox removals, clean up PyCharm settings and cache directories, and verify the removal was actually successful.

What a Complete PyCharm Uninstall Includes

Most users hit “Uninstall” and assume the job is done. It isn’t.

PyCharm, like most JetBrains IDEs, splits its data across multiple locations on your system. The main application binary is just one piece. Separate folders hold your settings, caches, plugins, and logs – and none of those get removed by a standard uninstall.

That matters most when you’re reinstalling. If those folders stick around, the fresh install picks them up automatically. Corrupted settings carry right over, which defeats the whole point.

What PyCharm leaves behind

According to JetBrains’ own documentation, PyCharm stores data across four distinct folder types:

• Config folder – keymaps, color schemes, VM options, IDE settings
• System folder – caches and local history files
• Plugins folder – any installed plugins, including third-party ones
• Logs folder – runtime and error logs

Each of these lives in a different path depending on your OS. None are deleted during a standard removal.

Standalone install vs. JetBrains Toolbox

How you installed PyCharm changes how you should remove it.

In April 2025, JetBrains merged PyCharm Community Edition and Professional Edition into a single unified product. If you’re removing an older version (pre-2025.1), you may still see both editions listed separately in your system’s app list.

Also worth knowing before you delete anything – JetBrains has a built-in cleanup tool. Inside PyCharm, go to Help > Delete Leftover IDE Directories to remove data from older versions you no longer use. Run this before uninstalling if you want a cleaner process.

How to Uninstall PyCharm on Windows

PyCharm held a 15.1% usage share among all developers in 2024, according to Stack Overflow’s developer survey – making Windows the platform where most of these installs live. The standard uninstall process on Windows only removes the application itself. Everything in AppData stays behind.

Standard removal via Windows Settings

Steps to remove the main app:

1. Open Settings > Apps > Apps & Features
2. Search for “PyCharm” in the list
3. Click on PyCharm, then hit Uninstall
4. Follow the uninstall wizard to completion

Alternatively, run Uninstall.exe directly from PyCharm’s installation directory under the /bin folder. Either method removes the binary. Neither touches your config or cache data.

Deleting leftover folders in AppData

After the main uninstall, these folders still exist on your system:

• C:Users[username]AppDataRoamingJetBrainsPyCharm[version]
• C:Users[username]AppDataLocalJetBrainsPyCharm[version]

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to each path. Delete any folder with “PyCharm” or “JetBrains” in the name. The version number (like PyCharm2024.3) is part of the folder name, so you may see multiple versions stacked up if you’ve upgraded over time.

To get there fast, press Win + R and type %AppData% or %LocalAppData% to jump directly into those directories.

Removing PyCharm registry entries

Registry cleanup is optional for most users. But if you’re getting errors on reinstall, or PyCharm still appears somewhere after removal, registry remnants are usually why.

Open Registry Editor (regedit) and check these two locations:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER/SOFTWARE/JetBrains/
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/JetBrains/

Delete any PyCharm-related keys you find there. Be careful – only delete entries you can clearly identify as JetBrains or PyCharm related. Editing the registry incorrectly can cause system problems.

Uninstalling PyCharm installed via JetBrains Toolbox on Windows

Using Toolbox to remove PyCharm:

1. Open the JetBrains Toolbox app
2. Find PyCharm in your installed tools list
3. Click the three-dot settings icon next to it
4. Select Uninstall

Toolbox removes the app binary and some associated data. It does not fully clean AppData folders. After removing through Toolbox, still check %AppData%JetBrains and %LocalAppData%JetBrains for leftover PyCharm directories and delete them manually.

Revo Uninstaller and Geek Uninstaller are solid third-party options if you want to automate this. Both scan for leftover registry entries and files after the main uninstall completes.

How to Uninstall PyCharm on macOS

Dragging PyCharm to the Trash is not a complete uninstall. This is one of those things that trips up even experienced developers on Mac. The app bundle gets deleted, but PyCharm’s support files, caches, logs, and preferences stay in your ~/Library folder untouched.

