uninstall

The uninstall command performs a complete removal of NextDNS Blocker, including scheduled jobs, configuration files, and all data.

Usage

nextdns-blocker uninstall [OPTIONS]

Options

Option	Description
-y, --yes	Skip confirmation prompt
--help	Show help message

What It Removes

1. Scheduled Jobs

Removes all automatic sync jobs:

• macOS: Unloads and deletes launchd plist files
• Linux: Removes cron entries
• Windows: Deletes Task Scheduler tasks

2. Configuration Directory

Deletes the entire config directory containing:

• .env file (API credentials)
• config.json (domain configuration)
• Any backup files

Default locations:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.config/nextdns-blocker/
• Windows: %APPDATA%\nextdns-blocker\

3. Data Directory

Deletes the data directory containing:

• Audit logs
• Cache files
• Pending actions state

Default locations:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.local/share/nextdns-blocker/
• Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\nextdns-blocker\

Example

Interactive Uninstall

nextdns-blocker uninstall

Output:

  NextDNS Blocker Uninstall
  -------------------------

  This will permanently delete:
    • Scheduled jobs (watchdog)
    • Config: /Users/you/.config/nextdns-blocker
    • Data: /Users/you/.local/share/nextdns-blocker

  Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N]: y

  Removing...
    [1/3] Removing scheduled jobs...
          Done
    [2/3] Removing config directory...
          Done
    [3/3] Removing data directory...
          Done

  Uninstall complete!
  To remove the package itself, run:
    brew uninstall nextdns-blocker  (Homebrew)
    pipx uninstall nextdns-blocker  (pipx)
    pip uninstall nextdns-blocker   (pip)

Silent Uninstall

Skip the confirmation prompt:

nextdns-blocker uninstall --yes

Complete Removal

After running uninstall, remove the package itself:

Homebrew

brew uninstall nextdns-blocker

pipx

pipx uninstall nextdns-blocker

pip

pip uninstall nextdns-blocker

What Remains After Uninstall

The uninstall command removes all NextDNS Blocker data, but:

1. NextDNS account unchanged - Your NextDNS profile and denylist remain
2. Domains still blocked - Manually added domains stay in NextDNS
3. Package still installed - You need to remove it separately

To Clear NextDNS Denylist

Before uninstalling, you can clear all blocked domains:

# Edit config to empty blocklist
nextdns-blocker config edit
# Remove all entries from blocklist

# Run sync to remove from NextDNS
nextdns-blocker config push

# Then uninstall
nextdns-blocker uninstall

Or manually clear via NextDNS Dashboard.

Reinstalling

To reinstall after uninstalling:

# Reinstall package
brew install nextdns-blocker  # or pipx/pip

# Run setup wizard
nextdns-blocker init

You’ll need to reconfigure everything from scratch.

Backup Before Uninstall

To save your configuration before uninstalling:

# Backup config
cp ~/.config/nextdns-blocker/config.json ~/nextdns-backup.json
cp ~/.config/nextdns-blocker/.env ~/nextdns-backup.env

# Uninstall
nextdns-blocker uninstall

Scripting

For automated deployments:

#!/bin/bash
# Complete removal script
nextdns-blocker uninstall --yes
pip uninstall nextdns-blocker --yes
echo "NextDNS Blocker completely removed"

Troubleshooting

Permission denied

[2/3] Removing config directory...
      Error: Permission denied

Solution: Check file ownership or run with appropriate permissions.

Scheduled jobs warning

[1/3] Removing scheduled jobs...
      Warning: Job not found

This is normal if the watchdog was never installed or was already removed.

Cannot uninstall during panic mode

If panic mode is active, the uninstall command still works. Panic mode state is stored locally and will be removed along with other data.

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	Uninstall successful (or cancelled)
1	Error during removal (partial uninstall)

Related Commands

Command	Description
watchdog uninstall	Remove only scheduled jobs
init	Set up fresh installation
fix	Repair without removing