How to Completely Uninstall Epic Games Launcher on PC & Mac

Sometimes you and the Epic Games Launcher just… need space. Maybe it’s crashing, hogging disk space, auto-starting like an overenthusiastic golden retriever,
or you’re doing a “fresh install” ritual to appease the PC gaming gods.

Whatever your reason, this guide shows you how to completely uninstall Epic Games Launcher on Windows (PC) and macOSincluding the leftover files
that love to hang around like glitter after a craft project.

Before You Uninstall: A 2-Minute Checklist

1) Quit Epic Games Launcher (for real)

Don’t just click the X and assume it’s gone. On Windows, the launcher often keeps running in the system tray. On Mac, it may linger as a background process.
Close it fully so uninstalling doesn’t fail or leave extra junk behind.

• Windows: Right-click the Epic icon in the system tray (near the clock) → Exit. Then confirm in Task Manager if needed.
• Mac: Right-click the Dock icon → Quit, then verify in Activity Monitor if necessary.

2) Decide what you want to keep: games, saves, and screenshots

If your goal is “remove the launcher and everything it touched,” you’ll likely want to remove installed games and leftover caches too.
If you’re uninstalling for troubleshooting, you may want to keep game folders so you can reinstall Epic and point it back to existing installs later.

Tip: Many games store saves in the cloud, but not all. If a game matters to you, search the title plus “save location” and back up saves first.

Windows (PC): How to Completely Uninstall Epic Games Launcher

Step 1: Uninstall Epic Games Launcher using Windows Settings

This removes the main app the standard way (the polite way, before we start sweeping up the crumbs).

1. Open Settings (press Win + I).
2. Go to Apps → Installed apps (or “Apps & features” depending on your Windows version).
3. Search for Epic Games Launcher.
4. Click the three dots (or select it) → Uninstall → confirm.

Step 2: Remove leftover Epic Games Launcher files (the “actually complete” part)

Uninstallers are great at removing the front door while leaving a few windows, the mailbox, and a mysterious shed out back.
To fully uninstall Epic Games Launcher, delete leftover folders in these common locations.

Show hidden folders first

• Open File Explorer → View → Show → enable Hidden items.

Common Epic Launcher leftover folders to check and delete

Delete only folders clearly related to Epic/EpicGamesLauncher. If you’re unsure, rename the folder (add “-old”) first and reboot. If everything works, delete it.

• Program Files (most common):
  • C:Program Files (x86)Epic GamesLauncher
  • C:Program FilesEpic GamesLauncher
• ProgramData (hidden, often forgotten):
  • C:ProgramDataEpic
  • C:ProgramDataEpicGamesLauncher (or similarly named folders)
• Your user AppData (launcher settings + cache):
  • %localappdata%EpicGamesLauncher
  • %appdata%Epic or %appdata%EpicGamesLauncher (varies)

Step 3: Clear Epic Games Launcher “webcache” folders (recommended)

Epic’s launcher uses webcache folders that can linger and cause issues on reinstall. Clearing them is also a nice way to remove the “sticky” bits.

1. Exit the launcher completely (system tray → Exit).
2. Press Win + R, type %localappdata%, press Enter.
3. Open EpicGamesLauncher → Saved.
4. Delete folders named like:
   • webcache
   • webcache_4147
   • webcache_4430

Step 4: Optionalremove Epic Online Services (if you don’t want it)

Depending on your installs, you may also have Epic Online Services listed separately in Installed apps.
If you’re aiming for a fully clean Epic removal, uninstall it too (same Windows Settings path).

Step 5: Remove Epic from startup (so it stops “haunting” your boot)

• Open Task Manager → Startup apps tab and disable Epic entries, or
• Settings → Apps → Startup and toggle off anything Epic-related.

If Epic Games Launcher Won’t Uninstall on Windows

If Windows says the launcher is running, or the uninstall fails, try these fixes in order (from simplest to “okay, we’re doing this”).

Fix 1: End Epic tasks, then uninstall again

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. End tasks like EpicGamesLauncher, EpicWebHelper, and related Epic processes.
3. Try uninstalling again from Settings.

Fix 2: Use Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter

When uninstall entries are corrupted or Windows refuses to remove a program, Microsoft provides an official troubleshooter that can repair uninstall problems.
Epic support also points users to this tool when the launcher won’t uninstall.

Fix 3: Use the old Control Panel route

1. Search Windows for Control Panel.
2. Go to Programs → Uninstall a program.
3. Find Epic Games Launcher → uninstall.

Fix 4: Run the built-in uninstaller from the install folder

If the uninstall entry is broken but files still exist, look for uninstall.exe in:
C:Program Files (x86)Epic Games or wherever you installed it.

Mac: How to Completely Uninstall Epic Games Launcher

Step 1: Quit the launcher (and confirm)

1. Right-click Epic Games Launcher in the Dock → Quit.
2. Open Activity Monitor and confirm no Epic-related processes are running. Quit/Force Quit if needed.

Step 2: Delete Epic Games Launcher from Applications

1. Open Finder → Applications.
2. Drag Epic Games Launcher to the Trash (or select it and press Command + Delete).
3. Empty Trash to reclaim space.

Step 3: Remove leftover Epic files in your Library (recommended)

This is where “complete uninstall” actually happens. macOS apps often store support files in your Library folder.
To get there, use Finder’s Go to Folder tool.

1. In Finder, click Go (menu bar) → Go to Folder…
2. Paste each path below, press Enter, and delete Epic/EpicGamesLauncher-related items you find.

