Uninstall

Decide whether to retain the private archive. Take a complete stopped-writer backup before retiring a working installation.

Docker: stop or remove while keeping data

In the same Compose checkout/project used to start it:

docker compose stop
docker compose down

Both retain the named data volume. stop retains containers; down removes service containers/network. Neither logs you out of WhatsApp on the phone. Never add volume-deletion flags or use daemon pruning as an ordinary uninstall/update step.

For standalone Docker, stop then remove the exact container with docker stop --time 10 wa-indexer-standalone and docker rm wa-indexer-standalone. Its named volume remains.

Explicit Docker data deletion

Irreversible: this removes the chosen volume's archive, WhatsApp session, originals, model/config storage and client grants. It does not delete WhatsApp messages or backups. While the container still exists, discover its exact volume:

set -eu
CONTAINER=$(docker compose ps -a -q wa-indexer)
test -n "$CONTAINER"
DATA_VOLUME=$(docker inspect "$CONTAINER" --format '{{range .Mounts}}{{if eq .Destination "/var/lib/wa-indexer"}}{{.Name}}{{end}}{{end}}')
test -n "$DATA_VOLUME"
printf '%s\n' "$DATA_VOLUME"
docker volume inspect "$DATA_VOLUME"

Check that this is the project-owned volume you intend to erase; a restored/external volume may have another name. Retire/revoke client grants and linked-device access first if needed. Then stop every writer, remove the app containers and deliberately delete only that exact volume:

docker compose stop
RUNNING=$(docker ps -q --filter volume="$DATA_VOLUME")
test -z "$RUNNING"
docker compose down
docker volume rm "$DATA_VOLUME"

If any command fails, stop and investigate instead of forcing deletion. Do not run this deletion block when keeping the archive.

Native installation and remote access

For a development executable, log out in WhatsApp's Linked devices if retiring the session, stop the app gracefully, and remove only its intended executable, client configuration and service/autostart registration. There is no packaged desktop installer yet.

Native owner-interface deletion is separately available through Chats and dates → Delete all local data, typing DELETE LOCAL DATA. It removes the local archive/session/models/client material, not WhatsApp messages. Do not use deletion to repair history or reconciliation warnings.

Revoke app credentials, stop provider forwarding, and remove the exact tunnel/domain/route in the provider account separately; see remote access. Removing a client configuration alone does not revoke its server grant. Deleting active data does not erase backups or results already sent to AI services; encrypted storage and your operating system's disposal process govern residual copies.