What did this installer put on my Mac?

Q: How do I find the installer's package ID?

Search the receipts by name: pkgutil --pkgs | grep -i zoom Or list the newest receipts first, to find what was installed today: ls -lt /var/db/receipts | head Each receipt is a pair of files named after the package ID, such as com.example.app.plist and.bom. One installer can leave several packages.

Q: How do I list the files it installed?

pkgutil --pkg-info com.example.app pkgutil --files com.example.app The first shows the version, the location and the install time (in seconds since 1970). The paths in the second start at that location: with location: /, Library/LaunchDaemons/… means /Library/LaunchDaemons/…; with location: Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL, they are inside /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL. Add --only-files to leave out folders.

Q: Did it add something that runs in the background?

pkgutil --files com.example.app | grep -i launch Anything in LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons starts on its own. It also shows up in System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions, where you can switch it off. Look for PrivilegedHelperTools too: those helpers run with administrator rights.

Q: Can pkgutil uninstall a package?

No. pkgutil --forget only removes the receipt; every file stays where it is. Use the maker's uninstaller if there is one. Otherwise, the file list above is your checklist: move what it lists to the Trash, then forget the receipt.

Q: What about apps from a disk image or the App Store?

From a disk image: the app writes its files the first time it runs. To see what's new, sort a folder by date: ls -lt ~/Library/Application\ Support | head, and do the same for ~/Library/Caches, ~/Library/Preferences and ~/Library/LaunchAgents. From the App Store: the app keeps its data in its own folder, ~/Library/Containers/ , and sometimes in ~/Library/Group Containers.

Updated November 3, 2026

You ran an installer, typed your password, and it said "The installation was successful." It didn't say where everything went.

The short answer: a .pkg installer leaves a receipt. In Terminal, pkgutil --pkgs lists the receipts and pkgutil --files <package-id> lists every file a package installed. Apps you drag from a disk image (.dmg) leave no receipt: what they add appears when you first open them, mostly in ~/Library.

How do I find the installer's package ID?

Search the receipts by name:

pkgutil --pkgs | grep -i zoom

Or list the newest receipts first, to find what was installed today:

ls -lt /var/db/receipts | head

Each receipt is a pair of files named after the package ID, such as com.example.app.plist and .bom. One installer can leave several packages.

How do I list the files it installed?

pkgutil --pkg-info com.example.app
pkgutil --files com.example.app

The first shows the version, the location and the install time (in seconds since 1970). The paths in the second start at that location: with location: /, Library/LaunchDaemons/… means /Library/LaunchDaemons/…; with location: Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL, they are inside /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL. Add --only-files to leave out folders.

Did it add something that runs in the background?

pkgutil --files com.example.app | grep -i launch

Anything in LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons starts on its own. It also shows up in System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions, where you can switch it off. Look for PrivilegedHelperTools too: those helpers run with administrator rights.

Can pkgutil uninstall a package?

No. pkgutil --forget only removes the receipt; every file stays where it is. Use the maker's uninstaller if there is one. Otherwise, the file list above is your checklist: move what it lists to the Trash, then forget the receipt.

What about apps from a disk image or the App Store?

From a disk image: the app writes its files the first time it runs. To see what's new, sort a folder by date: ls -lt ~/Library/Application\ Support | head, and do the same for ~/Library/Caches, ~/Library/Preferences and ~/Library/LaunchAgents.
From the App Store: the app keeps its data in its own folder, ~/Library/Containers/<bundle ID>, and sometimes in ~/Library/Group Containers.