Why dragging to Trash isn’t enough

The ~/Library directory on macOS is hidden by default, which is exactly why most people miss it.

After moving PyCharm to Trash and emptying it, the following paths still contain data:

• ~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/PyCharm[version]
• ~/Library/Caches/JetBrains/PyCharm[version]
• ~/Library/Logs/JetBrains/PyCharm[version]
• ~/Library/Preferences/com.jetbrains.PyCharm.plist

To access these folders in Finder, open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, hold down the Option key, and the hidden Library folder appears in the dropdown.

Full manual removal on macOS

If you prefer Terminal, run these commands one at a time:

 rm -rf ~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/PyCharm rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/JetBrains/PyCharm rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/JetBrains/PyCharm rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.jetbrains.PyCharm.plist 

Then drag the PyCharm app itself from /Applications to Trash and empty it.

Using AppCleaner instead: AppCleaner is a free Mac utility that finds all associated files automatically when you drop an app into it. It’s the easiest route if you don’t want to hunt through Library folders manually. Just open AppCleaner, locate PyCharm, select all associated files, and click Remove.

Uninstalling PyCharm installed via JetBrains Toolbox on macOS

Same Toolbox flow as Windows – open Toolbox, find PyCharm, click the settings icon, select Uninstall.

After Toolbox finishes, still check your ~/Library paths listed above. Toolbox leaves behind config and cache folders in most cases. Manual cleanup of those paths is still needed for a full removal.

How to Uninstall PyCharm on Linux

Linux uninstall steps vary depending on how you installed PyCharm. Tarball installs, snap packages, and flatpak packages each require a different approach. Getting this wrong is the most common reason PyCharm lingers on Linux systems after a supposed removal.

Removing a tarball install

If you installed PyCharm manually by downloading the .tar.gz archive from JetBrains, removal is straightforward.

Delete the extracted folder:

 rm -rf /opt/pycharm-community

or wherever you extracted it

rm -rf /opt/pycharm-professional

Then remove the desktop entry file if you created one:

 rm ~/.local/share/applications/pycharm.desktop 

If you added PyCharm to your PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc, open that file and delete the relevant export line. Then run source ~/.bashrc to apply the change.

Uninstalling the snap package

This is the clean version. Snap packages run in a sandboxed environment, so removal is simpler than a tarball install.

Run one of the following depending on your edition:

 sudo snap remove pycharm-community sudo snap remove pycharm-professional 

Snap handles most of the cleanup automatically. Still check ~/.config/JetBrains and ~/.cache/JetBrains for leftover PyCharm config folders and delete them.

Removing flatpak and remaining config files

Flatpak removal:

` flatpak uninstall com.jetbrains.PyCharm `

After any removal method on Linux, clean up these two directories:

• ~/.config/JetBrains/PyCharm[version] - settings and config

• ~/.cache/JetBrains/PyCharm[version] - cached data

Use ls ~/.config/JetBrains/ to see what’s there before deleting. You may have multiple version folders stacked up if you’ve upgraded without cleaning between versions.

How to Remove PyCharm Settings, Caches, and Plugins

This is the part most guides skip. Removing the app binary frees up maybe 500MB. The real cleanup happens in the config and cache directories, which can hold gigabytes worth of data from years of use – especially if you’ve upgraded through multiple PyCharm versions without ever cleaning up.

Where PyCharm stores persistent data

JetBrains uses a version-specific naming convention for its config folders. That means every major version you’ve installed (PyCharm2022.3, PyCharm2023.1, PyCharm2024.2, etc.) gets its own separate directory.

When to keep vs. delete settings

Not every situation calls for a full wipe.

• Deleting completely: You’re switching to a different IDE, like VS Code compared to PyCharm, and won’t come back
• Keeping settings: You’re reinstalling the same major version and want your keymaps and themes intact
• Partial cleanup: You want a fresh start but need to export your keymap first (File > Manage IDE Settings > Export Settings)

Caches and logs are always safe to delete. They regenerate on next launch. Config and plugin folders are the ones to think about before removing.

