Skip to main content

Uninstalling Desktop App

Complete guide for removing the Camouflage desktop application from macOS and Windows.

The easiest and safest way to uninstall:

Steps​

  1. Open Camouflage desktop app
  2. Click the tray icon (menu bar on macOS, system tray on Windows)
  3. Select "Uninstall Daemon..."
  4. Read the confirmation dialog - it explains what will be removed
  5. Click "Uninstall"
  6. Enter your password when prompted (admin access required)
  7. Wait for completion - You'll see "Uninstall Complete" message
  8. App exits automatically
  9. Delete the application:
    • macOS: Drag Camouflage.app from /Applications to Trash
    • Windows: Delete Camouflage folder from C:\Program Files\

What the Built-in Uninstaller Removes​

The uninstaller automatically removes all system-level components:

macOS​

  • ✅ LaunchDaemon service (/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.camouflage.client.plist)
  • ✅ Daemon binary (/usr/local/bin/camouflage-client)
  • ✅ Runtime files (/var/run/camouflage-client.*)
  • ✅ Log files (/var/log/camouflage-client.*)
  • ❌ App bundle (you delete manually)
  • ❌ User settings (optional - see below)

Windows​

  • ✅ Windows Service (CamouflageVPN)
  • ✅ Service binaries and configuration
  • ❌ Application folder (you delete manually)
  • ❌ User settings (optional - see below)

Manual Uninstall​

If the built-in uninstaller isn't working, use these manual steps.

macOS​

# 1. Stop and unload the daemon
sudo launchctl unload -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.camouflage.client.plist

# 2. Remove daemon files
sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.camouflage.client.plist
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/camouflage-client

# 3. Remove runtime files
sudo rm -f /var/run/camouflage-client.*
sudo rm -f /var/log/camouflage-client.*

# 4. Delete the app
rm -rf /Applications/Camouflage.app

# 5. (Optional) Remove user settings
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.camouflagenetworks.camouflage

Windows​

Open PowerShell as Administrator:

# 1. Stop the service
sc.exe stop CamouflageVPN

# 2. Uninstall the service
cd "C:\Program Files\Camouflage"
.\camouflage-client.exe service-uninstall

# Or use sc.exe directly:
sc.exe delete CamouflageVPN

# 3. Remove application folder
Remove-Item "C:\Program Files\Camouflage" -Recurse -Force

# 4. (Optional) Remove user settings
Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\com.camouflagenetworks.camouflage" -Recurse -Force

Removing User Settings (Optional)​

User settings include saved VPN connections, Phantom Key accounts, and preferences. These are NOT removed by default to preserve your data if you reinstall.

When to Remove​

  • ✅ Clean slate: You want to completely remove all traces
  • ✅ Troubleshooting: Resolving configuration issues
  • ❌ Reinstalling: Keep settings if you plan to reinstall later

Locations​

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/com.camouflagenetworks.camouflage/
├── connections.toml    # Saved VPN connections
└── accounts.json       # Phantom Key TOTP accounts

Windows:

%APPDATA%\com.camouflagenetworks.camouflage\
├── connections.toml
└── accounts.json

Backup Before Removing​

# macOS - Backup settings
cp -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.camouflagenetworks.camouflage ~/Desktop/camouflage-backup

# Windows - Backup settings
Copy-Item "$env:APPDATA\com.camouflagenetworks.camouflage" "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\camouflage-backup" -Recurse

Troubleshooting​

Daemon Won't Stop (macOS)​

# Find the process
ps aux | grep camouflage

# Force kill it
sudo pkill -9 camouflage-client

# Wait a moment
sleep 2

# Try uninstalling again
sudo launchctl unload -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.camouflage.client.plist

Service Won't Uninstall (Windows)​

# Force stop
sc.exe stop CamouflageVPN
timeout /t 5

# Try uninstall again
sc.exe delete CamouflageVPN

# If still failing, check if running
sc.exe query CamouflageVPN

Permission Denied​

macOS:

  • Ensure you're using sudo for system commands
  • Check System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Full Disk Access

Windows:

  • Run PowerShell as Administrator (right-click → "Run as administrator")
  • Check Windows Defender didn't quarantine files

Files Still Present After Uninstall​

Sometimes files remain due to running processes:

macOS:

# Check for running processes
ps aux | grep camouflage

# Force remove files
sudo rm -rf /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.camouflage.client.plist
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/camouflage-client
sudo rm -rf /var/run/camouflage-client.*
sudo rm -rf /var/log/camouflage-client.*

Windows:

# Check for running processes
Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "*camouflage*"}

# Force remove service
sc.exe delete CamouflageVPN

# Remove files
Remove-Item "C:\Program Files\Camouflage" -Recurse -Force

Verification​

After uninstalling, verify removal:

macOS​

# Check for daemon files (should return "No such file")
ls /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.camouflage.client.plist
ls /usr/local/bin/camouflage-client

# Check if daemon is loaded (should show nothing)
launchctl list | grep camouflage

# Check for app (should return "No such file")
ls /Applications/Camouflage.app

Windows​

# Check service status (should show "does not exist")
sc.exe query CamouflageVPN

# Check for app folder
Test-Path "C:\Program Files\Camouflage"  # Should return False

Clean Slate Reinstall​

If you're planning to reinstall after a clean uninstall:

  1. Follow uninstall steps above
  2. Reboot your computer (ensures all processes stopped)
  3. Verify removal using verification commands
  4. Delete user settings if you want fresh configuration
  5. Download latest version from camouflage.network
  6. Install normally

Need Help?​

If you encounter issues: