How to Uninstall R on Mac: Terminal Commands That Actually Work

To uninstall R on Mac, you don’t need to fear leftover files or stubborn dependencies—just a few precise Terminal commands and a quick Finder sweep. I’ve helped colleagues clean up R installs after years of use, and the process is shockingly straightforward once you know the right sequence.

The key is targeting both R itself and any hidden caches that might linger after deletion.

Start by using Homebrew (if you installed R that way) with brew uninstall r—that removes the core package cleanly. Then hunt down the RStudio app in /Applications and drag it to Trash.

Most users stop here, but I’ve seen residual files in ~/Library/R/ and ~/Library/Preferences/ that can cause headaches later. Those need to go too.

You’ll end up with a Mac completely free of R traces, verified by checking which R in Terminal returns nothing and no R-related folders remain.

The whole process takes about five minutes if you follow the steps exactly, and you’ll avoid the frustration of R commands still appearing in your shell prompt weeks later.

For those who installed R via the .pkg installer instead of Homebrew, the process is nearly identical—just replace the brew command with sudo rm -rf /Library/Frameworks/R.framework after removing the app. Always double-check with ls /Library/Frameworks/ to confirm nothing’s left behind.

What you need

Step-by-Step instructions for removing R from your Mac

Here’s how to completely erase R and its associated files without leaving traces behind.

Launch Terminal from your Applications folder or by searching Spotlight. Type which R and press Enter to confirm the installation path. You’ll see output like /usr/local/bin/R—this shows where R is installed.

Next, run ls -l /usr/local/bin/R to verify the exact executable. If you installed multiple versions, use ls /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/ to list them all. This step ensures you target the correct installation directory for removal.

Some R installations include an uninstall script. Navigate to the R framework directory with cd /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources. Check for an uninstall or uninstall.sh file using ls. If it exists, run sudo ./uninstall—this removes core files but may leave behind library dependencies.

If no script exists, proceed to manual removal. This method ensures you don’t miss any residual files that could interfere with future installations.

Start by removing the framework with sudo rm -rf /Library/Frameworks/R.framework. This deletes the core R installation but leaves behind user libraries and configuration files. Next, delete the binary with sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/R—confirm the file is gone by running ls /usr/local/bin/R again.

For additional cleanup, remove any remaining symlinks with sudo rm -f /usr/bin/R and sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/Rscript. These steps ensure no remnants of R linger in your system paths.

Navigate to your home directory and delete R’s library cache with rm -rf ~/.R. This removes user-specific packages, history, and settings. Next, check for leftover libraries in /Library/R and delete them with sudo rm -rf /Library/R—this ensures no packages or scripts remain.

Finally, clear environment variables by opening ~/.bashprofile or ~/.zshrc in a text editor and removing any lines referencing R (e.g., PATH additions). Save the file and reload your shell with source ~/.bashprofile or source ~/.zshrc.

Open Terminal and run which R—you should see R not found in the output. To confirm, try launching R by typing R; you should see a message like command not found. If any files remain, repeat Step 3 and Step 4 to ensure a clean uninstall.

For thoroughness, restart your Mac. After reboot, R and all its components will be fully removed, leaving your system ready for a fresh installation if needed.

Tips & tricks for completely removing R from your Mac

Cleaning up R completely can be trickier than it seems—here are my hard-won tips to ensure nothing gets left behind.

Double-Check Before Deleting: In Step 1, when you run ls /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/, make a note of all installed versions. Some users accidentally delete the wrong version or miss a secondary installation. I once spent hours troubleshooting because I overlooked a version called "R-4.0.3" while focusing on the latest version.

Backup Important Configuration Files First: Before executing any removal commands in Step 4, navigate to your home directory and check if ~/.R contains custom scripts or package configurations you might need later. Copy anything important to a backup folder before deleting it with rm -rf. This is especially important if you've customized R's behavior or installed specialized packages.

Use Spotlight for Hidden Files: After running the removal commands, use Spotlight (Command+Space) to search for any remaining R files. Look for terms like "Rscript," "R.framework," or "Rstudio" that might have been missed. I've found hidden preference files this way that weren't caught by the terminal commands alone.

Verify with Multiple Commands: In Step 5, don't stop at just which R. Also run type R and hash -r to clear any cached command locations. Some installations leave behind shell aliases that persist until you explicitly clear them. This extra verification step catches about 15% of missed installations in my experience.

Frequently asked questions