Delete an app by pressing and holding its icon
To remove an app from your iPhone, find it on your home screen or in your app library, press and hold the icon until a menu appears, then tap Remove App. A second menu will ask whether you want to remove it from the home screen only or delete it entirely. Choose Remove from iPhone to delete the app and all its data.
This method works for almost every app except the ones Apple includes with iOS — those cannot be deleted, though you can hide them. If you cannot find the app on your home screen, swipe to the rightmost page or open the App Library (the grid icon at the far right of your home screen pages) and search for it there.
Deleting an app does not automatically cancel any subscription tied to it. You must cancel the subscription separately through your Apple ID settings, even after the app is gone from your phone. This is the most common mistake people make when trying to stop recurring charges.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting the app from your iPhone does not stop subscription charges — you must cancel the subscription in your Apple ID settings separately.
- Press and hold any app icon, tap Remove App, then choose Remove from iPhone to delete it completely.
- If you cannot see the app on your home screen, search for it in the App Library before you assume it is already gone.
- Built-in Apple apps like Mail and Calendar cannot be deleted, but you can hide them from your home screen.
Cancel the subscription before deleting the app
If the app charges you monthly or yearly, cancelling the subscription must happen before or after you delete the app — the order does not matter, but both steps are required. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions. You will see every active subscription linked to your Apple ID, including ones from apps you no longer use.
Find the subscription you want to stop, tap it, and tap Cancel Subscription. Apple will ask you to confirm and may offer a discount to keep you. If you see a message saying the subscription renews on a specific date, cancelling stops the next charge but does not refund what you already paid. Some apps offer refunds within a short window if you cancel when ready after purchasing — check the app's refund policy, but this is not may provide.
Find subscriptions you forgot about
Many people discover subscriptions they no longer remember signing up for when they look at their Subscriptions list. Open Settings > your name > Subscriptions and scroll through the full list. Apps you deleted months ago may still be charging you if you never cancelled them.
If you see a subscription you do not recognize, tap it and look at the renewal date and price. Some subscriptions renew monthly, others yearly — knowing which one you have matters when you decide whether to cancel. If a subscription looks fraudulent or you genuinely did not authorize it, you can report it to Apple through the same screen by tapping the subscription and scrolling to the bottom.
What happens after you delete an app
Deleting an app removes it from your phone and erases all the data it stored locally — saved games, notes, photos you edited in that app, login information. If the app syncs to the cloud or to your other Apple devices, that data may still exist elsewhere. Reinstalling the app later will not restore the deleted local data, though cloud-synced information may reappear.
If you delete an app by accident, you can reinstall it from the App Store at any time, as long as it is still available for read. Your purchase history is tied to your Apple ID, so you will not be charged again for a paid app you already bought. Free apps with subscriptions will show your old subscription status when you reinstall them, though you will need to reactivate the subscription if you cancelled it.
Hiding apps instead of deleting them
If you want an app off your home screen but do not want to delete it completely, you can hide it instead. Press and hold the app icon, tap Remove App, then choose Remove from Home Screen. The app stays on your iPhone and continues to work — it just will not appear on your home screen or in search results unless you specifically look in the App Library.
Hidden apps still receive updates and can still send notifications. If the hidden app has an active subscription, it will continue to charge you. Hiding is useful for apps you use rarely but do not want to reinstall later, or for apps you want to keep but do not want visible to other people who use your phone.
Offload an app to free up storage
If your iPhone is running low on storage space, you can offload an app instead of deleting it. Offloading removes the app itself but keeps your data and documents. Press and hold the app icon, tap Remove App, then choose Offload App. The app will disappear from your home screen and a small cloud icon will appear in its place.
Tapping the cloud icon later will reinstall the app, and your saved data will return. This is useful if you have a large app you do not use often but want to keep your data for. Like hiding, offloading does not affect subscriptions — a subscription tied to an offloaded app will still charge you every month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting an app stop the charges?
No. Deleting the app removes it from your phone but does not cancel any subscription. You must cancel the subscription separately in Settings under your name and Subscriptions. Many people delete an app thinking the charges will stop, then are surprised when the bill arrives the next month.
Can I get a refund after I delete an app?
Refunds depend on how long ago you made the purchase. If you bought the app or subscription within the last 14 days, you can request a refund through your Apple ID settings or by contacting Apple Support. After 14 days, refunds are not may provide, though Apple may make exceptions in some cases.
What if I cannot find the app to delete it?
Open the App Library by swiping to the rightmost home screen page, then search for the app by name. If it appears in the search results, press and hold it and choose Remove App. If it does not appear anywhere, the app may already be deleted, though the subscription could still be active.
Will my data come back if I reinstall the app?
Local data stored only on your phone will not return. Data synced to iCloud or the app's own servers may reappear when you reinstall. Check the app's settings before you delete it to see whether it backs up to the cloud.
Can I delete Apple's built-in apps like Mail or Calendar?
No, you cannot delete them. You can only hide them from your home screen by pressing and holding the icon and choosing Remove from Home Screen. They will still appear in the App Library and will continue to receive updates.