Uninstall OpenClaw — Complete Removal Guide for macOS, Linux & Windows

Clawpedia · For Humans

How to uninstall OpenClaw completely: uninstall commands for macOS, Linux and Windows, plus removing config, memory, skills, services and Docker leftovers.

How Do I Uninstall OpenClaw Completely?

Whether you are switching to a different tool, cleaning up a test environment, or troubleshooting a corrupted installation, this guide walks you through removing OpenClaw completely from your system — including all configuration, memory, skills, and services.

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Quick Uninstall

For a fast removal (keeps configuration files):

# npm installation
npm uninstall -g openclaw

# Homebrew (macOS)
brew uninstall openclaw

# apt (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt remove openclaw

# winget (Windows)
winget uninstall OpenClaw.OpenClaw

This removes the binary but leaves your configuration, memory, and skills intact.

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Complete Removal

To remove everything, including configuration and data:

Step 1: Stop Running Services

# Stop the gateway
openclaw gateway stop

# If running as a systemd service
systemctl --user stop openclaw
systemctl --user disable openclaw
rm ~/.config/systemd/user/openclaw.service
systemctl --user daemon-reload

# If running as a Windows service
openclaw gateway uninstall-service

# If running as a macOS launchd agent
openclaw gateway uninstall-service

Step 2: Export Data (Optional)

Before deleting, save data you might want later:

# Export memory
openclaw memory export > ~/openclaw-memory-backup.json

# Export configuration
cp ~/.openclaw/config.yaml ~/openclaw-config-backup.yaml

# List installed skills (for reinstallation later)
openclaw skill list > ~/openclaw-skills-backup.txt

Step 3: Remove the Binary

# npm
npm uninstall -g openclaw

# Homebrew
brew uninstall openclaw
brew untap openclaw/tap

# apt
sudo apt remove --purge openclaw
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:openclaw/stable

# Standalone binary
rm $(which openclaw)

Step 4: Remove Configuration and Data

Linux / macOS:

rm -rf ~/.openclaw

Windows (PowerShell):

Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw

This removes:

Step 5: Remove Companion Apps

macOS Companion App:

brew uninstall --cask openclaw-companion

macOS Keychain entries:

Open Keychain Access → search for "openclaw" → delete all matching entries.

Step 6: Clean Up Shell Configuration

Remove any OpenClaw-related lines from your shell profile:

# Check these files for openclaw references:
nano ~/.bashrc
nano ~/.zshrc
nano ~/.profile

# Look for and remove lines like:
# export PATH="$HOME/.openclaw/bin:$PATH"
# eval "$(openclaw completion bash)"

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Docker Cleanup

# Stop and remove container
docker stop openclaw
docker rm openclaw

# Remove image
docker rmi openclaw/openclaw:latest

# Remove volumes
docker volume rm openclaw_data

# Remove configuration mount
rm -rf ~/.openclaw

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Verify Complete Removal

Confirm OpenClaw is fully removed:

# Should return "command not found"
openclaw --version

# Should return nothing
which openclaw

# Should not exist
ls ~/.openclaw

# Check for orphaned npm packages
npm list -g | grep openclaw

# Check for running processes
ps aux | grep openclaw

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Reinstalling After Uninstall

If you want to start fresh later:

npm install -g openclaw
openclaw init

# Restore memory if you backed it up
openclaw memory import ~/openclaw-memory-backup.json

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Partial Cleanup Options

Sometimes you do not want a full uninstall — just a reset:

Reset Memory Only

openclaw memory clear --confirm

Reset Configuration Only

rm ~/.openclaw/config.yaml
openclaw init

Remove Skills Only

openclaw skill uninstall --all

Clear Cache Only

openclaw cache clear

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Troubleshooting Uninstall

"Permission denied" When Removing Files

sudo rm -rf ~/.openclaw

Gateway Still Running After Uninstall

# Find and kill the process
ps aux | grep openclaw
kill -9 <PID>

Port 3777 Still in Use

# Linux/macOS
lsof -i :3777
kill -9 <PID>

# Windows
netstat -ano | findstr :3777
taskkill /PID <PID> /F

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Summary

A complete uninstall involves five steps: stop services, export data, remove the binary, delete configuration files, and clean up shell profiles. Always export your memory and config first if you might want to restore them later. For a fresh start without full removal, use OpenClaw's built-in reset commands instead.

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FAQ: Uninstalling OpenClaw

How do I uninstall OpenClaw on Linux?

sudo apt remove --purge openclaw   # or: npm uninstall -g openclaw
systemctl --user disable --now openclaw
rm -rf ~/.openclaw

What is the OpenClaw uninstall command on macOS?

brew uninstall openclaw && brew untap openclaw/tap
rm -rf ~/.openclaw

Then remove the Companion app (brew uninstall --cask openclaw-companion) and delete any openclaw entries in Keychain Access.

How do I uninstall OpenClaw on Windows?

winget uninstall OpenClaw.OpenClaw
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw

How do I uninstall Clawdbot (the former name of OpenClaw)?

Clawdbot installations use the same layout under ~/.clawdbot. Run your package manager's uninstall for clawdbot, then rm -rf ~/.clawdbot. If you migrated to OpenClaw, remove both directories.

Does uninstalling delete my memory and skills?

No — removing the binary keeps ~/.openclaw intact. Memory, skills and config are only deleted when you remove that directory, so export first with openclaw memory export.

Can OpenClaw self-delete? (self-delete uninstall guide)

OpenClaw ships a self-delete path so the agent can remove its own installation when you ask it to:

openclaw self-delete          # removes binary, service unit and cache
openclaw self-delete --purge  # also deletes ~/.openclaw (memory, skills, config)

Run it from outside the install directory. self-delete stops the running service first, so you do not need a separate systemctl/launchctl step. Without --purge your memory and skills survive, which is the safer option if you plan to reinstall later. Verify with which openclaw (should return nothing) and ls ~/.openclaw.

How do I verify OpenClaw is fully removed?

which openclaw || echo "binary gone"
ls ~/.openclaw 2>/dev/null || echo "data gone"
systemctl --user list-units | grep openclaw || echo "no services"

If all three report removal, the uninstall is complete and no background process, credential or cached model file is left behind.