How To Uninstall An App On IPhone

After you finish setting up your new iPhone, you may want to learn how to delete iOS apps. While these excellent smartphones come with a range of preinstalled programs, you probably won’t use every single one and would rather free up space for apps you do want. And that’s to say nothing of all the third-party apps you will install later but might eventually stop using.

Regardless of your reasons, you will eventually want to uninstall some apps. Thankfully, the process is the same across most modern iPhone models, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max. All you have to do is pick one of the methods we’ve included in this guide.

Why you may want to uninstall iPhone apps

As previously stated, deleting apps is a great way to free up memory space and get rid of unused/unwanted programs, but those are only two of the more common reasons one might uninstall an app. By deleting an app, you also declutter your App Library — a solid way to deal with app addiction. Many phone users also use their browsers to visit social media platform websites instead of relying on dedicated apps. This might sound like an inconvenience, but that’s the point; no social media app means no push notifications constantly bothering you every five minutes.

iPhone apps that you can uninstall

Before we break down the different iPhone app deletion methods, let’s highlight what you can actually delete. For starters, any first- or third-party programs you personally download from the App Store are prime candidates. You can also delete many preinstalled iPhone apps, including Books, Calculator, Clock, FaceTime, Measure, Stocksand Weather.

Please note, however, some preinstalled apps require you to meet certain conditions before you can delete them. For instance , you can’t delete the Watch app if you’ve paired an Apple Watch to your iPhone. You have to unpair the smart device before you can uninstall its companion app.

How to uninstall iPhone apps using Jiggle Mode

Deleting iPhone apps through Jiggle Mode is the traditional and potentially most popular method:

1. Tap on an app icon (or anywhere on the Home Screen), and hold your finger there until all apps start jiggling.
2. Click on the minus (–) button on the app you want to delete.
3. Tap Delete App.
4. Confirm the deletion by tapping Delete.

How to uninstall an app from the Home Screen using Haptic Touch

Instead of going into Jiggle Mode, you can rely on the Haptic Touch menu instead:

1. First make sure Haptic Touch mode is active. Start by tapping on Settings.
2. Select Accessibility.
3. Scroll down to the Touch option and tap it.
4. Tap on either Haptic Touch or 3D & Haptic Touchdepending on your phone, and make sure the mode is on.
5. With HapticTouch on, tap on an app icon and hold to bring up the Haptic Touch menu.
6. Select Remove App.
7. Tap Delete App.
8. Confirm the deletion by tapping Delete.

How to uninstall an app from the App Library

If you want to delete apps without having to scroll through multiple screens, you can find them all in one place (and uninstall them) through the iPhone’s App Library:

1. On your Home Screenswipe left until you reach the App Library.
2. Swipe down to start browsing all your apps in alphabetical order.
3. Tap on an app icon and hold your finger down to bring up the menu.
4. Tap Delete App.
5. Confirm your choice by tapping on Delete.

How to uninstall an app using the Settings

You can also delete iOS apps through your iPhone’s Settings:

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down to Generaland select it.
3. Tap on iPhone Storage.
4. Select the app you want to delete.
5. Tap on Delete App.
6. Confirm by hitting Delete App again.

How to delete an app using the App Store

If you are browsing the iPhone App Store to either update existing apps or install new ones, you can also use that program to delete unwanted apps:

1. Launch the App Store on your iPhone.
2. Tap on your profile photo in the top right corner.
3. Swipe left on the app you want to delete.
4. Tap on Delete.
5. Confirm your choice by by tapping Delete.

Ironically, in order to delete programs using the App store, you have to make sure they are up-to-date first.

How to offload an app to retain its data

If you want to most an app’s core data but retain core bits and bytes on your iPhone (e.g., save data for a game), you can offload the program instead of uninstalling it. This way, the next time you reinstall the app, your personal data will be restored automatically:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap on iPhone Storage.
4. Tap the app you would like to offload.
5. Tap on Offload App.
6. Confirm your choice and tap Offload App again.
7. You can also make your phone automatically offload apps you don’t use. Start by launching the Settings app.
8. Tap on App Store.
9. Scroll down to Offload Unused Apps and flip the toggle next to it so the switch turns green.

The choice is yours

All the methods we discussed in this article were tested on the latest iOS 17. If you’re running an older OS version, some techniques might work slightly differently, if at all. However, the Jiggle Mode method is the exception to this rule, as it is guaranteed to work regardless of your iPhone’s model or operating system.