Uninstall & delete data

Choose what to keep#

Uninstalling removes the application. Your local data is kept by default. Choose whether to keep or delete it before removing TawkType.

If these controls are missing from your installed copy, check for an update. This guide follows the current project implementation; an earlier release may not include the new data-removal controls.

Uninstall and keep your data#

1. In TawkType, open Settings → General. Leave Delete all of this if I uninstall TawkType unticked. If you changed it, click Save.
2. Open Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps. On Windows 10, look under Apps & features.
3. Find TawkType and choose Uninstall.
4. Follow the Windows uninstall controls to remove the installed app.

TawkType installs for your Windows user. Its application files and Start Menu entry are removed, and its tray icon goes away. The uninstall also removes TawkType’s start-with-Windows entry, regardless of your data choice.

The folder %LOCALAPPDATA%\TawkType\ remains. A later installation can reuse the retained settings, vocabulary, history, models and saved encrypted key. Existing model files still need to match the engine and language you select.

Delete data with the uninstall#

1. Back up anything you want to keep, including vocabulary or history, to a location outside TawkType’s data folder.
2. Open TawkType Settings → General → Files.
3. Tick Delete all of this if I uninstall TawkType.
4. Click Save. The uninstall reads the saved setting, so ticking the box and cancelling Settings does not enable it.
5. Uninstall TawkType through Windows Settings as described above.

With this option saved, the uninstall attempts to remove the data folder as well. There is no further data-deletion question during uninstall. To change your mind beforehand, untick the option and save again.

What data removal covers#

Both deletion choices target %LOCALAPPDATA%\TawkType\, including:

• Downloaded speech models.
• Saved raw and final dictation history.
• Settings, modes, vocabulary, snippets and window positions.
• The encrypted Anthropic API key saved through TawkType.
• Logs inside that data folder.

Application files live separately under %LOCALAPPDATA%\TawkTypeApp\. The in-app Delete my data action does not uninstall those files.

Deletion does not remove exported vocabulary or backups saved elsewhere, text in other apps, Windows clipboard history, or data already sent to Anthropic. It does not revoke an Anthropic key or unset an ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable. Those are separate from the key file stored by TawkType.

Delete stored data without uninstalling#

1. Finish or cancel any dictation and save any text or vocabulary you want to keep outside the data folder.
2. Open Settings → General → Files → Delete my data….
3. Review the size estimate, exact folder and listed contents. The confirmation lists downloaded models, history entries and a stored key when present, plus your settings and vocabulary.
4. Choose Yes to delete those files, or No to leave them in place.
5. Read any completion or file-in-use message.
6. Close Settings with Cancel, quit TawkType and reopen it before configuring it again. This avoids saving the old preferences still held in the open Settings draft.

The app unloads its speech engines before deleting their model files. It stays installed and running after the action; deletion is immediate and cannot be undone with Settings → Cancel.

With the saved data successfully removed, reopening starts with fresh settings and offers setup again. Download a matching model before your next dictation. Open windows can still show information held in memory until you quit.

If files remain or the app is already gone#

The in-app action reports files it could not delete. Close TawkType and other programs using that folder before trying again. The uninstall performs its cleanup without a data dialog, so inspect the folder if you need to confirm removal.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\TawkType into its address bar.
3. Confirm that this is the TawkType data folder and keep anything you still need.
4. If you want the remaining data removed, delete that folder in File Explorer.

If File Explorer cannot find it, that data folder is already absent. The uninstall can write a separate diagnostic file at %TEMP%\TawkType\uninstall.log. It records cleanup results or failures and can remain after the main data folder is gone.

You can check Task Manager → Startup apps for the TawkType startup entry. The uninstall attempts to remove that entry whether you keep or delete local data.