Firefox may not be as popular on the Mac as it once was — Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari have seen to that — but it’s still used by millions of people. Like Safari and Chrome, Firefox allows you to add to its features by installing add-ons. These add-ons allow you to do a wide range of different things, from downloading streaming videos to translating web pages automatically and blocking adverts. But you do not always need all those add-ons you've once added to Firefox. So, here’s how to get rid of Firefox extensions you no longer want.

Why you might want to delete add-ons

However helpful they are, add-ons — or extensions as they’re also known — are also used by hackers and browser hijackers as a means of installing their malware on your Mac. This malware can be adware that displays adverts all over your screen, ransomware that demands you pay to have it removed, or a virus that prevents your Mac from working properly or even steals your personal data. For this reason, you should be careful when you download and install extensions and make sure that you know where they come from and that they are safe.

There are lots of other reasons you may want to remove a browser extension, such as the fact that outdated extensions can cause problems for your browser or slow down your Mac. Here’s how to get rid of Firefox extensions you no longer want.

Tip

If you’re worried about malware on your Mac, CleanMyMac has the Protection feature that scans your Mac, tells you if it finds any malicious code, and allows you to remove it at the click of a button. We’ll show you how to use it later on in this article.


How to remove Firefox add-ons 

  1. Open Firefox and click three horizontal lines at the top right of the page.
  2. Choose Extensions and themes (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Command-Shift-A) > Extensions.
  3. Scan the list of extensions until you find the one you want to remove.
  4. You now have three options:
    📌 To view more information on the extension, click it.
    📌 To stop the extension from working, use the switcher.
    📌 And to remove it completely, select Remove.
  5. Repeat for every extension you want to get rid of and close the tab once done.
Remove Firefox extensions

How to remove Firefox extensions using Finder

As with extensions for other browsers, Firefox add-ons live in your user Library folder in the Finder.

  1. Go to ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles
  2. If there’s more than one profile directory, you will need to check all of them because they’re not named in any meaningful way.
  3. Open the folder or folders and inspect the contents. Again, the extensions don’t have meaningful names, so you might have to do a bit of detective work to identify extensions.
  4. When you identify the extension you want to remove, drag it to the Trash and then empty the Trash.
Remove Firefox extensions on Mac

How to enhance your privacy with CleanMyMac

In addition to allowing you to easily scan for and remove malware, CleanMyMac makes it easy to scan your Mac for malware that may have sneaked on it once you've installed a malicious add-on. It also comes with other tools that can enhance your privacy: it allows you to manage app permissions, clear out recent items lists, and remove browser data, among other things. 

Here's how to make sure your Mac is protected with CleanMyMac:

  1. Get your free CleanMyMac trial — you can test it for 7 days free first.
  2. Click Protection > Scan. 
  3. If malware has been detected, click Remove. 
  4. Otherwise, click Manage Privacy Items, make your way through scan results, and remove unneeded items. 
    CleanMyMac - Firefox in Protection Manager

We recommend running the Protection scan regularly — say, once a month — because even if you have nothing to worry about now, you may download something nasty in the future. CleanMyMac’s malware database is updated frequently with the latest viruses, adware, and other malicious code. 

Remember another thing, too. One of the ways in which bad extensions and other malware cause harm is by infringing on your privacy and stealing personal data from cookies, caches, and other files stored by web browsers. CleanMyMac makes it simple to delete these files and improve your security. It can track down and get rid of browser history, autofill data, and cookies. 

Deleting or disabling add-ons in Firefox is relatively straightforward. You can do it in the app itself — just remember that Firefox also refers to add-ons as “extensions”  in some places — or you can drag them to the Trash in the Finder. Whichever you choose, do not forget about other items affecting your privacy. Use CleanMyMac to scan your Mac for malware and remove it, and to get rid of files that infringe on your privacy, like cookies, autofill data, and other cache files.

Thanks for reading, and stay safe!