Unused applications can often be a drain on your iPhone’s internal storage. This not only takes up space but also has an effect on the device’s performance. So, if you no longer use any of the apps on your iPhone, we recommend that you delete them right away. If you’re not sure which apps are unused, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. The steps below will show you how to offload unused apps or permanently remove them from your iPhone and iCloud. Let’s go over these steps in detail.
Overview
It is simple to remove an app from the Home Screen or uninstall it from your iPhone. If you want to permanently delete apps from your iPhone, you’re not done yet. The app may still be available in the Apps Library, the App Store purchased list, iTunes, or its purchase history, among other places.
So, in this article, we will walk you through the various methods for permanently deleting apps on iPhones from all locations. These methods are compatible with iOS 16, iOS 15, iOS 14, and earlier versions. They are compatible with any iPhone model series, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone X, and others.
How to Remove Apps from iPhone
Depending on the version of iOS you have, there are a few different ways to uninstall an app on iPhone. If you’re not sure what iOS version your device is running, navigate to Settings > General > About. Next to Software Version, you’ll see your current iOS version.
How to Uninstall Apps from an iPhone Running iOS 14 or Later
The standard method for uninstalling apps on an iPhone is straightforward and simple. What you must do is as follows:
- Locate the app you want to uninstall and hold it down for a few seconds.
- From the pop-up menu, select Remove App.
- Then, in the next pop-up, select Delete App.
If you still want to keep the app in your App Library, you can select the Remove from Home Screen option.
Delete Apps from Settings
The other option is to delete apps from Settings on your iPhone. You can do it by following the steps below:
- Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to begin.
- Scroll down and tap on the app you want to delete.
- Then select Delete App.
Hide Apps From Your Home Screen
As earlier mentioned, instead of permanently deleting apps, you can hide them from your Home Screen and keep them only in your App Library. The option is available on iOS 14 and later. What you must do is as follows:
- Touch and hold an empty area on your Home Screen.
- Then, at the bottom of your screen, tap the three dots.
- Tap the circle next to the page you want to hide, then tap Done.
- To unhide a page, repeat the steps outlined above.
- Apps should be hidden.
You can now use the App Library to find hidden apps.
On the other hand, if you decide to remove pages from your Home Screen, do the following:
- Touch and hold an empty area on your Home Screen.
- Tap the three dots at the bottom of the screen.
- Then, tap the circle next to the page you want to delete.
- Tap the Remove button once more to confirm your action.
Apps listed on this page will remain in your App Library.
Uninstalling Apps on an iPhone Running IOS 13 or Earlier
The functionality for deleting apps from iPhone with iOS 13 is slightly different, which may lead to confusion. Here’s how you solve the problem:
- On your Home Screen, locate the app you want to uninstall, then tap and hold your finger down on its icon.
- Select Rearrange Apps from the menu that appears.
- All of your apps will begin to jiggle, and small X icons will appear at the top of those that can be uninstalled.
- Tap the X on any app you want to uninstall.
- A menu will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to delete the app.
- Select Delete.
The second method we recommended is uninstalling apps from the Settings app. The procedure is the same as in iOS 14 (Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Select the app > Delete).
How to Uninstall from iTunes
This method necessitates the use of iTunes on a PC or Mac. Also, make sure the same Apple ID is used on both the iPhone and iTunes. That being said, the procedure for removing apps from iTunes is as follows.
- Start your computer and launch iTunes.
- Then, navigate to the ‘Library’ section.
- Navigate to the ‘Apps’ menu and right-click on the app you want to remove from your iPhone.
- The application will be deleted.
- To permanently delete the app, go to the Trash folder and empty it there as well.
How Do I Remove Apps From My App Store?
- On your iPhone, go to the App Store.
- Tap the ‘Account’ icon in the upper right corner.
- Scroll down until you find the app you want to uninstall.
- Delete apps from the App Store on your iPhone
- Finally, to delete an app, swipe to the left until the ‘Delete’ text appears.
- When you tap it, the app will be removed from your iPhone.
How to Uninstall Apps from iCloud
App backups frequently consume a significant amount of iCloud storage. Here’s how you can delete backup data from the cloud.
