When it comes to statistical analysis on a Mac, there aren’t that many options for specialist applications. The most popular is IBM SPSS, which has been around in one form or another for many years. You may have SPSS on your Mac if you have used it in the past and no longer use it or because you inherited a Mac that was used for this kind of work and SPSS was never uninstalled. Whatever the reason, we’ll show you how to delete SPSS from Mac.

What is IBM SPSS?

SPSS is an application now owned by IBM which is used for statistical analysis, particularly in the field of social science. It’s also used by market researchers, survey companies, health researchers, government, and data miners. It offers tools for managing and documenting data as well as analyzing statistics. It has a graphical user interface that can be accessed using pull-down menus. But many of its most powerful features can only be accessed using its proprietary 4GL command syntax language. SPSS also supports macros, and via an extension, the data it holds can be accessed and manipulated using Python. The first version of SPSS was released back in 1968, and it was acquired by IBM in 2009.

Image: SPSS

Why uninstall IBM SPSS on my Mac?

The main reasons for uninstalling SPSS on your Mac are the same as for any application you don’t use. Uninstalling it will free up space on your startup disk and prevent potential future conflicts with other files on your Mac. Given the nature of SPSS and the fact that it can be extended, it’s likely that if it is installed on your Mac, it is taking up quite a bit of space on your startup disk.

There is another issue with applications that you don’t use but remain on your Mac. If you don’t use an application, it’s unlikely that you will update it. And if you don’t update it, it could be vulnerable to a malware attack, or you could fall for a fake update scam that ends in a malware attack. So, a good rule of thumb is to keep only the applications that you use on your Mac.

How to uninstall SPSS on Mac

There are a couple of different ways to uninstall IBM SPSS on your Mac. The manual method involves tracking down every file it has placed on your Mac and dragging it to the Trash — dragging the application binary to the Trash doesn’t fully uninstall the program. The easier method is to use a specialist uninstaller. We’ll show you how to do both.

How to uninstall IBM SPSS with one click

First off, you’ll be pleased to know there is an easy, automatic way to completely uninstall IBM SPSS on your Mac. You can use a specialist uninstaller. We recommend the Applications tool in CleanMyMac. It can uninstall any application that wasn’t preinstalled with macOS. And it can remove multiple applications at the same time. As well as an uninstaller, the Applications tool can reset misbehaving apps, remove files left over by applications that weren’t uninstalled properly, update any apps that need updating, and get rid of installers you don’t need anymore. You can download CleanMyMac for free here. Once you’ve done that, follow the instructions below to uninstall IBM SPSS:

  1. Open CleanMyMac and choose Applications in the sidebar.
  2. Click Scan > Manage My Applications.
  3. Locate IBM SPSS in the list of applications in the right-hand pane or search for it using the search tool.
  4. Select IBM SPSS and click Uninstall.
All apps selected in the Uninstaller module of CMM

If you want to uninstall multiple apps, repeat step 3 to locate them, then select all you want to delete, and click Uninstall.

How to uninstall IBM SPSS manually

The specific instructions for uninstalling SPSS manually are dependent on the version of SPSS that is installed on your Mac. The steps below cover all versions, so there may be files related to SPSS in some of the directories listed below and not others.

  1. Quit SPSS if it’s running.
  2. Go to your Applications folder and drag IBM SPSS Statistics to the Trash.
  3. Click the Finder icon in the Dock and then the Go menu. Choose Go to Folder.
  4. In the text box, paste each of the file paths below one at time and press Return after each one. At each location, look for files or folders with IBM or SPSS in their name and drag them to the Trash.
    ~/Library/Preferences
    ~/Library/Application Support
    ~/Library/Caches
    ~/Library/Containers
    ~/Library/Logs
  5. If you installed any custom dialogs, go to the folder where they are installed and drag them to the Trash.
  6. Empty the Trash.

Once you have emptied the Trash, IBM SPSS will have been completely uninstalled from your Mac.

Tip: Reset SPSS if it’s misbehaving

If the reason you want to uninstall IBM SPSS is that it is misbehaving, you can try resetting it first. Resetting an app removes its settings and preferences files so that it returns to the state it was in when you first installed it. Here’s how to do that using CleanMyMac.

1. Choose Applications in the sidebar.

2. Click Scan > Manage My Applications.

3. Locate the application you want to reset and click the arrow (>) next to its name.

4. Select all the files beneath, except for Binaries.

5. Click Remove.


    IBM SPSS is a tool for doing statistical analysis on Mac or Windows. It can also be used for managing and cataloging data via its graphical user interface or its proprietary 4GL command syntax language. If it is installed on your Mac but you no longer use it. Follow the steps above to uninstall IBM SPSS on your Mac and free up space.