The two ways to remove an app from Samsung
You can delete an app from a Samsung phone in two ways: uninstall it completely so it no longer takes up storage space, or disable it so it stops running but stays on your phone. Most apps you read yourself can be uninstalled. Apps that came with your phone — like Samsung's own apps or ones your carrier installed — usually can only be disabled, not fully removed.
Which method you use depends on what you want. Uninstalling frees up space and removes the app entirely. Disabling stops the app from running and prevents it from collecting data, but the app stays on your phone taking up a small amount of storage. For privacy and security, disabling is often enough if you don't want an app to run in the background.
Key Takeaways
- Apps you downloaded yourself can usually be uninstalled completely through Settings or by long-pressing the app icon, but apps that came with your phone can typically only be disabled.
- Disabling an app stops it from running and collecting data without removing it from your phone, which is useful if you want to keep it but prevent it from using your battery or location.
- You can uninstall updates to pre-installed apps by going to Settings > Apps, selecting the app, and choosing "Uninstall updates" — this rolls the app back to its original version.
- Removing an app does not delete your account with that service; you will need to delete your account separately if you want to remove your data from that company's servers.
Uninstalling an app you downloaded
Open your phone's Settings app. Scroll down and tap Apps. Find the app you want to remove in the list and tap it. At the top of the app's information page, you will see an Uninstall button. Tap it, then confirm by tapping Uninstall again in the popup that appears.
Alternatively, you can long-press the app icon on your home screen or in your app drawer. A menu will appear with options including Uninstall. Tap it and confirm. Both methods do the same thing — the app is removed from your phone and the storage space is freed up.
Disabling a pre-installed app
If you try to uninstall an app that came with your phone and no uninstall button appears, you can disable it instead. Open Settings, tap Apps, find the app, and tap it. Look for a Disable button near the top of the screen. Tap it and confirm.
When you disable an app, it stops running and will not appear in your app drawer or on your home screen. It will not collect location data, access your contacts, or run in the background. The app still exists on your phone's system storage, but it is inactive. If you change your mind later, you can re-enable it by going back to Settings > Apps, finding the app, and tapping Enable.
Removing updates from pre-installed apps
Some pre-installed apps cannot be disabled, only updated. If you want to stop a pre-installed app from running the latest version, you can uninstall its updates and roll it back to the original version that came with your phone. Go to Settings > Apps, tap the app, and look for Uninstall updates. Tap it and confirm.
This is useful if a recent update to a pre-installed app changed its behavior in a way you do not like, or if you want to reduce the app's size on your phone. The app will revert to the version Samsung included, and it will stop receiving new updates until you manually update it again through the Google Play Store.
What happens to your data when you delete an app
Uninstalling an app removes the app itself and any data it stored locally on your phone — like cached files, downloaded content, or login information. However, it does not delete your account with that service or remove data the company has already collected about you on their servers.
If you want to remove your account entirely, you need to do that separately through the app or the company's website before you uninstall. For example, uninstalling Facebook removes the app from your phone but does not delete your Facebook account or the data Facebook has stored. You would need to go to Facebook's settings and request account deletion separately.
Freeing up space by clearing app cache
If you want to keep an app but reduce how much storage it uses, you can clear its cache without uninstalling it. Go to Settings > Apps, tap the app, and look for Storage or Storage and cache. Tap Clear cache. This removes temporary files the app has stored but keeps your login information and settings.
Clearing cache is safe and does not affect how the app works. The app will straightforward rebuild its cache the next time you use it. If you want to go further and clear all the app's data, tap Clear storage or Clear data instead — but this will log you out and erase any settings you saved within the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete apps that came with Samsung?
Most pre-installed Samsung apps can only be disabled, not uninstalled. Some system apps cannot be disabled either. If you see a Disable button instead of Uninstall, the app is pre-installed and cannot be fully removed. You can disable it to stop it from running.
Will deleting an app delete my account?
No. Uninstalling an app only removes the app from your phone. Your account with that service remains active on the company's servers. If you want to delete your account, you must do that through the app's settings or the company's website before or after uninstalling.
What is the difference between disabling and uninstalling?
Uninstalling removes the app and frees up storage space. Disabling keeps the app on your phone but stops it from running, collecting data, or appearing in your app drawer. Disabled apps use minimal storage and cannot access your location or contacts.
Can I reinstall an app after I delete it?
Yes. You can read it again from the Google Play Store at any time. If the app is pre-installed and you disabled it, you can re-enable it through Settings > Apps by tapping the app and selecting Enable.
Why does my phone say "Uninstall updates" instead of "Uninstall"?
That means the app is pre-installed on your phone. You can remove the updates it has received and roll it back to the original version, but you cannot fully uninstall it. Tapping Uninstall updates will do that.