Exporting settings before a full removal

If you plan to reinstall PyCharm later, export your settings first so you’re not starting from scratch.

Inside PyCharm, go to File > Manage IDE Settings > Export Settings. Choose what to include – keymaps, code styles, plugins list, live templates – and save the ZIP file somewhere outside the JetBrains directories. On your fresh install, import it via File > Manage IDE Settings > Import Settings.

How to Uninstall PyCharm Using JetBrains Toolbox

If you installed PyCharm through JetBrains Toolbox, don’t try to uninstall it through Windows Settings or by dragging to Trash. Toolbox manages its own install registry, and removing PyCharm outside of Toolbox can leave orphaned entries behind.

Step-by-step Toolbox removal

Process:

1. Open JetBrains Toolbox from your system tray or Applications folder
2. Find PyCharm in your installed tools list
3. Click the three-dot icon (settings) next to PyCharm
4. Click Uninstall and confirm

Toolbox removes the IDE binary and clears its own installation tracking. The process takes under a minute.

What Toolbox removes vs. what it leaves

After Toolbox finishes, go through the OS-specific folder cleanup steps from the sections above. The paths are the same regardless of whether you used Toolbox or a standalone installer – the leftover folders don’t move.

One thing worth checking: Toolbox itself stores its own data in a separate directory. On Windows it’s %LocalAppData%JetBrainsToolbox, on macOS it’s ~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/Toolbox. If you’re removing all JetBrains software entirely, that folder needs to go too. Understanding the full scope of what PyCharm is as an IDE helps clarify why it stores so much data across different system locations in the first place – it’s built to remember your full development environment, not just your code.

How to Verify PyCharm Is Fully Removed

A lot of developers skip this step and wonder later why their next install behaves strangely.

The Python Developers Survey 2024 found that 42% of developers use three or more IDEs simultaneously – which means leftover files from one tool can affect the behavior of another. Worth checking before you call it done.

Search your system for remaining JetBrains files

Quick verification by OS:

• Windows: Open File Explorer, search “JetBrains” or “PyCharm” across all drives with “This PC” selected
• macOS: Use Spotlight (Cmd + Space) and search “PyCharm” – also run find ~/Library/ -iname “pycharm“ in Terminal

• Linux: Run sudo find / -name “pycharm*” 2>/dev/null in the terminal

If these searches return results, you have leftover files that still need to go.

Check for background processes and startup items

PyCharm and JetBrains Toolbox can register background processes that persist after the app is removed.

Windows: Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and check the Startup tab for any JetBrains entries. Also look under the Background Processes section while you’re there.

macOS: Go to System Settings > General > Login Items and check for any JetBrains or PyCharm entries. Remove them if found.

Linux: Check ~/.config/autostart/ for any leftover PyCharm .desktop files.

Confirm PATH and environment variables are clean

This matters most on Linux and macOS, where PyCharm’s /bin directory sometimes gets added to PATH manually during setup.

Run this in terminal:

 echo $PATH 

Scan the output for any path containing “JetBrains” or “pycharm”. If you find one, open your shell config file (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or ~/.bashprofile) and delete the relevant export line. Then run source ~/.zshrc (or your relevant file) to apply the change.

On Windows, check environment variables via System Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables and look in both User and System PATH entries for any JetBrains paths.

What to do if PyCharm still appears after uninstall

This is more common than it should be. JetBrains’ own support forums confirm it’s a known issue, particularly on Windows when the uninstall wizard can’t locate the original installation folder.

The cleanest fix for a broken uninstall on Windows is to re-download the exact same version of PyCharm from JetBrains’ archive page, reinstall it to restore the uninstall.exe, then run the uninstaller from within the /bin folder. It sounds backwards, but it works. JetBrains’ support team recommends this approach for the “uninstall hasn’t detected folder” error specifically.

