Can't Delete Apps? Read These Tricks to Learn How

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Troubleshooting tips for disabling, deleting, and uninstalling apps
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Are you unable to delete apps on your iPhone or Android? While deleting apps is normally a straightforward process, it can be frustrating when an app won't uninstall when you prompt it to. Read on to learn more about why you can't delete apps on iPhone and Android.

Some Apps Can't Be Deleted

On Android and iPhone, there are certain pre-loaded apps that you can't delete. On iPhone, try restarting your phone, checking Screen Time restrictions, forcing the phone to restart, deleting apps from Settings or the App Store, updating, and factory resetting.

Section 1 of 5:

Apps You Can't Delete on iPhone

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  1. These include:
    • Camera
    • Clock
    • Settings
    • App Store
    • Find My
    • Health
    • Messages
    • Phone
    • Photos
      • If you are trying to uninstall a different app, continue to the next section for troubleshooting steps.
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Section 2 of 5:

Common iPhone Troubleshooting Steps

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  1. Simply turning it off and back on again can sometimes solve your issue. It's such an easy step to take, so try it!
    • Restart your iPhone by pressing and holding the side and volume buttons, then dragging the slider to turn off your device. Press the side button again to turn your phone back on. [1]
    • If you have an older iPhone with a Home button, press and hold the side button, then drag the slider. Press the side button again to turn your phone on.
  2. These settings can control what you can and can't do on your phone, and a parental figure or guardian can prevent you from uninstalling apps.
    • Open Settings and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions .
    • You'll be prompted for a Screen Time passcode if one is set up.
    • Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases .
    • Tap Deleting Apps and select Allow .
  3. If simply restarting your iPhone didn't work, or if your phone is freezing whenever you attempt to delete apps, force restart it.
    • Press the Volume Up button.
    • Press the Volume Down button.
    • Press and hold the side button.
    • Release the side button when the Apple logo appears. [2]
  4. If you're having trouble deleting apps from the Home Screen, try deleting them from the Settings app. Deleting apps this way also allows you to remove their associated data and cache files clogging up your system, so it's a handy method if you need to free up space .
    • Open Settings and go to General > iPhone Storage and tap the app you want to delete.
    • Tap Delete App and confirm your action.
  5. This troubleshooting step works similar to using Settings.
    • Open the App Store and tap your profile picture.
    • Find the app you want to delete and swipe left on it.
    • Tap Delete and confirm your action.
  6. Bugs and glitches in outdated versions of the OS can prevent you from deleting apps.
    • Open Settings and go to General > Software Update . Tap Install now if it's available.
  7. A temporary glitch in Apple ID authentication can prevent you from getting rid of apps.
    • If another Apple ID was signed into your iPhone and installed the app, then you need to sign in with that Apple ID to uninstall it.
    • Open Settings and tap your name.
    • Scroll down to the bottom and tap Sign Out . Enter your Apple ID password to sign out.
    • Tap Sign into your iPhone at the top of the "Settings" menu, then enter your Apple ID and password.
  8. This is the last resort if nothing else works for you and will erase every personal detail from your iPhone. You want to have a backup of your personal data so you don't permanently lose anything. All your custom settings and configurations will revert to default after a factory reset.
    • Open Settings and go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset all Settings .
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Section 3 of 5:

Uninstalling iPhone Apps from Home Screen

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  1. This is the method of deleting apps from your Home Screen. You can also do this using the App Library .
  2. It's red text at the bottom of the menu.
    • Alternatively, tap the circle with a line through it in the upper left corner of the app's thumbnail.
  3. If you tap the circle with the line through it, click Done to stop all the apps from jiggling. [3]
    • Apple Support Specialist Josef Storzi says the easiest way to delete multiple apps is to tap Edit after you press and hold on one app to make them all jiggle. Then you can tap the circle with the line through it on however many apps you want to delete.
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Section 4 of 5:

Apps You Can't Delete on Android

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  1. The list of apps you can't disable varies and changes between manufacturers, carriers, and versions of Android. In short, if you can't uninstall the app, you can disable it.
    • Disabling an app turns off it's functionality. For example, you can't uninstall Android Auto or Facebook, but when you disable them, they stop working. Android Auto will no longer activate if it detects you're in a moving vehicle, and Facebook will no longer send you notifications. The disabled app will not use mobile data or battery but will still take up storage since it's still installed.
    • For apps like Facebook, if you have an account, disabling the app will not deactivate your account. Instead, you have to go to the Facebook website to Deactivate your account .
Section 5 of 5:

Disabling and Uninstalling Apps on Android

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  1. Use this method to go through Settings to uninstall or disable apps. If you can't uninstall an app , you'll see the option to disable it .
  2. It's next to a grid icon.
  3. You need to repeat this process for every app that you want to disable or uninstall.
  4. If you can't uninstall an app, like Android Auto, you can disable it. This means it won't work or send you notifications. [4]
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      • If you've been issued a phone from a school, business, or organization, there will be other profiles for that phone that prevent you from deleting apps.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/118259
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/force-restart-iphone-iph8903c3ee6/ios
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/101550
      4. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-to-remove-or-disable-embedded-apps/

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