Uninstalling unSquared doesn't erase everything the instant you click the button. Some things are cleared right away; your migration history and settings are kept for a grace period first - so your records are not lost the moment you click. Be aware that a reinstall starts your store over as a first-time install, and unSquared's one-time purchase is not kept (see below). Here's exactly what happens, and when.
The real timeline
- 1The moment you uninstall
unSquared stops any migration that's still running or paused and marks it failed (with a reason like "App uninstalled mid-migration") - nothing keeps running in the background once the app is removed. Your saved Square connection and Shopify session are deleted immediately. If a notification email is configured, you're sent an uninstall email with a summary of what unSquared migrated for your store while it was connected, and which migration(s), if any, were interrupted and how far they got.
- 2About 48 hours later
This part isn't something unSquared controls - it's Shopify's own process. Shopify sends every app a "shop/redact" notification roughly 48 hours after an uninstall, as part of its standard data-protection requirements for apps.
- 3A further grace period after that
Rather than deleting your migration history, reports, and settings the instant that notification arrives, unSquared holds onto them for a further grace period - currently about a week. Total time from your actual uninstall to permanent deletion is roughly 9 days.
- 4If you reinstall within that window
Your store starts over as a first-time install. Your migration history, notification settings and saved Square location mapping are still there, but your purchase is no longer on record, so you'll see the Plans page and need to buy One-Time Migration again (unSquared offers no refunds). You'll also need to reconnect Square (cleared immediately and deliberately, since Square access could have changed while you were away) and choose what you're migrating again. Our guide "Uninstalled unSquared by mistake? What happens when you reinstall" covers this in full.
- 5If you don't reinstall in time
Your migration history, reports, and settings are permanently deleted, in line with Shopify's data protection requirements for apps.
Anything already migrated into Shopify is never affected
None of the above touches your actual Shopify store. Products, customers, gift cards, discounts, collections, and redirects that unSquared already created or updated in Shopify stay exactly as they are, on any timeline - uninstalling unSquared only affects records unSquared itself keeps (your migration history, reports, and app settings), never the real data now living in your store.
Why a grace period at all
- Accidental uninstalls happen
A staff member clicking the wrong app, cleaning up installed apps, or a misclick - the grace period means your history, notification settings and location mapping are still there if you reinstall soon after. The purchase itself is not kept, so if you only want a pause, contact support@heliotech.ca before you uninstall.
- Still fully compliant
Shopify's rule is that app data must be deleted within 30 days of the shop/redact notification - not immediately. A roughly week-long grace period after that notification arrives leaves a wide safety margin before that deadline.
See the full data retention policy
Exactly what unSquared collects, why, and precisely how long each piece is retained.
Read the Privacy Policy