You can't delete an app from the App Store itself, but you can remove it from your phone and stop it from reinstalling

The App Store (on iPhone) and Google Play (on Android) are the places where you read apps, not where they live once you install them. When you delete an app from your phone, it disappears from that device — but your account still remembers you downloaded it. If you want to erase the record that you ever got it, or prevent it from automatically reinstalling on a new phone, you need to hide it from your read history instead.

The steps are different depending on whether you use Apple or Android, and whether you want to just remove the app from one phone or hide it from your entire account history.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleting an app from your phone does not remove it from your App Store or Google Play account history.
  • On iPhone, you can hide an app from your account so it will not reinstall automatically on new devices.
  • On Android, removing an app from your phone is separate from hiding it in your Google Play library.
  • Hiding an app from your account history takes about one minute and requires no special permissions.

How to remove an app from your iPhone

On an iPhone, press and hold the app icon on your home screen until a menu appears. Tap "Remove App," then choose "Remove from Home Screen" if you want to keep it installed but hidden, or "Delete App" if you want to remove it entirely. If you choose "Delete App," the phone will ask you to confirm — tap "Delete" again.

After you delete it, the app is gone from your phone, but your Apple account still has a record that you downloaded it. This means if you set up a new iPhone and restore from your backup, the app may reinstall automatically. To prevent that, you need to hide it from your account.

How to remove an app from your Android phone

On an Android phone, press and hold the app icon until a menu appears. Look for "Uninstall" or "Remove" and tap it. The phone will ask you to confirm — tap "Uninstall" again. Some apps that came with your phone (like Gmail or Maps) cannot be uninstalled, only disabled; if you see "Disable" instead of "Uninstall," that app is built into your device.

Like iPhone, removing an app from your Android phone does not remove it from your Google Play account history. If you sign into Google Play on a new Android phone, the app will still appear in your library.

How to hide an app from your account history on iPhone

Open the App Store app and tap the profile icon in the top right corner. Tap "Purchased" (or "Purchased" under your name if you see it). You will see a list of every app you have ever downloaded on any iPhone with this Apple ID. Find the app you want to hide, swipe left on it, and tap the trash or hide icon that appears.

Once you hide an app, it will not show up in your purchase history and will not reinstall on new devices. If you change your mind later, you can unhide it by going back to the same screen, tapping "Hidden Purchases" at the bottom, finding the app, and swiping left to unhide it.

How to hide an app from your account history on Android

Open Google Play and tap your profile icon in the top right. Tap "Manage apps & device," then go to the "Manage" tab. Find the app you want to hide, tap it, and look for a menu icon (three dots) in the top right of the app's details page. Tap it and select "Hide from Play Store" or "Remove from library" — the exact wording varies by Android version.

After you hide an app, it will not appear in your library on new Android devices. You can unhide it later by searching for the app name in Google Play, opening its page, and tapping the menu icon to select "Show in library" or "Unhide."

Why you might want to hide an app instead of just deleting it

If you delete an app but do not hide it, your phone's backup system may reinstall it automatically when you set up a new device. This is useful if you delete something by accident and want to get it back quickly, but annoying if you deleted it on purpose and do not want it cluttering your new phone.

Hiding an app also removes it from your account's visible history, which matters if you share your account with family members or if you straightforward do not want a record of downloading something. Hiding is not the same as deleting your data from the app — if the app stored photos, messages, or other files, hiding the app does not erase those.

What happens to your data when you delete an app

Deleting an app from your phone usually removes the app itself, but not the data it created. Photos you took in a camera app, notes you wrote in a notes app, or files you downloaded may still be on your phone in a folder. Some apps store data in the cloud (on the company's servers) instead of on your phone, and that data stays there even after you delete the app.

If you want to erase everything the app created, you may need to delete those files separately, or log into the app's website and delete your account there. Check the app's settings or help page to see where your data is stored.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I hide an app, can I read it again later?

Yes. Search for the app by name in the App Store or Google Play, open its page, and read it again. Hiding just removes it from your library and stops automatic reinstalls — it does not prevent you from getting it back.

Will deleting an app delete my account with that company?

No. Deleting the app only removes the software from your phone. Your account with the company (if you have one) stays active. You can still log in on the web or read the app again later and sign back in.

Can I hide an app on someone else's phone?

No. Hiding an app affects only your own account. If you share a phone with someone else or use a family account, each person can hide apps from their own library independently.

What if an app won't delete?

Some apps that came with your phone cannot be deleted, only disabled. On iPhone, you may need to go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and delete it from there. On Android, go to Settings > Apps, find the app, and tap "Uninstall" or "Disable."