How to delete an app from your device
You delete an app the same way you installed it — through the App Store app itself, or by holding down the app icon on your home screen and choosing remove. The App Store method is cleaner because it also clears out the app's leftover files. On iPhone and iPad, open the App Store, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, find the app in your purchase history, swipe left on it, and tap Remove. On Mac, open the App Store, go to the Manage tab, find the app, and click the X button next to it.
If you delete an app this way, you can reinstall it later without paying again — the App Store remembers your purchase. The app's data (saved games, preferences, documents you created inside it) usually stays on your device in a folder, so you can recover it if you change your mind within a few days. After that, the data is typically gone.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting through the App Store removes the app and most of its files, while deleting from the home screen leaves behind cached data and preferences.
- You can reinstall any app you have purchased before without paying again, because the App Store tracks your purchase history.
- App data like saved games and documents usually stays on your device for a few days after deletion, then is removed automatically.
- If you want to completely erase an app's data when ready, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage), find the app, and tap Offload App instead of Delete App.
Deleting from your home screen versus the App Store
The fastest way to delete an app is to hold your finger on its icon until a menu appears, then tap Remove App and confirm. This removes the app from your screen when ready, but leaves behind cached files and settings. Those files take up storage space and can cause problems if you reinstall the app later — it might remember old passwords or broken settings.
Deleting through the App Store is slower but cleaner. It removes the app and tells your device to clean up the leftover files over the next few hours. If you plan to reinstall the app soon, use the App Store method. If you just want the icon off your screen right now, the home screen method works fine.
Completely removing an app's data
If you want to delete an app and make sure none of its data stays behind, use Offload instead of Delete. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage). Find the app in the list, tap it, and choose Offload App. This removes the app but keeps your purchase history, so you can reinstall it fresh later.
If you then tap Delete App after offloading, the remaining data is removed too. This takes longer than a straightforward delete but is useful if an app is misbehaving or if you want to start completely fresh. The difference matters most for apps that store a lot of personal information — email clients, password managers, banking apps — where old cached data could cause login problems.
What happens to your purchase history
Deleting an app does not remove it from your purchase history. The App Store keeps a record of every app you have ever bought or downloaded for free, tied to your Apple ID. You can see this history by opening the App Store, tapping your profile picture, and scrolling to Purchased. Apps you deleted appear there with a cloud icon next to them, meaning you can read them again.
This matters if you ever want to go back to an older version of an app, or if you delete something by accident. You have the option to reinstall it at any time without paying again. The only exception is if the app has been removed from the App Store entirely — then you cannot reinstall it, though you can still see it in your purchase history.
Freeing up storage space when deleting apps
Deleting an app frees up the space the app itself takes up, but not always the space its data uses. A large app like a game might be 2 gigabytes, but its saved games and settings could be another 500 megabytes. When you delete the app, you get back the 2 gigabytes right away, but the 500 megabytes of data stays until you offload the app or manually clear it.
To see how much space an app is using, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, find the app, and look at the number next to its name. The number shown is the app plus its data combined. If you need storage space urgently, offload the app instead of deleting it — you get back all the space, and you can reinstall it later without losing your purchase.
Deleting apps on Mac
On a Mac, you can delete an app three ways. The simplest is to open the App Store, click Manage, find the app, and click the X button next to it. You can also drag the app from your Applications folder to the Trash, or right-click it and choose Move to Trash. All three methods remove the app, but only the App Store method guarantees that all related files are cleaned up.
On Mac, app data is usually stored in your Library folder, which is hidden by default. If you delete an app using Trash instead of the App Store, those files stay behind. If you want to be thorough, use the App Store method. If you are just clearing out your Applications folder, dragging to Trash is fine — the leftover files take up minimal space on modern Macs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my app back if I delete it by accident?
Yes. Open the App Store, tap your profile picture, go to Purchased, and find the app in the list. Tap the cloud icon next to it to reinstall it. This works even if you deleted the app weeks ago. The only exception is if the app has been removed from the App Store entirely, which is rare.
Will deleting an app delete my saved games or documents?
Usually yes, but not when ready. The app's data stays on your device for a few days after deletion, then is removed automatically. If you reinstall the app within that window, your saved games and documents come back. After a few days, they are gone for good unless you offload the app instead of deleting it.
Does deleting an app free up storage space right away?
The app itself is removed when ready, but the data it created may take a few hours to be cleared. You can speed this up by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tapping the app, and choosing Offload App, which removes everything at once.
What is the difference between offload and delete?
Offload removes the app but keeps your purchase history and some settings, so reinstalling is faster and cleaner. Delete removes the app and most of its data, but leaves behind cached files. Use Offload if you plan to reinstall soon; use Delete if you want the app gone.
Can I delete multiple apps at once?
On iPhone and iPad, you can hold down one app icon, tap Edit Home Screen, then tap the minus sign on multiple apps before confirming. On Mac, you can select multiple apps in the Applications folder by holding Command and clicking, then drag them all to Trash at once.