Communication apps have gained dominance over desk telephones in the last decade. They are cheaper, faster, and more convenient. Skype has gained fame among individuals, families, and business people.
But many other apps can do the same and even better. If you previously used Skype on your Mac but switched to another app, you probably want to remove Skype. Here, we will show you how to uninstall Skype from Mac.
The procedure
Before going into detail, let us tell you that if you have been using Skype and want to uninstall it permanently, then it would be fine if you first delete the Microsoft credentials for Skype. It would remove all of the data on Skype, leaving no online cache behind.
To move forward with the uninstallation process, from the menu bar, click the Skype icon and choose Quit Skype from the pop-up menu. Then move into the Applications folder and find Skype over there. Once located, drag it to the trash. The first step of the uninstallation gets completed.
Then, open up the Finder and go to the Folder by pressing Shift + Command + G. In this process, the libraries, cached files, and executable strings are deleted. Go to the Folder, locate Library, and open Application Support. Within the Application Support, you will find a Skype Helper. Drag that to the trash too.
The next thing to do is to locate Microsoft in the Application Support folder. In the Microsoft folder, you will find Skype for Desktop. Repeat the same process and move it to the trash. Uninstalling Skype for Desktop will also remove Skype's call logs and history. If you wish to keep it, you may skip this process.
Then it is time for the host files. Move back to the Library folder and open the Preferences folder. Here you will find a couple of host links for Skype: com.skype.skype.helper.,plist and com.skype.skype.plist. Move these files to the trash. This will disconnect Skype's connection from your Mac.
At this point, Skype is completely removed from your Mac. If you are having trouble removing the business version of Skype, you may read further.
Uninstalling Skype Business
The business version of Skype is indeed an advantage for small and medium-sized businesses. Even the giants could use that as an alternative source of communication. If your organization has moved to a different app, like Slack, you probably want to move Skype from the office machines.
All the steps would remain the same for the standard Skype, including trashing it from the Applications and removing its library and preference files.
The additional steps include removing the added files for the business version. Move to Go to the Folder and Open Library. Locate the Containers folder and trash com.microsoft.skypeforbusiness. Move back to Library and then open Saved Application State. From this folder, trash com.microsoft.skypeforbusiness.savedstate. Also, another file from preferences should be moved to the trash, which would be com.microsofty.skypeforbusiness.plist.
The business version of Skype also includes plugins that enhance the communication level for businesses. They need to be removed as well. From the Library folder, open Internet Plug-ins and find MeetingJoinPlugin.plugin. By moving these to trash, you will remove the Skype plugins.
After doing this last step, Skype will be removed entirely from your office machine.
