How to uninstall BlueStacks completely from Windows 11 and 10

BlueStacks is an Android emulator, and Windows does not need it, so it is safe to remove. The complete way is to uninstall it in Windows Settings and then run the cleaner tool that BlueStacks publishes, which also clears BlueStacks X and BlueStacks Services. Back up your instances first, because the uninstall deletes your Android apps and locally saved game progress.

Facts checked on 11 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2, read against BlueStacks and Microsoft documentation.

What BlueStacks is and what it puts on your PC

BlueStacks is an Android emulator for Windows: it runs Android apps and games in a window. It is a third-party program from now.gg, Inc., not a part of Windows, and nothing in Windows depends on it.

A PC with BlueStacks can show three separate entries, and people who search for "BlueStacks_nxt" or "BlueStacks Services" are looking at parts of the same product.

BlueStacks does not publish a list of the Windows services, drivers or scheduled tasks it installs. This page therefore names only what BlueStacks' own documentation names, and says so where we could not confirm a detail.

Before you start: what you lose and how to keep it

BlueStacks itself warns that uninstalling removes your applications, instances and game data. Decide first whether you want any of it back: the official steps for the cleaner tool show no question about what to keep.

You need an administrator account for the uninstall, the same as for the installation. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025: the steps below still apply to it, with the differences noted.

How to uninstall BlueStacks completely, step by step

Do the steps in order. If Windows cannot uninstall BlueStacks, or it is missing from the list of apps, skip Step 3 and continue with Step 4.

Step 1. Back up what you want to keep

5 minutesNo riskYou have games or apps in BlueStacks that you may want again.

The uninstaller and the cleaner both delete the instances, and with them every app and every game save that exists only on this PC. A backup made now is the only way to bring them back.

1. Open BlueStacks 5 and click the gear icon on the side toolbar to open Settings.
2. Select User data, then Backup and restore, then Create backup, and click Start.
3. Choose a folder outside the BlueStacks folders and click OK.
4. Wait for the message that confirms the backup and shows where it was saved. This can take a few minutes.
5. Open each game you care about and sign in with the account it offers, so that the progress is stored by the game.

For your own files outside BlueStacks, the general procedure is here: Back up your files (Windows Backup, File History, Time Machine).

Step 2. Close BlueStacks and every process it runs

2 minutesNo riskAlways, before any uninstall attempt.

Windows cannot delete a file that a running program holds open. BlueStacks can stay active after its window is closed, through an instance or through BlueStacks Services, and an open file can block the uninstaller.

1. Close every BlueStacks window. If you use the Multi-instance Manager, stop all instances there.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
3. Look for HD-Player.exe and for any process whose name starts with BlueStacks.
4. Select each one and click End task.

More ways to close a program that will not quit: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit).

Step 3. Uninstall BlueStacks in Windows Settings

5 minutesRead the warningBlueStacks is shown in the list of installed apps.

This runs the uninstaller that BlueStacks registered in Windows, which is the normal way to remove a desktop program. BlueStacks 5, BlueStacks X and BlueStacks Services are separate entries, so one click does not remove the three of them.

1. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. On Windows 10 the page is called Apps & features.
2. Type BlueStacks in the search box above the list.
3. On Windows 11, select More (the three dots) next to the first BlueStacks entry, then Uninstall. On Windows 10, select the entry, then Uninstall.
4. Follow the directions on the screen until the uninstaller closes.
5. Repeat for every other entry that starts with BlueStacks, such as BlueStacks X and BlueStacks Services.
6. If an entry cannot be removed in Settings, open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, right-click it and select Uninstall.

The general procedure, with pictures of each Windows screen: Uninstall a program or app in Windows.

Step 4. Run the official BlueStacks cleaner tool

5 minutesRead the warningAlways for a complete removal, and first of all when Step 3 failed.

This is the removal method that BlueStacks support gives: one tool that uninstalls BlueStacks 5, BlueStacks X and BlueStacks Services. It is a separate program that you start yourself, so you can run it when the entry in the Windows list is broken or missing.

1. Open the BlueStacks support article How to uninstall BlueStacks 5, BlueStacks X and BlueStacks Services completely.
2. Click the second link, the tool "to uninstall all versions of BlueStacks 5, BlueStacks X, and BlueStacks Services". The file is named BSTCleaner_native.exe.
3. Check in your browser's download list that the file came from cdn3.bluestacks.com, then open it.
4. Click Yes when Windows asks for permission.
5. Wait for the message Process has been finished and click OK.

