Phials documentation
Developer docs

macOS App

When you browse files on macOS, Phials can show a dedicated preview for application bundles, which are folders whose names end in .app. You see the app icon, version and technical details, and optional tools to remove the app and related support files.

This preview is only available when you run Phials on macOS.

Prerequisites

  • macOS: The rich metadata and uninstall flow rely on macOS, so other platforms do not offer this preview.
  • An .app bundle selected in the browser so the preview sidebar can show this view.

What you see in the preview

  • App icon comes from the bundle when possible. If loading fails, a neutral placeholder appears.
  • Display name is the .app name without the extension.
  • Version comes from the app’s Info.plist when available. A separate build number may appear in parentheses when it differs from the marketing version.

Summary card

Always visible for successfully loaded metadata:

LabelMeaning
Bundle IDThe reverse-DNS identifier for the app (for example com.example.MyApp), when present.
ArchitectureUniversal (runs on Intel and Apple Silicon), Apple Silicon, Intel, or a short list of slice names from the binary.
SizeOn-disk size of the .app bundle as Phials reports it.

Details (expandable)

Open Details to see optional fields when the app provides them:

  • Min macOS is the minimum system version the app claims to support.
  • Category is the category string from the bundle metadata.
  • Copyright is the copyright notice, when present.

Security (expandable)

Open Security for a quick read on distribution and hardening:

  • Signed tells you whether the app appears to be code-signed, with short signing information when available.
  • App Store tells you whether the app is identified as coming from the Mac App Store.
  • Sandboxed tells you whether the app uses the App Sandbox.

These are informational labels to help you reason about what you are looking at. They are not a substitute for Gatekeeper or your own judgment about software you install.

Uninstall an application

Phials can help you remove an app bundle and optional “related” support files that live outside the .app folder, for example under your Library folders. This is useful for cleanup, but always review the list before confirming. Some matches are heuristic, and you may want to keep certain data.

  1. Select the .app in the file browser so this preview is active.
  2. Choose Uninstall. Phials searches for related files. This can take a moment, and the button may show Searching….
  3. In the Uninstall dialog, read the intro text and scroll the list of discovered paths.
  4. Toggle items on or off. Only checked items are removed. By default, related paths that were found are selected, so adjust to your comfort.
  5. Check Total to remove at the bottom.
  6. Choose Uninstall to delete the selected paths, or Cancel to close without changes.

If something goes wrong

If metadata does not load, sections may be missing or sparse. If Uninstall fails, the dialog may stay open, and nothing is removed until the operation succeeds. For stubborn leftovers or system components, use macOS’s own tools or the vendor’s uninstaller when appropriate.

Tips

  • .app bundles are folders. macOS presents them as single apps in Finder, and Phials treats them as a previewable item so you get app-specific UI instead of a generic folder view.
  • Backup first. Before bulk-removing Library data, consider whether you need settings or documents tied to that app elsewhere.
  • Related file search is best-effort. It scans common Library locations using the app name and bundle identifier. Unusual install paths or shared resources may not appear in the list.