Would you like to install a new video game but you don’t have enough disk space on your PC, smartphone or console? Are you thinking of freeing up some space by uninstalling some old title that you haven’t played for a long time but can’t figure out how to do it? Don’t worry: if you went out of your way to find a guide that gave you the details on how to uninstall a game and you ended up here, well, then you’ve come to the right place!
Nowadays a new game complete with updates and DLC can weigh several GB, even more than 100 GB, so it is essential that your hard drive has enough space to allow one or more new installations. But as you may have noticed, it’s not always easy to find the right options to do this.
Do not worry anyway: following what I am about to propose, you will be able to uninstall the old titles that you no longer need and thus you will be able to recover some space to be allocated to new games. Are you ready to get started? Below you will find explained how to proceed both on PC and on smartphone, tablet and console. Happy reading and good work!
Index
- How to uninstall a game from your PC
- How to uninstall a game from Steam
- How to uninstall a game from Epic Games
- How to uninstall games from Windows and macOS
- How to uninstall a game from smartphones and tablets
- How to uninstall a game from Android
- How to uninstall a game from iPhone and iPad
- How to uninstall a game from the console
- How to uninstall a game on PS4
- How to uninstall a game on Nintendo Switch
- How to uninstall a game on Xbox
How to uninstall a game from your PC
There are several methods to uninstall a game from your PC and in the following chapters you will find all the information you need, relating to platforms such as Steam and Epic Games Store (which are all equipped with excellent title management), but not only.
How to uninstall a game from Steam
Steam is one of the most popular digital game distribution platforms among PC (and Mac) gamers. It allows you to install, manage, repair and uninstall games in a very simple way. So let’s ban the chatter and see immediately how to uninstall a game from Steam .
First, start the Steam client on your PC and access your Library via the appropriate item located in the top menu. Now, click on the GAMES drop-down menu located at the top of the left column and deselect the GROUP BY COLLECTION item . You will then have the complete list of all games purchased on Steam.
Titles marked with white text are those currently installed on your PC, while those with a gray or semi-transparent title are not installed. If you have a really large list of titles and find it hard to figure out which ones are installed on your PC, I recommend that you filter the list in order to exclude all the games not installed from view. So, click on the Filtering Options button located to the right of the search field and put the check mark on the option Installed locally .
Now you just have to right-click on the game you want to uninstall and choose, from the context menu, the items Manage> Uninstall and then follow the instructions on the screen. Done!
How to uninstall a game from Epic Games
Epic Games Store is the famous game platform created by the Fortnite developers. In full competition with Steam, it allows you to buy, download and manage games in a very simple way, with also the options to repair and uninstall them. To understand how to uninstall a game from Epic Games, all you have to do is read this chapter carefully.
Therefore, start the Epic Games client on your PC / Mac and click on the Library item located in the left column. In the center of the window you will be able to see all your purchases, which include games installed on your PC and games not yet installed. For convenience, I suggest you click on the Filter> Installed items in the top menu, in order to view only the installed software.
Now that you have a clearer view of all the games installed through Epic Games, all you have to do is click on the Enable / Disable settings menu button (the icon with the three dots) located under the cover / image of the game to be uninstalled, select the voice Uninstall from the menu that is offered to you and follow the on-screen displays.
How to uninstall games from Windows and macOS
If you have installed games through physical media or an installation package not associated with any online platform, you can uninstall them by following the standard procedure you would follow for any other program on your computer.
If you are using Windows 10 and the game you want to remove is an application downloaded from the Microsoft Store , click the Start button (the one with the Windows flag) located at the bottom left, scroll vertically the list of installed applications, so to locate the icon of the game you want to remove, right click on the game icon and choose Uninstall from the context menu. The game will be uninstalled in no time.
If the game was installed with a physical disc or executable external to the Microsoft Store, click on the Start button (the flag icon located in the lower left corner of the screen) and type Control Panel on the keyboard , then select the Control Panel (Desktop App) icon in the search results.
In the new window that is shown to you, click on the Programs and Features item and then a new window will open with the list of applications installed on the PC. Now locate the game you intend to uninstall. For a simpler search I suggest you set the list in alphabetical order by clicking on the Name column .
When you have found the game to remove, click on it and press the Uninstall or Uninstall / Change button located a little further up, then follow the wizard that is offered to you by Windows. Generally, to complete the removal of a program, just click on Next / Next .
This procedure is valid for all versions of Windows. If you are using Windows 10, you can also achieve the same result by opening the Settings menu (the gear icon found in the Start menu ) and selecting the App icon from the window that opens. More info here .