If you’re moving to a different Python editor after this and want to compare options, the differences between PyCharm Community and Professional might be useful context before you decide on your next setup, especially if you’re considering coming back to PyCharm later with a different edition.

For developers exploring alternatives altogether, knowing how PyCharm compares to other tools in the broader web development IDE space can help narrow down what to try next.

FAQ on How To Uninstall PyCharm

Does uninstalling PyCharm remove all its files?

No. The standard uninstaller only removes the app binary. Config folders, caches, plugins, and logs stay behind in your JetBrains directory. You need to delete those manually from AppData (Windows), ~/Library (macOS), or ~/.config (Linux).

How do I completely remove PyCharm from Windows?

Uninstall via Apps & Features in Windows Settings, then delete leftover folders in %AppData%JetBrains and %LocalAppData%JetBrains. For a thorough clean, check the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER/SOFTWARE/JetBrains/ and remove any remaining entries.

How do I uninstall PyCharm on macOS?

Drag PyCharm from Applications to Trash, then manually delete folders in ~/Library/Application Support, ~/Library/Caches, ~/Library/Logs, and ~/Library/Preferences. AppCleaner handles this automatically if you prefer a faster route.

How do I uninstall PyCharm on Ubuntu or Linux?

For snap installs, run sudo snap remove pycharm-community or pycharm-professional. For tarball installs, delete the extracted folder manually. Always clean up leftover config files in ~/.config/JetBrains and ~/.cache/JetBrains afterward.

How do I uninstall PyCharm installed via JetBrains Toolbox?

Open Toolbox, click the settings icon next to PyCharm, and select Uninstall. Toolbox removes the binary but leaves config and cache folders behind. Delete those manually using the OS-specific paths for a full clean PyCharm removal.

Why does PyCharm still appear after I uninstall it?

Usually a leftover registry entry on Windows, or a stale app reference on macOS. On Windows, open regedit and remove remaining JetBrains keys. If the uninstaller says “folder not detected,” reinstall the same version first, then uninstall properly.

Is it safe to delete the JetBrains folder in AppData?

Yes, once PyCharm is uninstalled. Those folders hold settings, caches, and plugin data. Deleting them removes all traces of the IDE. If you plan to reinstall later, export your settings first via File > Manage IDE Settings > Export Settings.

How do I uninstall PyCharm Community Edition vs Professional Edition?

The removal process is identical for both. Since April 2025, JetBrains merged them into one unified product. On older installs, both editions appear separately in your app list. Uninstall each one individually and clean up their version-specific JetBrains config folders.

Will uninstalling PyCharm delete my Python projects?

No. PyCharm stores projects in your Documents or home directory, not inside its installation folder. Removing PyCharm only deletes the IDE itself and its associated data. Your Python project files remain completely untouched wherever you saved them.

How do I verify PyCharm is fully removed from my system?

Search for “PyCharm” or “JetBrains” in File Explorer, Finder, or via terminal. Check startup items and Task Manager for background processes. On Linux and macOS, run echo $PATH to confirm no JetBrains paths remain in your environment variables.

Conclusion

This conclusion is for an article presenting a complete walkthrough of how to uninstall PyCharm across Windows, macOS, and Linux, covering every step from removing the app binary to cleaning out JetBrains config and cache folders.

A partial removal causes real problems. Corrupted settings carry over, disk space stays occupied, and reinstalls behave unpredictably.

Whether you used a standalone installer, a snap package, or JetBrains Toolbox, the same rule applies: always delete the leftover PyCharm directories after the main uninstall.

Check your AppData folders, verify your PATH, and confirm no background processes remain. That’s what a clean PyCharm removal actually looks like.

Done right, your system is clear and ready for whatever comes next.

• Author
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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan Sandu is a front-end developer at TMS Outsource with 8+ years of experience in web technologies. He writes about developer tools, software platforms, and web workflows based on daily hands-on use.

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