Step 5. Empty the Temp folder and delete the leftover folders

5 minutesLow riskAfter the cleaner, to clear what it did not delete.

The official BlueStacks instructions end with emptying the Windows Temp folder. The two BlueStacks_nxt folders are checked by hand, because a folder that was in use during the uninstall can stay on the disk.

1. Press Win + R, type %temp% and click OK.
2. Press Ctrl + A, then Delete. If Windows says a file is in use, select Skip.
3. Press Win + R, type C:\Program Files and press Enter. Delete the folder BlueStacks_nxt if it is there.
4. Press Win + R, type C:\ProgramData and press Enter. Delete the folder BlueStacks_nxt if it is there.
5. If you installed BlueStacks on another drive, look for a BlueStacks_nxt folder in the place you chose and delete it.
6. Empty the Recycle Bin to get the disk space back.

Other safe ways to get space back after a large program is gone: Free up disk space and delete temporary files.

Step 6. Restart the PC and confirm BlueStacks is gone

3 minutesNo riskAt the end, and before you install BlueStacks again.

A restart ends any BlueStacks process that survived and releases files that were locked. Only after it can you trust the checks, and only then is a fresh installation clean.

1. Select Start > Power > Restart.
2. After the restart, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and search for BlueStacks.
3. Open the notification area near the clock and check that no BlueStacks icon is shown.
4. Go through the table in the section "How to confirm BlueStacks is completely gone" below.

What BlueStacks leaves behind and where to find it

These are the places that BlueStacks' own documentation names. Check them after Step 4.

How to remove BlueStacks Services from your PC

BlueStacks Services is a separate entry, so it can stay after BlueStacks 5 is gone and keep showing notifications. You can uninstall it: it belongs to BlueStacks, not to Windows.

1. Type Control Panel in the Start menu search and open it.
2. Select Programs, then Programs and Features.
3. Find BlueStacks Services in the list, right-click it and select Uninstall.

These are the steps BlueStacks gives for removing its store, and they apply to Windows 11 and 10. If the entry is missing or the uninstall fails, run the cleaner from Step 4: BlueStacks states that it uninstalls BlueStacks Services as well.

BlueStacks will not uninstall: each failure and its way out

These are the failures people search for, each with its likely cause. Find yours in the table.

If security software blocks the cleaner and you are sure the file is the one from the BlueStacks article, pause the protection for the few minutes the tool needs and turn it back on straight after: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment.

• A folder is still locked after a restart. Start Windows in Safe Mode, where BlueStacks does not load, and delete the folder there: Start Windows or a Mac in Safe Mode.
• Windows 10 reports a broken uninstall entry. Microsoft offers the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter for Windows 10 on this support page. For Windows 11 the same page lists a restart and the uninstall from Settings instead.
• Nothing helps. Write to BlueStacks at [email protected] and quote the exact message you get.

How to confirm BlueStacks is completely gone

Run these checks after the restart in Step 6. Every one of them must come back empty.

Windows settings changed for BlueStacks, and how to put them back

BlueStacks 5 lists enabled virtualization among its requirements, and its older help articles asked users to change Windows for it. BlueStacks does not say that the uninstall or the cleaner reverses these changes, so check them yourself.

Memory integrity is a Windows security feature that protects against malicious drivers, so turning it back on is the one change worth making on every PC. To see whether the Windows hypervisor is running, type msinfo32.exe in the search box and open System Information. The line "A hypervisor has been detected" means it is on.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official BlueStacks uninstaller tool?

Yes. BlueStacks publishes a cleaner tool, the file BSTCleaner_native.exe, and links it from its support article on uninstalling BlueStacks 5, BlueStacks X and BlueStacks Services. On the day we checked, the link pointed to version 1.09 on cdn3.bluestacks.com. You run it, click Yes when Windows asks for permission, and wait for the message "Process has been finished". BlueStacks does not publish a detailed list of what the tool deletes, only that it uninstalls the three products completely. Download it only through the BlueStacks support site. Tools with a similar name on other sites are not the official one.

What is the BlueStacks_nxt folder, and can I delete it?

