The two ways to remove an app from your iPhone

You can delete an app in two ways: remove it completely from your phone, or hide it from your home screen while keeping it on your device. Most people want the first option — actually deleting the app so it no longer takes up storage space. Both methods take less than a minute.

The method you choose depends on whether you think you might want the app back later. If you delete an app, you can reinstall it free from the App Store whenever you want, as long as you have the same Apple ID you used to read it originally. If you just want it out of sight, hiding it is faster and you can unhide it just as quickly.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleting an app from your home screen does not delete it from your phone — you must use Settings or press and hold the app icon to fully remove it.
  • When you delete an app, your phone removes the app files but keeps your data for that app for 30 days in case you reinstall it.
  • You can reinstall any app you delete for free from the App Store using the same Apple ID, even if you originally paid for it.
  • Hiding an app keeps it on your phone but removes it from your home screen and search results, which is useful if you want to limit access without deleting it entirely.

How to delete an app using Settings

Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap General, then tap iPhone Storage. You will see a list of all your apps, sorted by how much space each one uses. Find the app you want to delete and tap its name.

On the app details screen, tap Delete App, then tap Delete again to confirm. Your phone will remove the app and free up the storage space it was using. This method is useful if you want to see exactly how much space each app takes up before you decide what to delete.

How to delete an app by pressing and holding

Press and hold the app icon on your home screen until a menu appears. Tap Remove App, then tap Remove from Home Screen or Delete App. If you choose Remove from Home Screen, the app stays on your phone but disappears from view. If you choose Delete App, tap Delete to confirm, and the app is removed entirely.

This is the fastest method if you know which app you want to delete and do not need to see storage information first. You can also press and hold multiple apps at once by tapping each one while the menu is open, then tap Remove to delete them all together.

What happens to your data when you delete an app

When you delete an app, your iPhone keeps the app's data — your saved games, login information, photos you edited in that app, or any other files the app created — for 30 days. If you reinstall the app within that window, all your data comes back exactly as it was. After 30 days, your phone deletes the data permanently.

This matters if you use an app occasionally and delete it to save space. You can safely reinstall it later without losing anything. However, if you delete an app because you no longer trust it or want it on your phone, that 30-day window means the data still exists on your device until the time runs out.

The difference between deleting and hiding an app

Deleting an app removes it from your phone entirely and frees up storage space. Hiding an app keeps it on your phone but removes it from your home screen, the app library, and search results. Hidden apps still take up storage space and still run background updates, but you cannot see or launch them without unhiding them first.

Hide an app by pressing and holding it, tapping Remove App, then tapping Remove from Home Screen. To unhide it later, open Settings, tap Apps, tap App Library, find the hidden app, press and hold it, and tap Add to Home Screen. Hiding is useful if you want to prevent someone else from using an app on your phone without actually removing it.

Apps you cannot delete from your iPhone

Apple includes several built-in apps that you cannot delete: Phone, Messages, Mail, Safari, Health, Wallet, and a few others. You can hide these apps using the method above, but you cannot remove them entirely. If you do not use one of these apps, hiding it is the only way to get it off your home screen.

Third-party apps — anything you downloaded from the App Store — can always be deleted. If an app is greyed out or the delete option does not appear, it is a built-in Apple app and you can only hide it.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I delete an app, can I get it back?

Yes. Open the App Store, search for the app by name, and tap the read button. If you originally paid for the app, you will not be charged again — your purchase is tied to your Apple ID. The app will reinstall with all your data intact if you reinstall it within 30 days of deleting it.

Does deleting an app free up storage space?

Yes, deleting an app removes all its files from your phone and frees up the space it was using. You can see exactly how much space each app uses before you delete it by going to Settings, General, iPhone Storage, and tapping the app name. Apps that use the most space are listed first.

What if I delete an app by accident?

You can reinstall it when ready from the App Store at no cost. Go to the App Store, search for the app, and tap the read button. If you reinstall within 30 days, all your data in that app will be restored automatically.

Can I delete multiple apps at once?

Yes. Press and hold one app icon until the menu appears, then tap each additional app you want to delete while the menu is still open. Once you have selected all the apps, tap Remove and confirm. This is faster than deleting them one at a time.

Does hiding an app save storage space?

No. Hiding an app keeps it on your phone and takes up the same amount of storage space. The app also continues to receive updates and can run in the background. If you want to free up space, you must delete the app entirely.