How to Uninstall iTunes on Mac

Enjoying your favorite music on your preferred device is a pleasure until iTunes starts malfunctioning. Freezes and crashes are hardly conducive to a good listening experience. The solution? Uninstall iTunes. But macOS often blocks this, displaying a "required by macOS" message. Fear not! This guide provides several methods to remove iTunes from your Mac.

Methods for Removing iTunes:

1. macOS Update: The simplest solution. Apple replaced iTunes with individual apps (Apple Music, Apple TV, etc.) in macOS Catalina. Updating to the latest macOS version (e.g., macOS 15 Sequoia) will automatically remove iTunes. Remember to back up your data beforehand. To update:

   1. Open Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update (or Apple menu > System Preferences on older macOS).
   2. Click Update Now or Upgrade Now for the available macOS update.

   

   If you prefer to keep your current macOS version, explore the other methods below.

2. Manual Uninstallation (Advanced Users): This method requires manually deleting the app and associated files. Warning: This resets iTunes to its default state, erasing playlists and music libraries.

   1. Open Activity Monitor (Finder > Applications > Utilities), force-quit iTunesHelper.
   2. Boot into Recovery Mode (Cmd R during startup).
   3. Open Terminal (Utilities > Terminal), type csrutil disable (disables System Integrity Protection – proceed with caution!), then cd /Applications/, and sudo mount -uw /System/Applications/. Enter your admin password.
   4. Type sudo rm -rf iTunes.app/ and restart.
   5. Reboot into Recovery Mode again, type csrutil enable to re-enable SIP.

   

3. Removing Leftover Files (Terminal): Even after uninstallation, iTunes leaves behind files. To remove these:

   1. Open Terminal.
   2. Execute these commands, replacing "your username" with your actual username, and pressing Return after each command:
      • cd /Users/your username/Library/Preferences
      • rm com.apple.iTunes* (use Tab for autocomplete, then Return) – repeat for all matching files.
      • cd /Users/your username/Library/
      • rm -rf iTunes/
      • cd /Users/your username/Library/Preferences/ByHost/
      • rm com.apple.iTunes* (use Tab for autocomplete, then Return) – repeat for all matching files.

   

4. MacKeeper (Easiest Method): MacKeeper's Smart Uninstaller simplifies the process. It removes the app and related files automatically.

   1. Install MacKeeper.
   2. Select Smart Uninstaller, scan, select iTunes, and click Remove.

   

Reinstalling iTunes (macOS Mojave or Earlier Only):

Reinstallation is only possible on macOS Mojave or earlier versions. Download iTunes 12.8.2 (or 12.8.1) and run the installer.

Conclusion:

Completely removing iTunes can be challenging. MacKeeper offers the easiest solution, while a macOS update is the simplest for those eligible. Manual methods are available for advanced users, but exercise caution.

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