Resolved uninstallable default Apps / minimal MacOS?

[MiniApple]

Pondering switching to a MacbookAir for my only device on the road, mainly due to the very long battery life for basic tasks, being fanless, having a good screen. (Use cases: web browsing, watching TV/movies, some basic file management and text editing)

I don't have a use for many Apple default apps and services, basic system apps like Settings, Finder, File Management. excluded obviously.

I'm not looking for the "just hide them from the dock/desktop, they don't use a lot of space if you don't use them" answers.

1. which MacOS/Apple apps and services can not be uninstalled from the current MacOS 14? (I'm sure I'm missing some below)
2. are they reinstalled with a annual MacOS version update like the defaults do on Windows?

• App Store
• Books
• Calendar
• Chess
• FaceTime
• Freeform
• Home
• iMovie
• Keynote
• Mail
• Messages
• Music
• News
• Notes
• Numbers
• Pages
• Photos
• Photo Booth
• Podcasts
• Reminders
• Safari (as long as you have an alternate browser installed)
• Stocks
• Time Machine
• Voice Memos

 

[galad]

All the one that are not on the App Store. They are stored on the read-only system snapshot volume, which is signed, so removing them it's not worth the time you will lose.

 

[MilaM]

I don't think you can remove most of those apps right now, because they are distributed as part of the cryptographically signed "System Volume".

Here is a list of Apps form my /System/Applications directory on Ventura:

App Store.app
Automator.app
Books.app
Calculator.app
Calendar.app
Chess.app
Clock.app
Contacts.app
Dictionary.app
FaceTime.app
FindMy.app
Font Book.app
Freeform.app
Home.app
Image Capture.app
Launchpad.app
Mail.app
Maps.app
Messages.app
Mission Control.app
Music.app
News.app
Notes.app
Photo Booth.app
Photos.app
Podcasts.app
Preview.app
QuickTime Player.app
Reminders.app
Shortcuts.app
Siri.app
Stickies.app
Stocks.app
System Settings.app
TV.app
TextEdit.app
Time Machine.app
Utilities
VoiceMemos.app
Weather.app

=> above apps use around 490 MB of storage on the protected volume.

+ Safari.app

Apps that are not in the list above, can be uninstalled without issues. You can download them from the App Store again, if you want to.

You could possibly remove most of them if you disable SIP and related security measures. But I would not recommend that, unless you really know what you are doing.

 

[thebart]

I remember complimenting Apple for not putting all their apps like books and podcasts on their iPhone. Really clean system

Hah. So much for that

 

[MiniApple]

Coupling apps to an OS (version) if you have an App store that works well - is dumb.
Not making them uninstallable - without jumping trough hoops - is hostile towards users - and it's not even "business" reason with just services apps (TV, music etc.) but also stuff like Chess...

Microsoft did they same dumb thing, but thankfully they have done a 180 since a couple of years - un-bundling Apps and App updates from the OS, making them available and update able in the App store.

 

[bogdanw]

"macOS Debloating thread" https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-debloating-thread.2278758/

 

[Minghold]

How to delete apps that Apple won't let you drag to the trash: From Recovery (or a recovery-partition), launch Terminal and enter rm -r "/Volumes/[name of your boot drive]/Applications/News.app" WITH the quote marks.