You can delete every app on your iPhone, but the built-in Apple apps stay
When you delete an app from your iPhone, you remove the program itself and the data it stored locally on your device. The app no longer takes up storage space, and it stops running background processes. However, Apple's built-in apps — like Mail, Calendar, Maps, and Safari — cannot be fully deleted. You can hide them from your home screen, but the system files remain on your phone. If you want to remove an app you installed yourself, you can do it in seconds through Settings or by holding down the app icon on your home screen.
Deleting apps is one of the fastest ways to reclaim storage space and reduce what data sits on your device. It also stops those apps from collecting information in the background or sending data to their servers. If you are concerned about what a particular app can access — your location, contacts, photos, or microphone — deletion is the most complete way to prevent that access.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete any app you downloaded yourself by holding its icon and selecting "Remove App," then confirming the deletion.
- Built-in Apple apps like Mail and Safari cannot be deleted, but you can hide them from your home screen so you do not see them.
- Deleting an app removes the app itself and any data it stored on your phone, but does not affect data the company kept on its own servers.
- You can delete apps one at a time or use Settings to offload multiple apps at once if you want to keep their data temporarily.
Delete a single app from your home screen
The fastest way to delete one app is to hold your finger on its icon until a menu appears. Press and hold the app icon on your home screen for about one second. A menu will pop up with several options, including "Remove App" at the bottom. Tap "Remove App."
A second menu will appear asking you to confirm. You will see three choices: "Remove from Home Screen," "Remove from Home Screen and App Library," or "Cancel." If you choose "Remove from Home Screen," the app icon disappears but the app itself stays on your phone and appears in your App Library. If you choose "Remove from Home Screen and App Library," the app is deleted entirely from your phone. Select the option you want, then tap "Remove" to confirm.
Delete apps through the Settings menu
If you want to see a list of all your apps and delete them one by one, use the Settings app. Open Settings, then tap "General." Scroll down and tap "iPhone Storage." You will see a list of every app on your phone, sorted by how much space each one uses. The largest apps appear at the top.
Tap the app you want to delete. A screen will open showing how much space the app uses and when you last opened it. Tap "Delete App" in red text at the bottom. A confirmation menu will appear. Tap "Delete" to remove the app from your phone entirely. Repeat this process for each app you want to remove.
What happens to your data when you delete an app
When you delete an app, your iPhone removes the app files and any data the app stored on your phone — things like cached photos, saved messages, or login information stored locally. That data is gone from your device. However, the company that made the app may still have copies of your information on their own servers. If you had a social media account, sent messages through the app, or uploaded photos, those records exist in the company's database regardless of whether the app is on your phone.
If you want to delete your account with that company entirely, you usually have to do that through their website or contact them directly. Deleting the app alone does not delete your account or the data they collected about you. Some apps let you request data deletion through their settings before you remove the app, so check the app's privacy settings if that matters to you.
Hiding built-in Apple apps instead of deleting them
Apple's system apps — Mail, Calendar, Maps, Stocks, Reminders, Notes, Health, Wallet, and others — cannot be deleted. If you do not use these apps and do not want to see them, you can hide them from your home screen and App Library. Hold your finger on the app icon until the menu appears, then tap "Remove App." Choose "Remove from Home Screen" (not the full deletion option, since that is not available for built-in apps). The app disappears from your view but remains on your phone.
If you later want to use a hidden built-in app, you can unhide it. Open the App Library by swiping to the rightmost home screen page, then search for the app by name. When you find it, hold the icon and tap "Add to Home Screen." The app will reappear on your home screen where you can access it normally.
Offloading apps to save space without deleting them
If you want to free up storage space but keep an app's data, you can offload the app instead of deleting it. Offloading removes the app files but keeps the data on your phone. If you reinstall the app later, your saved information will still be there. Go to Settings, tap "General," then "iPhone Storage." Find the app you want to offload, tap it, and select "Offload App." Confirm by tapping "Offload."
This is useful if you have an app you use occasionally but do not need right now, or if you are running low on storage and want to reclaim space quickly. The app will no longer appear on your home screen or in your App Library, but you can reinstall it from the App Store whenever you want, and your saved data will return.
Deleting apps and your privacy
Removing an app from your phone stops it from running in the background and collecting data about your location, contacts, or activity. It also prevents the app from sending information to its company's servers. However, deletion does not erase what the app already collected and sent before you removed it. If an app tracked your location for months, deleting it today does not undo that tracking.
Before you delete an app, you can check what permissions it has by going to Settings, tapping "Privacy," and looking at each category — Location, Contacts, Photos, Microphone, Camera, and others. You will see which apps have access to each type of data. If an app has permissions you do not want it to have, you can either delete the app or revoke those permissions in Settings without deleting it. Revoking permissions is useful if you want to keep the app but prevent it from accessing sensitive information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete multiple apps at once?
You can delete apps one at a time through Settings or by holding each icon individually, but iOS does not have a built-in feature to select and delete multiple apps in a single action. The fastest way to delete many apps is to go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, then tap each app and select "Delete App" in sequence.
If I delete an app, can I get it back?
Yes. You can reinstall any app you downloaded from the App Store by opening the App Store app, searching for the app by name, and tapping the cloud icon with a down arrow to reinstall it. If you offloaded the app instead of deleting it, reinstalling will restore your saved data. If you fully deleted it, you will get a fresh copy with no saved information.
Does deleting an app delete my account with that company?
No. Deleting the app only removes the program from your phone. Your account and all the data the company collected remains on their servers. To delete your account, you usually have to visit the company's website or contact their support team directly. Check the app's settings or privacy policy to find out how to request account deletion.
Will deleting an app free up a lot of storage space?
It depends on the app. Large apps like games, video streaming services, or photo editors can use several gigabytes of space. Smaller apps like calculators or note-taking tools use only a few megabytes. Check the app's size in Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much space you will reclaim before you delete it.
What is the difference between offloading and deleting?
Offloading removes the app files but keeps your saved data on your phone, so reinstalling later restores everything. Deleting removes both the app and its local data. Offloading is useful if you want to save space temporarily; deletion is better if you do not plan to use the app again or want to remove it completely.