Uninstall is Settings, then leftovers, then Word’s file types.

Export first if the files live only inside WPS

Before you remove anything, open Writer and confirm where your documents actually are. Files in Documents, Desktop, or a USB drive stay. Files that exist only in WPS Cloud need a download pass. Files in an app-specific cache are the ones people lose. Copy anything you still need to a folder you named. If you used the web version, download from the account while you still remember the password.

Cancel a Pro+ or Sharing subscription on the same store you used to buy it — wps.com, Microsoft Store, Play, or App Store. Uninstalling the app does not always stop a recurring card charge. That is a billing fact, not a Kingsoft-only trick. Confirm the live price history on the vendor site if you are auditing a surprise charge; our pricing notes go stale.

Windows: Settings → Apps is the start

On Windows 10 or 11, open Settings → Apps → Installed apps (the label moves slightly by build). Find WPS Office. Uninstall. If you installed from the Microsoft Store listing 9NSGM705MQWC, remove it from that same Apps list; Store apps do not need a separate vendor uninstaller. If you installed the website package from wps.com/download, the Apps list still applies. Reboot once if the installer says so.

Windows 7 and 8 used Programs and Features. Those systems are out of mainstream support. If you are uninstalling there, you are also making a security decision about the whole PC. See the Windows page and Kingsoft’s requirements article if you are deciding whether to keep any office suite on that box.

Leftovers in %AppData%\kingsoft

After uninstall, Explorer may still show a Kingsoft folder under your user AppData. The usual path people mean is %AppData%\kingsoft. It can hold leftover configs, caches, and recovery crumbs. That is ordinary application data. It is not a hidden operating system. It is not proof of malware. If you want it gone, close every office window, paste that path into Explorer, and delete the folder after you have exported files. If Windows says a file is in use, reboot and try once more.

Do not download a “WPS leftover cleaner.exe” from a forum. A cleaner is how a second problem arrives. Local AppData deletion is enough for almost everyone. Program Files leftovers are uncommon after a normal Apps uninstall; if a Kingsoft directory remains there and you are sure no other Kingsoft tool is installed, an administrator can remove it. When in doubt, leave Program Files alone and only clear your user AppData.

File associations: the part that makes people angry

WPS often offers to own DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, and PDF. After uninstall, Windows may show an empty icon, open a store page, or keep a broken ProgID. Microsoft Office may not automatically reclaim the types. This is the number-one post-WPS support thread, and it is a Windows default-apps problem, not a virus.

Fix it in Settings → Apps → Default apps. Search for .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, and .pdf. Point each at Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or your chosen PDF reader. You can also open a file → Open with → choose Word → always. If you use Microsoft 365 and associations still bounce, Microsoft’s own repair/quick-repair for Office is the next step — use Microsoft’s current help articles for your Office version rather than a random registry paste from 2014. We link guides conceptually because the exact Settings labels change by Windows build; the idea does not: set the extension, do not hunt for a “restore Office” crack.

If you uninstalled because you are moving to LibreOffice or Google, set those defaults on purpose. Do not leave PDF on a missing app. Our comparison is the decision; this page is the cleanup.

Mac, Linux, and phones

On macOS, drag the app to Trash and empty Trash. Preference crumbs can remain in Library. Confirm Word or Pages still opens a test DOCX. On Linux, remove the Deb or RPM with the same package manager you used to install, then delete leftover config in your home directory if you want a clean profile. On Android and iOS, uninstall from the store or system settings. App-private storage can vanish with the app; Files and iCloud documents remain. Export first.

Store ratings and ads have nothing to do with leftover folders. A leftover folder after a normal uninstall is not the “Chinese vendor implant” story some blogs tell. Read security if that is why you are removing the suite. If policy forbids the vendor, removing it is correct. If a cousin sent a fear screenshot, check whether you installed from an official channel first. A fake installer can leave worse leftovers than Kingsoft’s real AppData.

A clean-exit checklist

1. Download cloud files and copy local work to a named folder.
2. Cancel paid plans at the original store.
3. Uninstall from Settings → Apps (or the platform equivalent).
4. Reboot.
5. Optionally delete %AppData%\kingsoft on Windows.
6. Reassign .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, and .pdf.
7. Open one file in the suite you intend to keep.

If you are uninstalling only to try a “fresh official install,” fetch the new bits from the official center after cleanup — not from the same search ad that caused the mess. Related: compatibility, history, shortcuts for the suite you keep.