BlueStacks_nxt is the folder name that BlueStacks 5 uses, and you can delete it once BlueStacks is uninstalled. There are two of them. C:\Program Files\BlueStacks_nxt holds the program files. C:\ProgramData\BlueStacks_nxt holds your data: the Engine folder with the Android instances, the settings file bluestacks.conf, controls and logs. If you chose another drive in the installer, the data folder is there instead. Do not delete these folders while BlueStacks is still installed, because the program will stop working and the Windows uninstaller may then fail. Uninstall first, then delete what is left.

Why is BlueStacks_nxt not deleting?

The usual reason is that a BlueStacks process still has files open in that folder. Close every BlueStacks window, end HD-Player.exe and any process named BlueStacks in Task Manager, and try again. If that fails, restart the PC and delete the folder before you open anything else. Both folders sit in protected places, Program Files and ProgramData, so you also need an administrator account. If BlueStacks is still installed, run the official cleaner first and delete the folder afterwards. As a last step, start Windows in Safe Mode and delete it there.

Is BlueStacks safe, yes or no?

Yes, when the installer comes from bluestacks.com. BlueStacks is a legitimate commercial Android emulator from now.gg, Inc., and the company states on its site that the program does not carry any malware or spyware. That is the publisher's own statement, not an independent audit. Two things deserve care. First, an installer from any other site may be altered, so download only from the official one. Second, older BlueStacks help articles asked users to turn off Memory integrity, a Windows security feature. If you did that, turn it back on after the uninstall, as described above.

Will uninstalling BlueStacks delete my games and progress?

Yes, everything that is stored only on the PC is deleted. BlueStacks itself warns that the uninstall removes your applications, instances and game data. Progress survives in two cases. If the game is linked to an account, such as Google, Facebook or the game's own login, the game restores your progress when you sign in again on any device. If you made a backup in BlueStacks under Settings, User data, Backup and restore, you can restore it after a new installation. A backup from a newer BlueStacks version cannot be restored on an older one.

Can I uninstall BlueStacks Services and keep BlueStacks 5?

You can uninstall BlueStacks Services on its own, because Windows lists it as a separate program. Open Control Panel, Programs, Programs and Features, right-click BlueStacks Services and select Uninstall. BlueStacks describes these steps as the way to remove its store from the PC. We could not confirm whether a later BlueStacks update installs it again, so check the list after you update. If you only want fewer pop-ups, there is a lighter option: open a BlueStacks notification, click the three dots and turn off the notifications for BlueStacks Services.

How do I uninstall just one app inside BlueStacks?

You do not need to remove BlueStacks for that. Open BlueStacks 5, press and hold the left mouse button on the app's icon on the home screen, click Uninstall when it appears and confirm with OK. The second way goes through Android itself: open the System apps folder, then Settings, then Apps, click the app, click Uninstall and confirm with OK. Both ways remove only that app and its data inside the instance. BlueStacks and your other apps stay as they are.

Do I have to edit the registry to remove BlueStacks completely?

No. The current official removal steps from BlueStacks are the cleaner tool and emptying the Temp folder, and they do not mention the Registry Editor. Older guides tell you to delete a BlueStacks key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, but we could not confirm any key name in BlueStacks' present documentation, so this page does not give one. A settings key that stays behind takes almost no space and does not start a program. Searching the registry for a word and deleting every match is a real risk for other software. If you edit the registry for any reason, make a backup of it first.

Does this guide work for BlueStacks on a Mac?

No, this page covers Windows 11 and Windows 10 only. On a Mac the current product is BlueStacks Air, and BlueStacks gives its own short method: open BlueStacks Air, click BlueStacks in the top menu bar, select Uninstall BlueStacks and confirm with Yes. According to BlueStacks, this removes the app and its files. If you drag the app to the Bin instead, you also have to delete its leftover folder by hand, and the BlueStacks support article on uninstalling BlueStacks Air gives the exact location.

Can I install BlueStacks again after a complete removal?

Yes. BlueStacks' own articles use the cleaner before a fresh installation, and its uninstall article ends with the line that you can now download BlueStacks 5 again from the official site. Restart the PC first so that no old process or locked file is left. During the new installation you can pick another drive for the data. To get your apps back, restore the backup from Step 1 under Settings, User data, Backup and restore. Install the same version if you can: BlueStacks says an older backup may fail on a newer version, and a newer backup cannot be restored on an older one.