Uninstall Flow Launcher and Keep a Recoverable Backup

Installation · Published October 30, 2026 · Publisher: flowlauncher.app

At a glance

To remove Flow Launcher, first exit it and preserve any settings you may want later. Uninstall through the method that installed it, then check startup entries and hotkey behavior. Removing the application and deleting personal configuration are separate choices.

Steps to follow

  1. Locate UserData while Flow is still available, and copy it to a backup location. Make a note of custom themes and plugin accounts you configured.
  2. Exit from the tray icon so that the launcher is not rewriting settings while you remove it.
  3. Use Windows Installed apps for an installer-based copy, or the original package manager for a managed copy. For a portable copy, remove its folder only after closing it and preserving data.
  4. Sign out and back in, or inspect startup entries, to confirm the removed copy no longer launches. Delete leftover settings only after you are certain the backup is sufficient.

Check the result

The Flow process is absent and its shortcut no longer opens it. If Alt+Space still brings up another launcher, that does not mean Flow remains installed.

Limits and common pitfalls

Deleting a directory from a running instance can leave a partial installation. Do not remove an entire AppData directory; target only the identified Flow data.

Make the check repeatable

An installation can have two kinds of persistence: Windows startup registration and application data on disk. Check both explicitly. Keep a backup long enough to recover a theme or useful shortcut, but store it securely because plugin settings may contain private paths or service credentials.

Questions and answers

Does uninstalling revoke plugin service tokens?

Not necessarily. Review any connected service separately and revoke credentials there when you no longer intend to use an integration.

Sources and scope

Documentation-based guidance, with source review on October 30, 2026. What was and was not tested.

Related guides

Package information and verification