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Fancy_Stard5b8
Participant
Oct 31, 2026 4:46 PM UTC
Answered

How can I remove the CC icon from the macOS toolbar, and remove all CC apps?

I am running macOS 14.8.9 I previously used "Master Collection CS6 Mac".

Most or all of that collection has since been deleted. Possibly without using an Adobe Uninstaller app to do so.

In the macOS toolbar, the Adobe Creative Cloud icon shows (although it might be 'grayed out'). When I click it, a blank window with a scrollbar appears).

I want to:

1) Remove the "Adobe Creative Cloud" icon from my toolbar.

2) Delete all Adobe apps and their supporting files except: "Adobe Digital Editions 4.0.app" (which is: "separate from the Creative Cloud subscription apps") and its supporting files.

I've run: "Creative Cloud Uninstaller.app" Version: 4.6.0.384 Created: 7/9/2018, and chose to uninstall (not repair), then rebooted, and the icon remains. I've repeated the process again; no success.

Regarding (specifically) removing the toolbar app, Adobe AI says (in part) to: "Open the Creative Cloud desktop app."

When I try to open that app, the icon/app expansion animation kicks in, but nothing else happens.

That file is: Creative Cloud Desktop App.app   Version: 4.6.0.38   Created: 7/9/2018

It does not have a (grey) circle with a dialog line though it indicating it will not work with my macOS.

(In case relevant, I am running Rosettta:

/usr/bin/pgrep -q oahd && echo Yes || echo No

result: Yes

--

When I run: "Creative Cloud Desktop Uninstaller"   Version: 4.6.0.384  Created: 76/9/2028 I get:

"Creative Cloud Desktop Uninstaller

Couldn't uninstall Creative Cloud for desktop. You still have Creative Cloud applications installed on your computer that require it."

 

I’ve done Finder searches for: Kind: Application   Name contains: Adobe

… and the results are:

/Apps

Adobe Creative Suite 6 Master Collection

Adobe Application Manager.app

Adobe Application Updater.app

Adobe Digital Editions 4.0.app

adobe_licensing_helper.app

adobe_lichelper.app

adobe_licutil.app

adobe_licutil.app

adobe_licutil.app

AdobeIPCBroker.app

 

/Apps/Utiltiies:

Adobe Application Updater.app

adobe_licensing_helper.app

adobe_lichelper.app

adobe_licutil.app

AdobeIPCBroker.app

adobe_licutil.app

--

Any ideas on what to do?

    Fancy_Stard5b8Correct answer
    Participant
    Nov 1, 2026 4:11 PM UTC

    I just downloaded Creative Cloud Desktop Uninstaller and that seemed to do the trick. I ran that app previously with the version that came with CC6 (no success), and I *thought* I’d download a new version from Adobe and run it (with no success), but apparently not (or it was a download from a different Adobe site).

    Thanks for that!

    View reply

    6 replies

    Fancy_Stard5b8AuthorCorrect answer
    Participant
    Nov 1, 2026 4:11 PM UTC

    I just downloaded Creative Cloud Desktop Uninstaller and that seemed to do the trick. I ran that app previously with the version that came with CC6 (no success), and I *thought* I’d download a new version from Adobe and run it (with no success), but apparently not (or it was a download from a different Adobe site).

    Thanks for that!

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    kglad
    Community Expert
    kgladCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    Nov 1, 2026 5:44 PM UTC

    you’re welcome.

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    Fancy_Stard5b8Author
    Participant
    Nov 1, 2026 2:43 PM UTC

    Thank you for that. I considered reinstalling, but thought I would have to install the whole suite. Just installing the app makes sense. I'll give it a shot.

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    kglad
    Community Expert
    kgladCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    Oct 31, 2026 4:47 PM UTC

    to do a clean cc install:

    uninstall every cc app, including preferences, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-remove-app.html

     

    then uninstall the cc desktop app, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html 

     

    clean your computer of cc files per http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html 

     

    restart your computer

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    Fancy_Stard5b8Author
    Participant
    Oct 31, 2026 5:05 PM UTC

    Your reply is very much appreciated.

    The first url's recipe does not work because clicking the Creative Cloud icon opens an empty window. Trying to open Creative Cloud Desktop App.app from Finder does nothing.

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    kglad
    Community Expert
    kgladCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    Nov 1, 2026 1:22 PM UTC

    if you’ve corrupted your files using manual deletes, you’ll need to restore the cc desktop app and then propertly uninstall it.

     

    you can also try skipping to the cleaner step and see if that removes what you want removed.

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