Homebrew Cask: It seems there is already an App at macOS Origin: Platform & cloud OSI layer 7 · Application Last updated 5 Nov 2026

Homebrew: Error: It seems there is already an App at '/Applications/Chrome.app'

A cask install failed because the app is already installed manually (or a leftover exists).

Exact message you may see Error: It seems there is already an App atIt seems there is already an App at '/Applications/Error: It seems there is already an App at '/Applications/Docker.app'cask already an app at
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Seen on: macOS

Meaning

Adopt the existing app into Homebrew with brew install --cask --adopt NAME, or remove the old app, or use --force to overwrite. Don't mix manual and cask installs of the same app without adopting.

Common causes

  • App installed outside Homebrew
  • Leftover app bundle after a failed uninstall
  • Different app with the same name
  • Quarantine/permissions blocking removal
  • Cask renamed

⚡ Quick fix

  1. brew install --cask --adopt NAME
  2. Remove the old app and reinstall
  3. brew install --cask --force NAME

Detailed fix by platform

macOS

  1. brew list --cask | grep -i NAME && ls -ld /Applications/NAME.app

How to diagnose

  1. Installed — Manually or via cask?
  2. Option — Adopt or force?
  3. Leftover — Old bundle?

🔧 Still not fixed?

Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:

Where this error sits

Origin: Platform & cloud. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

"x" can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer — macOS: “app” can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer (macOS)"x" can't be opened b…Apple could not verify "x" is free of malware — macOS: “app” cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software / Apple could not verify “app” is free of malware that may harm your Mac (macOS)Apple could not verif…Bad configuration option: usekeychain — ssh: /Users/me/.ssh/config: line 5: Bad configuration option: usekeychain (macOS)Bad configuration opt…Camera/Microphone access denied (TCC) — macOS: avfoundation: Could not start capture / "Terminal" does not have access to the camera or microphone — tccd denied (macOS)Camera/Microphone acc…Can't install the software because it is not currently available from the Software Update server — macOS: xcode-select: error: Can't install the software because it is not currently available from the Software Update server (macOS)Can't install the sof…clang: error: unsupported option '-fopenmp' — macOS: clang: error: unsupported option '-fopenmp' (OpenMP with Apple Clang) (macOS)clang: error: unsuppo…codesign: resource fork, Finder information, or similar detritus not allowed — macOS: Error: resource fork, Finder information, or similar detritus not allowed (macOS)codesign: resource fo…dyld: Library not loaded — macOS: dyld[123]: Library not loaded: /usr/local/opt/openssl@1.1/lib/libssl.1.1.dylib — Reason: tried: ... (no such file) (macOS)dyld: Library not loa…Homebrew …

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