How to Completely Uninstall Microsoft 365 on macOS

To completely uninstall Microsoft 365 (Office) from macOS, you must go beyond simply dragging the apps to the Trash. You need to remove the “Containers” and “Group Containers” files where Microsoft stores your licensing data, custom templates, and Outlook profiles.

Here is the complete 3-step process to ensure a 100% clean removal.

Phase 1: Remove the Applications

This is the standard part of the uninstallation.

1. Open Finder and go to the Applications folder.
2. Select all Microsoft 365 applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive).
3. Right-click and select Move to Trash (or drag them to the Trash).

Phase 2: Remove Support Files (The “Deep Clean”)

This step removes the hidden files that usually persist after an uninstall.

⚠️ Warning for Outlook Users: If you use Outlook, these steps will delete your local Outlook profile and cached emails. Backup your Outlook data before proceeding if you have emails stored only on your computer (e.g., in “On My Computer” folders).

1. Open Finder.
2. Press Command + Shift + G to open the “Go to Folder” window.
3. Type ~/Library and press Enter (ensure you include the ~ tilde).
4. Delete Container Folders:
   • Open the Containers folder.
   • Look for and delete the following folders (some may be named simply “Microsoft Word” or similar on newer macOS versions, or com.microsoft... on older ones):
     • Microsoft Word (or com.microsoft.Word)
     • Microsoft Excel (or com.microsoft.Excel)
     • Microsoft PowerPoint (or com.microsoft.Powerpoint)
     • Microsoft Outlook (or com.microsoft.Outlook)
     • Microsoft OneNote (or com.microsoft.onenote.mac)
     • com.microsoft.Office365ServiceV2
     • Microsoft Error Reporting
5. Delete Group Containers:
   • Go back to the ~/Library folder.
   • Open the Group Containers folder.
   • Find and move the following folders to the Trash (these contain your licensing and profile data):
     • UBF8T346G9.ms
     • UBF8T346G9.Office
     • UBF8T346G9.OfficeOsfWebHost

Phase 3: Remove License Files (Official Tool)

Even after deleting files, license tokens can sometimes stick in the system keychain. Microsoft provides a specific tool for this.

1. Download the Microsoft Office License Removal Tool (direct download link from Microsoft).
2. Open the .pkg file from your Downloads folder.
3. Follow the installation prompts to run the tool.
4. Once it says “License removal complete,” click Close.

Phase 4: Final Cleanup

1. Remove from Dock: If you have Office icons in your Dock, right-click them > Options > Remove from Dock.
2. Empty Trash: Right-click the Trash icon in your Dock and select Empty Trash.
3. Restart your Mac: This is crucial to clear any cached processes.

Next Step

If you are reinstalling Microsoft 365 to fix a login or activation issue, restart your Mac first, then log in to portal.office.com to download the fresh installer.