• ~/Library/Application Support/ (look for Epic-related folders)
• ~/Library/Caches/
• ~/Library/Preferences/ (often contains .plist files)
• ~/Library/Logs/
• ~/Library/Cookies/

Step 4: Delete the Epic Launcher webcache on Mac

Epic documents a specific cache location for the launcher on macOS. Clearing it removes leftover webcache data that can persist after app deletion.

1. Open Finder → Go → Go to Folder…
2. Enter: ~/Library/Caches/com.epicgames.EpicGamesLauncher
3. Drag the webcache folder to the Trash.
4. Empty Trash.

Step 5: Remove Epic-installed games (optional, but part of “complete”)

Deleting the launcher doesn’t automatically remove every installed game folder. If you want to reclaim disk space, remove the game installs too.

• Check your chosen install location (many users have a custom “Epic Games” folder).
• Also check: /Users/Shared/ for shared game folders (varies by setup).

How to Uninstall Games from the Epic Games Launcher (If You Still Have It Installed)

If your goal is to remove games first (to free space), do it inside the launcher before uninstalling the launcher itself.

1. Open Epic Games Launcher.
2. Click Library.
3. Find the game.
4. Click the three dots next to the title → Uninstall → confirm.

Quick “Is It Really Gone?” Verification Checklist

Windows

• Search Start menu for “Epic Games Launcher” → no results.
• Task Manager → no Epic processes running.
• Installed apps list → Epic Games Launcher (and optionally Epic Online Services) not present.
• Folders removed from Program Files / ProgramData / AppData (as applicable).

Mac

• Applications folder → Epic Games Launcher is gone.
• Activity Monitor → no Epic processes.
• Library folders cleaned (Caches/Application Support/Preferences/Logs/Cookies).
• Game folders removed if you want the disk space back.

FAQ: Common Questions People Ask (Usually While Staring at a Progress Bar)

Will uninstalling Epic Games Launcher delete my games?

Not always. Games are often stored in separate folders, and uninstalling the launcher may leave those folders behind.
However, you may lose the launcher’s “awareness” of installed games until you reinstall and point it back to the same install directory.
If you’re worried, back up the game folder before uninstalling.

Why does Epic keep coming back after I uninstall?

The usual culprits: the launcher was still running, startup entries weren’t disabled, or leftover folders remain (especially in AppData/Library caches).
Fully exit the launcher, uninstall, then remove leftover folders and startup items.

Do I need to edit the Windows Registry to “completely” uninstall?

For most people, no. Deleting leftover folders and cache is enough. Registry editing is advanced and risky if you delete the wrong thing.
If you’re not 100% confident, skip it.

Conclusion

A truly complete Epic Games Launcher uninstall is a two-part job:
(1) remove the app normally (Windows Settings or macOS Applications),
and (2) clean up the leftoversespecially AppData/ProgramData on Windows and the Library caches on Mac.

Once you’ve done both, you’ll have fewer background processes, less clutter, and one less app trying to “help” by launching at startup.
Your computer can go back to focusing on the important stufflike rendering 47 browser tabs and pretending that’s normal.

Real-World Experiences: What “Complete Uninstall” Feels Like (500+ Words)

Here’s the part nobody tells you: uninstalling software isn’t just a technical taskit’s an emotional journey. It starts with confidence (“I’ll just uninstall it”),
moves into suspicion (“Why is it still on my drive?”), and ends with victory (“Ah-ha! There’s the cache folder!”).

One common experience is the “it won’t uninstall because it’s running” loop. People swear the launcher is closed because the window is gone,
but Windows (or macOS) disagrees. On Windows, the launcher can live in the system tray like it pays rent. The moment you try uninstalling,
Windows throws a message that feels like a teacher catching you passing notes: “You can’t uninstall this while it’s running.”
The fix is usually simpleexit from the tray icon and confirm in Task Managerbut it’s a great reminder that modern apps sometimes behave like they’re
trying to win a hide-and-seek championship.

Another frequent story: someone uninstalls Epic, restarts, and later notices the C: drive still has a hefty Epic-shaped footprint.
This usually happens because game installs and caches aren’t always removed with the launcher.
If you installed large games (or installed Unreal Engine-related components at some point), you might still have gigabytes sitting in a folder that looks harmless
until you check its size and gasp loud enough to scare your Wi-Fi router. The “aha moment” is finding C:ProgramData (which is hidden by default)
or the AppData folders, where settings, logs, and web cache live.

On Mac, the experience tends to be sneakier rather than louder. Dragging the app to Trash feels satisfyingvery “spring cleaning montage.”
But later, someone opens Storage and wonders why space didn’t meaningfully change. That’s when the Library folders come into play:
caches, preferences, and support files quietly lingering in ~/Library.
For many users, the biggest hurdle is simply learning how to access Library paths via Finder’s Go to Folder.
Once they do, it’s usually straightforward: find Epic-related files, trash them, and empty Trash.

A particularly relatable scenario is the “I’m uninstalling to fix a bug” attempt.
People often reinstall immediatelyonly to find the same issue returns because the cache folders were never removed.
That’s why deleting the launcher’s webcache (on both Windows and Mac) is such a practical step.
It’s also why “complete uninstall” is less about being dramatic and more about being thorough.

Finally, there’s the “peace and quiet” payoff. After removing startup entries and leftover services, users often notice a subtle improvement:
fewer background processes, fewer surprise pop-ups, and fewer “helpful” auto-launch moments.
It’s not magicbut it can feel like your PC stopped doing unsolicited cardio at startup.
If you later decide to reinstall Epic, you can do so on your terms, with a cleaner slate and fewer weird hiccups.