How to Uninstall Parallels on Mac and Keep Your VM
Need Parallels off your Mac but still need the Windows or Linux machine you built inside it? Start with the virtual machine. Parallels says removing Parallels Desktop.app does not remove its .pvm bundle. To uninstall Parallels on a Mac safely, shut the guest down, make a separate copy of the whole bundle if it matters, and decide what to keep before moving the app to Trash.
That separation also explains a common disappointment: uninstalling the relatively small app may free far less space than expected. The virtual disk, guest files, and snapshots can remain inside the .pvm.
Quick answer: remove the app, keep the VM decision separate
- Shut down the guest operating system. Resume a paused or suspended VM first, save work, then choose Actions > Shut Down or shut down from inside the guest. Wait for it to finish.
- Find the VM bundle. In Parallels Control Center, right-click the VM and choose Show in Finder. Note its location. A Windows or Linux VM usually has a
.pvmbundle; a macOS guest on Apple silicon may use.macvm. - Back up the whole VM bundle to a separate drive if you need a recoverable copy. Wait for the copy to finish and check it is present before removing anything.
- Decide whether the VM stays or goes. If you want the guest later, leave its bundle alone. If you want to reclaim its space, use Parallels' VM removal instructions while Desktop is still installed, after verifying the backup and accepting that the guest data will go.
- Quit Parallels Desktop. In Finder, open Applications, move Parallels Desktop.app to Trash, and empty Trash after checking the result. These are Parallels' current uninstall steps.
Do not use a broad command that removes every file named “Parallels.” The VM bundle holds the machine and its data; it is not disposable app cache.
Step 1: shut down the VM before copying it
A suspended VM is not safely shut down for this job. Parallels distinguishes Shut Down from Suspend: suspend saves the running state for later resumption. Its backup instructions generally recommend keeping the VM Shut Down while copying it. If the guest is suspended, resume it, save open files, and shut it down normally. Avoid Stop unless you are handling a guest that cannot shut down; Parallels likens that action to pulling the power plug and warns about unsaved data.
If there are several VMs in Control Center, repeat the location and backup decision for each one. I would write down the bundle location before uninstalling the app; the guest's display name and Finder filename may differ. For a macOS guest on Apple silicon, Parallels' 2026 transfer guidance says the bundle can use .macvm instead of .pvm. Treat that bundle with the same keep-or-delete care.
This first-party Parallels help image shows the Show in Finder command in a 2026 enterprise-edition guide. It is an orientation image, not proof that every current edition has identical window styling or that the pictured VM is yours.
Step 2: find and back up the entire VM bundle
Use the actual Finder location, not a guessed default folder. In Control Center, right-click the VM and choose Show in Finder, as described in Parallels' VM location guide. If the app is already gone, search Finder for .pvm, .macvm, or the guest name. Parallels lists several possible default folders, and a VM may have been moved to external storage.
In Finder, select the bundle and choose File > Get Info to inspect its size and location. Copy the whole VM bundle, not individual virtual-disk or snapshot files from inside it. Parallels recommends an external disk for a manual copy. If the working VM already lives on an external disk, use a different disk for the backup. Check the destination has enough room, let the copy finish, and verify the resulting bundle is present before changing the original.
Tip: A Parallels snapshot is a restore point inside the VM workflow, not a separate copy of the whole VM bundle. Parallels says snapshots can increase bundle size. Do not delete the original on the assumption that a snapshot elsewhere will restore it.
Be especially careful if Documents is synced with iCloud Drive. Parallels warns that an offloaded .pvm in an iCloud-synced folder may be incomplete locally and cause startup problems. Confirm the bundle is fully available before treating a Finder copy as a backup. For important work, test recovery using Parallels on a compatible Mac before discarding the original. Moving between Intel and Apple silicon Macs adds guest-architecture limits; Parallels' migration guide covers those separately.
