Need GlobalProtect off your Mac? Its installer and bundled Terminal script both include an uninstall method, and both require Mac administrator credentials. Here’s how to use them and handle removal prompts, but choose a time when you no longer need corporate VPN access, because uninstalling removes that access.
Use the GlobalProtect installer
If you still have the original GlobalProtect .pkg installer, start here. The same package handles installation and removal.
Open the GlobalProtect .pkg file, then click Continue to begin. On Destination Select, click Continue. At Installation Type, deselect GlobalProtect and select Uninstall GlobalProtect. Click Continue.
Choose Install. The button name sounds backwards, but it runs the uninstall package you selected. Enter your Mac administrator credentials, then click Install Software. A message confirming that the uninstall package installed successfully means removal succeeded.
Remove it through Terminal without an installer
Open Terminal. GlobalProtect 6.2 and 6.3 include a bundled uninstall script. Run this command exactly: sudo /Applications/GlobalProtect.app/Contents/Resources/uninstall_gp.sh.
Authenticate with your Mac administrator credentials when prompted, then complete any system-extension removal prompt using the instructions below. Keep the GlobalProtect app in place until you run the script, because the script lives inside it.
If you need a replacement installer
A portal download replaces a missing installer when your organization enables downloads. Visit your organization’s HTTPS GlobalProtect portal in a browser. The address is specific to your organization.
Enter your credentials in Name and Password, then click LOG IN, or complete your organization’s authentication flow instead. If the portal opens to a clientless application page, select GlobalProtect Agent. Select Download Mac 32/64 bit GlobalProtect agent.
Open the downloaded package. Follow the installer removal procedure above, choosing Uninstall GlobalProtect on Installation Type.
Finish the system-extension removal prompt
If your installation uses GlobalProtect system extensions, an additional administrator prompt during uninstallation is part of the removal process. Enter your Mac administrator credentials in User Name and Password, then click OK to authorize extension removal. If you cannot complete the prompt because you lack administrator credentials, ask your Mac’s administrator to finish the uninstall.
Optional cleanup before a fresh installation
For troubleshooting that requires a clean reinstall, use Palo Alto Networks’ additional Mac cleanup procedure.
- 1.Uninstall GlobalProtect using the installer or bundled Terminal script described above.
- 2.Remove the affected user’s PaloAltoNetworks folder from
/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/, replacing<username>with that Mac account’s folder name. - 3.Restart your Mac.
- 4.Reinstall GlobalProtect if your troubleshooting requires it.
When a work Mac blocks removal
Your organization controls whether GlobalProtect removal requires an uninstall password or is blocked entirely. That organization-controlled password is separate from your Mac administrator credentials.
Contact IT for the authorized password or a change to the removal restriction. IT also has a managed uninstall option for Jamf-managed Macs. If removal still fails after IT supplies the password or adjusts the restriction, ask them to complete the uninstall directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I uninstall GlobalProtect by dragging it to the Trash?
Use the supplied uninstaller. Apple recommends an app’s own uninstaller for removing associated components, and dragging GlobalProtect to the Trash is not an officially documented complete-removal method.
Does disconnecting GlobalProtect uninstall it?
No. Disconnecting ends the VPN connection but leaves GlobalProtect installed. Turning off its network extension also leaves the app installed.
Can I download the Mac installer from the GlobalProtect product page?
The official product page is not a universal installer download. Obtain the Mac package through your organization’s GlobalProtect portal or IT department.
Can the GlobalProtect website remove the app from my Mac?
No. Your organization’s portal provides an installer when downloads are enabled, but the browser does not remotely uninstall the Mac app.