SidebarFavorites Docs

Uninstalling

This page shows how to remove SidebarFavorites completely: first undo your favorites inside the app, then delete the app, then clear what it leaves behind. Read it before you drag the app to the Trash, especially if you used Both icons mode.

On this page

Why the order matters

Your icons live in Finder’s sidebar and in helper files that macOS knows about, not inside the app. Only the app can take them out again, and dragging it to the Trash runs none of its code. If you trash it first, its helpers stay registered and keep appearing in System Settings until you remove them there or delete the data folder. Each one says in its description that it is safe to disable if SidebarFavorites is gone.

Uninstall in order

Step 1: remove your favorites

Choose one of the two ways. Remove All Sidebar Icons is the shorter one and also clears the helpers.

WayWhat it removesChoose it when
Delete favorites one by oneFor each favorite you delete: the sidebar row the app added, or the custom icon on a row you added yourself, and that favorite’s Both-icons helper. The favorite leaves the list.You have a few favorites, or you want to keep some of them until the end.
Settings, Remove All Sidebar IconsEvery row the app added, every custom icon on rows you added, the icon helper bundle and every Both-icons helper. The favorites stay in the list.You have many favorites, or you want to be sure nothing is missed.

Delete favorites one by one

  1. Point at a favorite in the manager window.

    You seeA pencil button and a trash button appear on the row.

  2. Click the trash button.

    You seeA dialog titled Remove “name”? opens. For a row the app added it says This removes it from Finder’s sidebar. For a row you added yourself it says This clears its custom icon. The row stays in Finder’s sidebar - it was already there before this app touched it.

  3. Click Remove.

    You seeThe favorite leaves the list, and its sidebar row or its icon is gone from Finder.

  4. Repeat for every favorite.

    You seeThe manager window shows its empty state.

Use Remove All Sidebar Icons

  1. Open Settings: press ⌘, in the app.

    You seeThe Settings window opens.

  2. Click Remove All Sidebar Icons under Actions.

    Read the counts, then confirm with Remove All Sidebar Icons.

    You seeA dialog titled Remove All Sidebar Icons? counts what it will remove and ends with This cannot be undone.

  3. Click Remove All Sidebar Icons in the dialog.

    The details of this action are on Settings.

    You seeAn alert reports All sidebar icons were removed. The rows the app added are gone from Finder’s sidebar.

  4. Delete the favorites from the list as well, if you want them gone from the app.

    You seeThe manager window shows its empty state.

Step 2: turn off Launch at Login

  1. In Settings, turn off Launch at Login.

    You seeThe switch is off, so macOS does not start the app when you log in.

Step 3: quit and delete the app

  1. Choose Quit SidebarFavorites from the menu bar menu, or press ⌘Q.

    You seeThe app quits and its menu bar item disappears.

  2. Drag SidebarFavorites Manager from the Applications folder to the Trash.

    You seeThe app is in the Trash.

  3. Empty the Trash.

    You seeThe app is gone.

What is left behind

Deleting the app removes only the app. These items stay on your Mac, and each is harmless to leave. Remove them if you want no trace.

ItemWhereHow to remove it
The data folder: your configuration, imported SVGs, icon backups, the helper bundle and the Both-icons helpers.~/Library/Application Support/SidebarFavoritesIn Finder, choose Go then Go to Folder…, paste the path, press Return, then move the folder to the Trash. See config.json for its contents.
Both-icons helpers still listed in System Settings, named SBF- followed by a favorite’s name.System Settings then General then Login Items & ExtensionsDelete the data folder above, or switch each helper off in that pane. Switching it off is enough, because a disabled helper does nothing.
A login item for the app, if you left Launch at Login on.System Settings then General then Login Items & ExtensionsTurn it off in that pane.

If it does not work

What you seeCauseFix
Helpers named SBF-… are still listed in System Settings after the app is gone.The app was trashed before its favorites were removed, so nothing unregistered the helpers.Delete ~/Library/Application Support/SidebarFavorites, or switch each helper off in System Settings. See Troubleshooting.
A sidebar row still shows its icon after you removed everything.Finder has not redrawn the row.Restart Finder from Settings. This closes Finder windows, so finish any copy first.
The alert reports Some sidebar icons could not be fully removed.One part of the removal failed.Read the lines in the alert, fix what they name, and run Remove All Sidebar Icons again.