- Open ‘Settings’ on your iPhone.
- At the top, tap on your account/name.
- Choose ‘iCloud’ and then ‘Manage Storage.’
- Select the ‘Backups’ option to browse through all the backed-up data from the apps.
- Turn off the toggle for the app you want to remove, and then click ‘Turn Off & Delete’ on the prompt that appears.
How to Remove iPhone Preinstalled Apps
- iPhone apps that have already been installed
- Not all third-party apps on iPhones are uninstallable.
- If you’re running out of storage space on your iPhone, deleting unused and irrelevant pre-installed apps could be a great way to free up some space. To delete a pre-installed app such as Apple Books, Podcasts, Compass, and so on, follow the same steps as deleting any app from the iPhone’s home screen. To delete an app, simply hold down the app icon and tap the ‘Remove App’ option.
If you want to reinstall those applications, go to the App Store and download them.
How to Remove Multiple Apps from an iPhone
Is it possible to delete multiple apps from an iPhone at once? Yes and no, in a nutshell. Unfortunately, Apple does not allow us to instantly flip a switch and uninstall all of our apps. But that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck. There are a couple of apps out there that can help you if you need to remove multiple apps from your iPhone; one of them being AnyTrans
How to Delete a Hidden App on iPhone Home Page
If you want to know how to delete an app that isn’t on your Home Screen, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to begin.
- Scroll down and tap on the app you want to delete.
- Then select Delete App.
Alternatively, an invisible app can be removed from Spotlight. Here’s how it’s done:
- Swipe down on any Home Screen and type the app name into the search bar.
- Hold the icon down for a few seconds.
- From the pop-up menu, select Delete App.
- Select Delete.
How to Offload an App on iPhone
You can also offload iPhone apps rather than delete them. This will remove the app from your device while retaining its documents and data.
When you reinstall the uninstalled app, your data is restored, allowing you to use it as before.
Here’s how to offload apps:
- Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to begin.
- Scroll down and tap on the app you want to delete.
- Then select Offload App.
- Tap Offload App in a new pop-up window to confirm your action.
How to Clear iPhone Cache
In addition to uninstalling apps, clearing the cache on your iPhone can help you reclaim some valuable storage space for new apps and media files. Check out our detailed article on how to clear an iPhone’s app and browser cache.
Why am I unable to delete apps from my iPhone?
Certain applications are required for the iPhone to function properly and cannot be deleted by the user. These include first-party apps like Phone, Messages, Camera, App Store, Safari, and Settings, among others.
However, if you are having trouble removing downloaded applications, you can try restarting your iPhone or clearing the cloud data before uninstalling the app.
Does deleting apps free up iCloud storage?
Yes, depending on how much storage space an app consumes, deleting backed-up data from apps can free up memory on iCloud.
Why do deleted apps on the iPhone reappear?
If you leave Automatic Downloads enabled in the App Store, deleted apps may reappear on your iPhone. This setting can be disabled by visiting the App Store’s Settings.
Can you remove pre-installed apps from an iPhone?
Only a subset of the preinstalled apps on the iPhone can be removed. Press and hold the preinstalled app icon to see which ones can be removed. If a cross appears in the upper left corner, you can remove it. Otherwise, the app cannot be deleted from the iPhone.
What should I do if I can’t delete apps from my iPhone?
If you are unable to delete non-Apple apps from your iPhone, first disable the parental controls and then try the methods listed above. Go to iPhone Settings > General > Restrictions to turn off parental controls. Enter the restriction passcode and follow the on-screen instructions. To disable parental controls on the iOS device, click Disable Restrictions.
Does deleting an app cancel an Apple app subscription?
No, deleting an app from your iPhone does not terminate your app subscription. You must cancel it from the Subscriptions section of your iPhone’s Settings.
Does a factory reset remove apps from an iPhone?
The ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ option on the iPhone does not remove preinstalled apps. However, it will only delete the apps that you have installed from the App Store on the device. Furthermore, after a factory reset, all app data will be present in your iPhone’s iTunes and iCloud backups.
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