> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://slowave.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Uninstall, purge, or remove the Slowave package fully

> Remove Slowave integrations while keeping your memories, wipe all local data, or uninstall the package entirely — with dry-run support at every step.

Slowave gives you three distinct removal operations so you can choose exactly what to remove. `slowave uninstall` strips the client integrations and services but preserves your local memories. `slowave purge` goes further and removes the database too. Finally, uninstalling the package with `pipx` or Homebrew removes the binaries. Always run `--dry-run` first to confirm what each command will do before writing any changes.

<Warning>
  `slowave purge` is destructive and asks for confirmation. Run `slowave purge --dry-run` before using it on a machine with memories you want to keep.
</Warning>

## Choosing the right command

| Command                  | Removes integrations & services | Removes database & data | Removes `*.bak.*` backups | Removes package |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------- | --------------- |
| `slowave uninstall`      | ✅                               | ❌                       | ❌                         | ❌               |
| `slowave purge`          | ✅                               | ✅                       | ✅                         | ❌               |
| `pipx uninstall slowave` | ❌                               | ❌                       | ❌                         | ✅               |
| `brew uninstall slowave` | ❌                               | ❌                       | ❌                         | ✅               |

<Note>
  `slowave cleanup` is retained as a compatibility alias for `slowave purge`. Use `purge` in new scripts and documentation.
</Note>

## Step 1 — Remove integrations (uninstall or purge)

### Stop using Slowave but keep your memories

`slowave uninstall` removes every Slowave-managed client integration — MCP entries, lifecycle instruction blocks and hooks, and the daemon, worker, and backup services — while leaving your local data intact.

```bash theme={null}
slowave uninstall --dry-run   # preview first
slowave uninstall
```

What `slowave uninstall` preserves:

* The effective runtime root, including the SQLite database and archives
* Setup-created `*.bak.*` configuration backups
* All unrelated client configuration, MCP entries, hooks, and instruction content
* The installed Slowave package

### Remove integrations and all local data

`slowave purge` performs the same work as `uninstall` and then removes local Slowave data from the effective runtime root, including the SQLite database and all `*.bak.*` configuration backups. It asks for confirmation before proceeding.

```bash theme={null}
slowave purge --dry-run   # preview first
slowave purge
```

<Note>
  Database archives already stored in the runtime root's `backups/` directory are **intentionally retained** by `slowave purge` so memories can be recovered. Delete that directory yourself only after confirming those archives are no longer needed.
</Note>

## Step 2 — Manual steps for Cursor and Claude Desktop

Cursor and Claude Desktop lifecycle instructions were pasted into their UIs manually during setup. A command cannot remove them. After running `slowave uninstall` or `slowave purge`, remove the Slowave lifecycle block from each client by hand:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Cursor" icon="arrow-pointer">
    Open **Cursor → Settings → Rules for AI** and delete the Slowave lifecycle block. Alternatively, remove the block from your `.cursorrules` file at the project root.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Claude Desktop" icon="comment">
    Open **Claude Desktop → Settings → General → Instructions for Claude** and delete the Slowave lifecycle block from the Custom Instructions field.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Step 3 — Remove the package

Slowave does not remove its own Python package. After running `uninstall` or `purge`, remove the package with the same installer you used to install it:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash pipx theme={null}
  pipx uninstall slowave
  ```

  ```bash Homebrew theme={null}
  brew uninstall slowave
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Full removal walkthrough

<Steps>
  <Step title="Preview with dry-run">
    Choose `uninstall` (keep memories) or `purge` (remove everything) and preview first:

    ```bash theme={null}
    slowave uninstall --dry-run
    # or
    slowave purge --dry-run
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run uninstall or purge">
    Apply the removal:

    ```bash theme={null}
    slowave uninstall
    # or
    slowave purge
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Clean up Cursor and Claude Desktop manually">
    If you used Cursor or Claude Desktop, delete the Slowave lifecycle block from their respective instruction surfaces as described above.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Uninstall the package">
    Remove the Slowave binaries with the original installer:

    ```bash theme={null}
    pipx uninstall slowave
    # or
    brew uninstall slowave
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>