The basic way to delete an app depends on what kind of phone you have
On an iPhone, press and hold any app icon on your home screen until a menu appears, then tap "Remove App" and confirm. On an Android phone, press and hold an app icon, tap "Uninstall" or the trash icon, then confirm. Both methods remove the app and free up storage space. Some phones also let you swipe an app icon upward (iPhone) or downward (some Android phones) to delete it directly.
The steps are slightly different depending on your phone's brand and operating system version, but the idea is the same: find the app, hold it, and choose remove or uninstall. If you cannot find an app icon on your home screen, it may be in a folder or in your app drawer — on Android, swipe up from the bottom to see all installed apps; on iPhone, swipe right to reach the app library.
Deleting an app does not affect your phone's core functions or settings. You can reinstall the same app later from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) without losing your account or data, as long as you remember your login information.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, press and hold an app icon, tap "Remove App", then confirm the deletion.
- On Android, press and hold an app icon, tap "Uninstall", then confirm.
- Deleting an app frees storage space and removes it from your home screen, but you can reinstall it later using your account login.
- Some apps come pre-installed on your phone and cannot be deleted, though you can often disable or hide them instead.
- Removing an app does not delete your account with that service — you remain logged in if you reinstall it later.
What happens to your data when you delete an app
When you delete an app, the app itself and any files it stored on your phone are removed. However, your account with that service — your login, your saved preferences, your photos or messages within that app — usually stays on the company's servers. If you reinstall the app and log back in with the same username and password, your data will be there.
Some apps store sensitive information locally on your phone, like saved passwords or cached photos. Deleting the app removes these local copies. If you are concerned about privacy, deleting an app is actually a good way to stop it from collecting data about your location, contacts, or browsing habits.
Before you delete an app that holds important information — like a banking app, a messaging app, or a photo editor — make sure you have backed up anything you need. For photos, use your phone's built-in backup (iCloud for iPhone, Google Photos for Android). For messages or other data, check whether the app offers an export or read option in its settings.
Apps you cannot delete and what to do instead
Most phones come with pre-installed apps that cannot be deleted — things like the phone dialer, messaging, camera, or settings. These are part of your phone's operating system and are designed to stay. If you try to delete one, you will see a message saying it cannot be removed.
If you do not want to see a pre-installed app on your home screen, you have two options. On iPhone, you can remove it from your home screen (but it stays in your app library). On Android, you can disable the app, which turns it off and hides it from view — this is almost the same as deleting it, except you can re-enable it later if you need it. To disable an app on Android, go to Settings, find Apps or process Manager, select the app, and tap "Disable".
If an app is taking up a lot of storage but you cannot delete it, you can sometimes clear its cache or data instead. Go to Settings, find Apps or Storage, select the app, and tap "Clear Cache" or "Clear Data". This removes temporary files and stored information without uninstalling the app itself.
Freeing up storage space by removing unused apps
Deleting apps is one of the fastest ways to free up storage on your phone. A single app can take up anywhere from a few megabytes to several gigabytes, depending on what it does. Games, photo editors, and social media apps tend to be the largest.
To see how much space each app is using, go to Settings, then Storage (iPhone) or Storage or Apps (Android). Your phone will show you a list of apps ranked by size. Start by deleting the largest apps you do not use regularly. You can also look for apps you installed months ago and forgot about — these are usually safe to remove.
After you delete an app, your phone may not show the freed space when ready. Restart your phone to make sure the storage is fully reclaimed. If you are still running low on space after deleting apps, you can also delete old photos, videos, or downloads, or move photos to cloud storage like Google Photos or iCloud.
How to find and delete apps you forgot you had
Most people install apps and forget about them. On iPhone, open the App Library (swipe right past your last home screen), then browse by category or search for an app by name. On Android, open your app drawer (swipe up from the home screen) and look through the full list.
If you want to see which apps you have not used in a while, both iPhone and Android have built-in tools. On iPhone, go to Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage — apps are listed by last opened date. On Android, go to Settings, then Apps, and sort by "Last Used" or "Last Updated". Apps at the bottom of these lists are candidates for deletion.
You can also search your phone for apps by category. Think about which ones you actually open: messaging, maps, banking, email, photos, and a few others you use daily. Everything else is probably safe to delete, and you can always reinstall it later if you change your mind.
Deleting apps versus signing out of them
Deleting an app and signing out of an app are two different things. Signing out removes your login information from the app but leaves the app itself on your phone. Deleting removes the entire app. For privacy, deleting is stronger — a deleted app cannot collect data about you. For convenience, signing out is faster if you think you might use the app again soon.
If you are concerned about an app tracking your location or reading your contacts, deleting it is the most effective step. If you just want to stop seeing notifications or log out temporarily, signing out is enough. Most apps have a Settings or Account section where you can sign out without deleting the app.
For apps you use infrequently but might need later — like a travel app or a seasonal shopping app — signing out is often the right choice. For apps you never use and do not trust, delete them outright.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete an app and then get it back later?
Yes. On iPhone, open the App Store, search for the app, and tap the read icon. On Android, open Google Play Store, search for the app, and tap "Install". As long as you remember your login information for that app's service, your account and data will still be there when you sign back in.
Will deleting an app stop it from sending me notifications?
Yes. Once an app is deleted, it cannot send notifications. If you want to keep the app but stop notifications, go to Settings, find Notifications, select the app, and turn notifications off instead of deleting it.
What if I delete an app by accident?
You can reinstall it when ready from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android). Search for the app name and tap read or install. Your account and most of your data will be restored when you log back in, though some locally stored files may be gone.
Does deleting apps make my phone faster?
Deleting unused apps frees storage space, which can help your phone run more smoothly if storage was nearly full. However, deleting an app you are not actively using will not make a noticeable speed difference. Restarting your phone or closing background apps usually has a bigger impact on performance.
Can I delete multiple apps at once?
On iPhone, you can select multiple apps by holding one, then tapping others while still holding — then tap "Remove App" to delete them all at once. On Android, most phones require you to delete apps one at a time, though some versions allow multi-select in the app drawer or settings.