Want to delete an app that is taking up valuable space on your iPhone or iPad? Okay, there are a few different ways to make unused programs disappear. In this article we will show you the simple steps required to keep your device free from clutter in iOS 15 and earlier versions of operating system.
Since iPadOS is similar to iOS, all of these steps should work on your iPad as well.
We’ve covered the procedure for different versions of iOS and iPadOS, so you’ll be able to remove unwanted apps from your iPhone no matter how old the handset is.
Keep in mind that if you need to use it again, you can always download the app from the App Store again, and Apple will not pay you a second time for it.
Can you delete built-in Apple apps from iPhone or iPad?
For a long time it was not possible to remove any Apple app from iPhone or iPad for those who prefer common Apple app options, such as Google Maps, Firefox Focus and others. But most of Apple’s pre-installed apps, such as iOS 10, are removable and if not deleted, you can at least hide them. We will discuss how to hide apps on iPhone at the end of this article.
You will be able to follow the steps in the tutorial below to remove the Apple apps as well as the third party apps you have installed.
Unfortunately, some apps like Messages, Photos, Safari, App Store and Settings cannot be deleted because they are intensively built into the system, but if you are running iOS 14 then at least the default app opens automatically and can be changed. / iPad OS 14 or later.
Follow the steps in this tutorial to change the default apps: How to change the default apps on your iPhone.
How to remove apps from iPhone or iPad
Moving apps from the iPad and iPhone has been easy for some time, although the methods have changed over the years and added new functionality. For example, in iOS 14 and iOS 15, it is possible to remove an app from the home screen while holding it on your device and accessing it through the Search and App Libraries. We will run through these new options below. But first we’ll talk about some simple ways to remove apps from your iPhone or iPad that should work with some combination regardless of the generation of OS you are using.
- To delete an app, go to the Home screen and identify the app you want to delete. If it is in a folder then you need to open that folder.
- Press and hold the app you want to delete. You may see a relevant drop-down menu, but keep pressing until all your apps start shaking.
- Once the icons begin to move, simply tap the X or – corner to delete them (in the newer version of iOS it is a – instead of x).
How to delete apps through App Store
There’s another easy way to delete apps – use the App Store.
- Open the App Store.
- Tap your account icon in the upper right corner.
- Scroll down until you find the app you want to remove on the next page.
- To delete an app, swipe to the left of its name until you see a red area on the right, including the one you delete inside.
- Now tap Delete and the app will disappear.
How to delete apps through settings
Another way to delete apps is through the iPhone Storage section of Settings. One advantage of this method is that if you try to recover space on your iPhone, it is easy to choose the biggest apps to remove.
- Open settings.
- Navigate to General> iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage).
- Now you’ll see a list of your apps, sorted by which ones take up the most space. To get rid of one, tap it then select Delete App on next page.
How to remove apps from home screen
If you want to remove an app but don’t really want to delete it, there’s a way to do it on iOS 14 and iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. This is a great way to hide apps from your home screen, perhaps to clear the mess or because you don’t want others to see the apps you use.
On the latest operating systems you can choose to either delete the apps or remove them from the home screen. If you choose the latter, they will continue to be accessible by searching the App Library. (App Library was launched with iOS 14, but did not come to iPadOS until version 15. The App Library organizes all the apps on your device into categories so that they can be easily identified. You can choose to have only a few apps. Home screens – the ones you use most often – but you still have access to all your other apps through the app library.)
- Find the app you want to delete on your home screen.
- Tap and hold the icon until a menu appears. Select Remove App from here.
- Then in the next panel select Delete app to delete it from your drive or, if you prefer to keep the app on your device, select Remove from home screen and it will be accessible from app library or using search.
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How to delete apps that are not on the home screen
If you decide to delete apps from your home screen by following the steps above, just to decide later that you don’t want them on your device, how do you delete them? In that case you can delete the apps through the app library.
- Go to the app library (until you swipe right on your home screen).
- Find the app you want to delete. (This should be logical because the app should be stored in a folder that reflects the section of the app that it fits, however, in our experience this is not always the case).
- Tap and hold the icon until a menu appears.
- Select Delete App.
- Confirm your decision by tapping Delete Once More.
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Of course, if you decide you want to get it back, you can go to the App Store and install it one more time.
Why can’t I delete some Apple apps?
When you’ve tried the steps above, you may have noticed that Apple has some apps that don’t give you the option to delete them – although you can remove them from the home screen of iOS 14/15 and iPad OS 15. Follow the steps above. These apps are baked like iPhone cakes and therefore form part of the operating system instead of some bolt-on apps. No matter how hard you try, there is no way out. They are as follows:
- App Store
- The camera
- The clock
- Find my iPhone
- Health
- Message
- Phone
- Photos
- Safari
- Settings
- Wallet
If you have the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, you can hide them in the App Library. If you’re running an older version of the operating system, we recommend that you follow the old custom of creating a junk folder and dumping it into it.
How to hide applications
The easiest way to hide apps is to remove them from your home screen according to the steps above: See how to remove apps from the home screen.
They will still be accessible through search and you can try to find them in the App Library.
So you have it, there are various ways to free yourself from these troublesome pre-installed apps. If you want to continue decrypting your Mary Condo-style on other devices, try reading How to Delete Apps on Apple TV and How to Delete Apple Watch Apps. Now, go ahead and spark joy!