Step 3: make the keep-or-delete decision
Keeping the VM preserves the guest files but does not free its disk space. Leave the bundle in place or keep your verified copy on separate storage. If you reinstall Parallels later, use its documented VM location and migration guidance to register the bundle. A usable Parallels license and guest operating-system license are separate requirements; an intact bundle alone does not establish either entitlement.
If you no longer need the guest, make that explicit choice while Parallels is installed. In Control Center, right-click the VM and choose Remove. Parallels' removal guide offers Keep Files, which removes the VM from the list while leaving its files in place, and Move to Trash, which targets the VM files. Check the name, location, backup, and Trash contents before emptying it. If Desktop is already gone, locate the particular VM bundle in Finder rather than using a general cleanup command.
Tip: If the VM contains tax records, projects, or software you can no longer download, storage pressure is a poor reason to skip the backup test. Move a verified copy to a different disk first, then decide whether the Mac's original bundle can go.
Step 4: uninstall Parallels Desktop
Remove the application after the VM is shut down and its location is known. Parallels' standard, Pro, and Business edition instructions say to quit Parallels Desktop, drag its icon from Applications to Trash, and empty Trash. The App Store edition has separate instructions, but its VM remains separate too. If your Mac is managed by an organization, ask its administrator before changing a managed installation.
Apple's image illustrates the Finder command; it does not show Parallels. Apple's app-removal guide explains that uninstalling an app does not remove documents created with it or cancel a subscription. Parallels is a particularly useful example: the VM is a substantial document-like bundle with its own deletion decision.
Do not remove Parallels Toolbox or another Parallels product merely because its name matches. Toolbox is a separate app with its own uninstall instructions. And if your goal is an upgrade rather than removal, Parallels says a newer Desktop installer replaces the existing version without this uninstall step.
Uninstalling Parallels Desktop also does not cancel billing. Review renewal in your Parallels account or, for an App Store subscription, in App Store subscriptions. Do this even if you retain the VM for a future reinstall.
Check what space you actually reclaimed
After app removal, check that Parallels Desktop.app is gone from Applications and note whether the VM bundle remains where you intended. Open System Settings > General > Storage and allow macOS time to update its estimate. The app bundle and VM bundle are separate storage items, so a small change is expected when you keep the guest.
For other large local files, Sensei can help you review storage deliberately. Its current product page advertises a large-file scanner and an App Uninstaller; neither decides whether a Parallels VM is safe to delete or replaces the backup check. As of September 2026, the official Sensei update feed lists 2.1.3 and macOS 14 as its minimum. Keep the VM outside any bulk-cleanup selection until you've made the decision above.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does uninstalling Parallels delete Windows or my virtual machine?
No. Parallels says removing the desktop app does not delete the Windows or Linux guest's .pvm bundle. A macOS guest on Apple silicon may use .macvm. Locate the bundle before uninstalling so you know what remains.
Where is my Parallels virtual machine on Mac?
While Parallels is installed, right-click the VM in Control Center and choose Show in Finder. Otherwise search Finder for .pvm, .macvm, or the guest name. The location can differ from Parallels' defaults, especially after a move to external storage.
Can I back up a suspended Parallels VM?
Resume it, save your work, and shut down the guest first. Parallels generally recommends backing up while the VM is Shut Down; Suspend preserves a running state and is a different operation.
Can I delete the VM bundle after uninstalling Parallels?
Only if you no longer need its guest data or have a separate backup you have verified. The bundle is the virtual machine, not a cache. Deleting it is the step that can remove the guest and reclaim its storage.
Does uninstalling Parallels cancel my subscription?
No. App removal and subscription management are separate. Check renewal in your Parallels account or in App Store subscriptions, depending on where you purchased it.
Can Sensei tell me whether a VM is safe to delete?
No. Sensei can surface large local files for review. Use Parallels' instructions and your own verified backup to decide whether the VM bundle should stay or go.
The app is gone; the guest is a separate choice
Shut the guest down, locate and back up its VM bundle, make the keep-or-delete decision, then remove Parallels Desktop. If the guest stays, so does its storage use. That is expected: the bundle still holds the machine you chose to keep.
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