If you have MacOS and the game you intend to uninstall you had downloaded from the Mac App Store , start the Launchpad , make a long click on the icon of the game to uninstall and wait for it to start “wobbling”. Then click on the (x) button that appears on the icon and, from the context menu, press the Delete button .
Alternatively, you can uninstall any game by opening your computer’s Applications folder (via the Finder bar or by pressing the key combination cmd + shift + a on your keyboard). In the latter, locate the game you want to uninstall and once you find it, drag its icon to the Trash , located at the bottom right of the Dock bar. Finally, right-click on the Trash icon and empty it, selecting the Empty Trash item from the menu that opens.
Some games may have uninstall utilities, similar to that of Windows programs. Try looking for it in your Mac’s Applications folder , in the .dmg package that contained the game or in its launcher settings. More info here .
How to uninstall a game from smartphones and tablets
Even games for mobile devices require more and more free space on the memory, often ending up saturating it. If you are a “mobile” player and are trying to understand how to uninstall a game from smartphones and tablets , you will find all the information to achieve your goal in the next chapters.
How to uninstall a game from Android
Removing a game from Android is really simple. First, locate the game icon on the Home screen or in the app drawer , make a long tap on it and drag it to the Uninstall / Delete button or the trash can icon , which should appear on the screen. In some cases, these items appear in a dedicated menu. After the deletion warning, tap the Uninstall / OK button to complete the operation.
Alternatively, go to the Settings> Apps menu , select the game to uninstall and press the button to uninstall it .
If you have not reached the desired goal and want to deepen the topic on uninstalling apps on Android, I invite you to read my specific article on how to uninstall apps on Android .
How to uninstall a game from iPhone and iPad
If you already have a clear idea of the games you would like to remove from your iOS or iPadOS device but don’t know how to move around without causing trouble, then this chapter is for you. In fact, in the next few lines I will explain in a few simple steps how to uninstall a game from iPhone and iPad .
Find, therefore, the icon of the game you want to uninstall by browsing the pages of your Home screen . Then press the icon with your finger and continue to hold down on it until it begins to vibrate, then select the Remove App item from the menu that opens and confirm by pressing Delete App .
To find out other alternative methods to achieve this, I invite you to read my detailed article on how to uninstall apps on iPhone (procedure that also applies to iPad).
How to uninstall a game from the console
Game consoles all have a unique procedure for uninstalling games. The user interface differs from console to console and therefore can be a bit confusing if you are a beginner. but don’t worry: in the next chapters I’ll give you all the details on how to uninstall a game from the console .
How to uninstall a game on PS4
The PS4 allows you to remove games in a few simple steps, however if you are a beginner I can understand that a little help could be useful, which is why in this chapter I will explain in a few lines how to uninstall a game on PS4 .
Then start your PS4 and look for the icon of the game you want to uninstall: you can find it in the main menu or in the Collection menu . When you have located it, hover over it and press the Options button on your controller, then select the Delete option from the side menu that opens.
If you want to free up additional space on your PS4 by managing save data or other game-related content you are interested in uninstalling, I suggest you read my guide on how to uninstall games from PS4 .
How to uninstall a game on Nintendo Switch
The famous handheld console from Nintendo does not come with an abundant internal memory and to compensate for this disadvantage you can make use of microSD, however space is always limited. In this chapter you will therefore find explained how to uninstall a game on Nintendo Switch to make some space on the memory.
Start, therefore, Nintendo Switch and select the game you want to delete from the home menu. Then press the + button of the pad and, from the menus displayed, select the options Data management and Delete software using the A button . After two or three seconds, the red Cancel button will be enabled : press it to confirm the removal of the game.
Alternatively, you can go to the system settings menu (the gear icon that you find in the main menu), select the Data Management item , then the Software one and view all the apps and games on your Switch. Identify, therefore, the one to remove, select it and choose between Archive software (to continue to display its icon on the Home screen) and Delete software (to delete it completely).
If you want to know more about uninstalling games and apps on Nintendo Switch, I suggest you read my article on how to uninstall a game on Nintendo Switch .
How to uninstall a game on Xbox
If you have a console from Microsoft and want to know how to uninstall a game on Xbox , know that the procedure is easier than ever and you will find it explained in a few simple steps in the next few lines.
If you have Xbox X / S series , start the console, go to the Settings> System> Storage menu , select the console memory , choose the Uninstall items option , select the games to delete and press the Remove selected button on the right.
If you have an Xbox One , access the Home screen by pressing the Xbox button on the controller. Select My Games & Apps and highlight the game you want to uninstall. Then press the Menu button on your controller and select the Manage Game option . Finally, press the Menu button on your controller again and select the Uninstall screen entry . Easy, right?
