Installing Apps Is Often Drag-and-Drop

Windows installers have probably trained you to expect an EXE file with a step-by-step installation wizard. While some apps still work that way on macOS, many apps simply come as a DMG (disk image) file that opens like a temporary disk, showing the app icon front-and-center.

If that’s the case, all you need to do is click and drag the app into the Applications folder and you’re done. It’s simpler, but it also means you need to remember one thing: after installing, eject the disk image. Otherwise, it sits there like a mounted drive.

Uninstalling can also be surprisingly simple for many apps. If it’s a normal Mac app, you often need only drag it to the Trash. Again, some apps include extra components, but most everyday apps don’t require a formal uninstaller. As a rule of thumb, apps that use an installer also require an uninstaller, but if you dragged it to your Applications folder, then you can also drag it to the trash.