You've tried to drag that green "G" icon to the trash. You've gotten that annoying popup saying the item can’t be moved because it’s "open." Honestly, it’s one of the most frustrating things about macOS. Apps that just won't die. Grammarly is notorious for this because it isn't just a simple window; it’s a suite of background processes, browser helpers, and system-level integrations that burrow into your Mac like a tick.
Removing Grammarly from Mac completely is a multi-stage operation. If you just delete the app, the browser extensions stay. If you delete the extensions, the "Grammarly for Safari" app might still be haunting your Applications folder. And don't even get me started on the "leftover" files in your Library folder that eat up disk space and occasionally trigger weird system logs.
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We're going to go through the manual "surgical" removal and the quick-fix methods. No fluff. Just the stuff that actually works in 2026.
The "App is Open" Error: Breaking the Loop
The reason you can't remove Grammarly from Mac by dragging it to the bin is usually the background daemon. Basically, the app is "watching" you type in real-time. To kill it, you have to be faster than its auto-restart script, or just use the right tools.
- Look at your Menu Bar. See that small Grammarly icon near your clock? Click it. Hit Quit.
- Open Activity Monitor. Use Command + Space and type "Activity Monitor."
- Search "Grammarly." You’ll likely see two or three processes. Select them and click the "X" at the top. Choose Force Quit.
- The "Pro" Speed Move: Some users on Apple Support forums swear by having the Finder window open right next to the Activity Monitor. The second you Force Quit the process, you drag the app to the Trash before it can respawn. It sounds like a mini-game, but it works.
If it still won't budge? Restart your Mac. But—and this is key—uncheck the box that says "Reopen windows when logging back in." If you don't uncheck that, Grammarly just boots right back up before you can delete it.
Hunting Down the Safari and Browser Ghosts
Safari handles Grammarly differently than Chrome or Firefox. On Safari, the extension is often bundled as its own mini-app. Even if you've deleted the main "Grammarly Desktop" app, you might still see "Grammarly for Safari" in your folder.
For Safari Users
Go to Safari > Settings > Extensions. You can uncheck it to disable it, but that doesn't remove it. To delete it, you have to find the "Grammarly for Safari" app in your Applications folder and trash it. If Safari tells you it's busy, quit Safari entirely first.
For Chrome and Firefox
These are easier. In Chrome, right-click the "G" in your toolbar and select Remove from Chrome. In Firefox, it’s under Add-ons and Themes. Honestly, these rarely leave behind "junk" compared to the desktop version.
The Deep Clean: Deleting the Library Junk
You’ve emptied the Trash. You think you’re done. You’re not. macOS keeps "Application Support" files that can linger for years. These aren't huge, but if you’re trying to fix a glitchy Mac or just hate clutter, they gotta go.
Open Finder. Press Command + Shift + G. This opens the "Go to Folder" box. Paste these paths one by one:
~/Library/Application Support/Grammarly/~/Library/Caches/com.grammarly.DesktopEditor/~/Library/Saved Application State/com.grammarly.DesktopEditor.savedState/
If you see folders with "Grammarly" in the name, delete them. Don't worry about breaking your Mac; these are just preference files and cached data. Once you delete them and empty the trash, the app is officially erased from your system's memory.
Grammarly in Microsoft Word: The Ghost in the Machine
Sometimes people find that even after uninstalling everything, the Grammarly sidebar still tries to pop up in Word. This usually happens because of the Office Add-in.
Open Word. Go to the Insert tab. Click My Add-ins. Find Grammarly, click the three dots, and hit Remove. If it’s the newer version of the Grammarly desktop app, it uses "accessibility features" to see Word. In that case, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and toggle Grammarly off. That cuts its "eyes" so it can't track what you're writing in Office.
Dealing With the Account Itself
Deleting the app doesn't stop Grammarly from having your data. If you're truly "done done," you need to kill the account.
Log in at Grammarly.com. Go to Account > Account Settings. Look for the Delete Account link at the very bottom. It’s usually tucked away because, well, they don't want you to leave. If you have a Premium subscription, cancel that first, or they might keep billing you even after the app is gone.
Why People Are Actually Deleting It
Look, Grammarly is great until it isn't. In 2026, many writers are moving away from it because:
- System Lag: The desktop app can be a resource hog, especially on older MacBook Airs.
- Privacy: Some people aren't comfortable with an app "reading" everything they type in every window.
- Native Tools: macOS now has much better built-in grammar and spellcheck than it did five years ago.
Actionable Next Steps
To ensure a 100% clean removal, follow this specific order:
- Disable "Launch at Startup" in Grammarly Settings.
- Restart your Mac (ensure "Reopen windows" is OFF).
- Drag the app to the Trash and empty it.
- Clear the Library folders mentioned above to remove the "ghost" data.
- Remove browser extensions to stop the "G" from appearing in your text boxes.
Once these steps are finished, your Mac will be completely free of Grammarly processes and files. No more "App is open" errors, and no more background battery drain.