The fastest way: press and hold the app icon
To delete an app from your iPhone, press and hold the app icon on your home screen until a menu appears. Tap Remove App, then tap Remove from Home Screen if you want to keep the app installed but hidden, or tap Delete App to remove it entirely from your phone.
When you choose Delete App, a confirmation screen will ask if you're sure. Tap Delete again. The app and all its data — saved games, login information, downloaded content — will be removed from your iPhone.
This method works for almost every app except the ones Apple includes with iOS, like Mail, Calendar, and Maps. Those built-in apps can be hidden from your home screen but not fully deleted.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon, tap Remove App, then Delete App to remove it completely.
- Deleting an app removes all its data from your phone, including saved passwords and game progress.
- You can hide Apple's built-in apps from your home screen, but you cannot delete them entirely.
- If you delete an app by mistake, you can reinstall it from the App Store without paying again if it was free or if you bought it before.
Using the Settings app to delete apps
If the press-and-hold method doesn't work or you prefer a different route, you can delete apps through Settings. Open Settings, tap General, then tap iPhone Storage. You'll see a list of all your apps sorted by size.
Tap the app you want to remove, then tap Delete App. Confirm by tapping Delete again. This method shows you how much space each app takes up, which is useful if you're trying to free up storage on a full phone.
What happens when you delete an app
Deleting an app removes the app itself and all the data it stored on your phone. If you had saved games in a game app, those saves are gone unless the game backed them up to the cloud. If you had photos stored only in that app, they disappear. Passwords you saved in the app are deleted.
However, if the app backed up its data to iCloud or to another cloud service, you may be able to restore that data when you reinstall the app later. Check the app's settings before you delete it if you're unsure whether it saves backups.
Deleting an app does not affect anything on your computer, your iCloud account, or your other devices. It only removes the app from that specific iPhone.
Reinstalling an app you deleted
If you delete an app and change your mind, you can reinstall it from the App Store. Open the App Store app, tap the search icon at the bottom, and search for the app by name. Tap the cloud icon with a down arrow (or the price if it's a paid app) to reinstall it.
If you bought the app before, you won't be charged again — the App Store remembers your purchase. Free apps can always be reinstalled at no cost. The reinstall usually takes a few minutes depending on the app's size and your internet speed.
Hiding apps instead of deleting them
If you want to remove an app from your home screen but keep it installed, you can hide it instead of deleting it. Press and hold the app icon, tap Remove App, then tap Remove from Home Screen. The app stays on your phone and takes up the same storage space, but it won't appear on your home screen.
You can still find hidden apps by swiping to your App Library (the last screen when you swipe right from your home screen) or by searching for the app using Spotlight. To search, swipe down from the middle of your home screen and type the app's name.
Hiding is useful when you want to keep an app installed for occasional use but don't want it cluttering your home screen.
Freeing up storage space by deleting apps
Apps take up storage space on your iPhone, and if your phone is nearly full, deleting large apps can help. To see which apps use the most space, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. The list shows each app's size in megabytes or gigabytes.
Games, photo editors, and video apps tend to be the largest. Deleting even one large app can free up several gigabytes of space. If you delete an app and later need it again, you can reinstall it from the App Store in a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete an app and keep its data?
Not on the iPhone itself. When you delete an app, all its data on your phone is removed. However, if the app backed up its data to iCloud or another cloud service before you deleted it, you can restore that data by reinstalling the app and signing in to the same account.
What if I accidentally deleted an important app?
Open the App Store, search for the app by name, and tap the cloud icon to reinstall it. If you bought the app, you won't be charged again. Reinstalling usually takes a few minutes. If the app had backed up data to the cloud, that data will return when you sign in after reinstalling.
Will deleting an app free up storage space?
Yes. Deleting an app removes the app and all its stored data from your phone, freeing up that storage space when ready. You can see how much space each app uses in Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
Can I delete Apple's built-in apps like Mail or Safari?
No. Apple's built-in apps cannot be fully deleted from your iPhone. You can hide them from your home screen by pressing and holding the icon and tapping Remove from Home Screen, but they remain installed on your phone.
Do I need to delete apps to improve my iPhone's speed?
Deleting unused apps won't significantly speed up your iPhone. Removing apps mainly helps if your storage is nearly full, which can slow performance. If your phone feels slow, restarting it or clearing Safari's cache usually helps more than deleting apps.