You’ve downloaded an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad App from the App Store, and have now discovered you don’t really want or need that App. This tutorial will show you how to delete it from your iPhone, iPod Touch and/or iPad.
- On your Home screen, locate the App you want to delete. For this example, I’ll use WeatherBug.
- Tap and hold down the icon of the App you want to uninstall. After a few seconds your screen will start to “wiggle” and an X will appear next to each of the Apps you’ve installed via the App Store.
- Note: if the X doesn’t appear at all, skip down to step #7 below.
- Tap the X next to the icon of the App you want to remove. When prompted, select Delete.
- And now it’s gone.
- If the application is listed in your iTunes Applications as well, you’ll want to remove it from there – or else it will re-install the next time you sync. Alternately you can keep the app in your iTunes Applications, and set iTunes not to sync all applications, just the ones you want to keep. See the Applications tab of your device the next time it’s connected in iTunes for syncing options.
- You cannot delete certain apps – generally the ones that come pre-loaded on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad – such as Stocks, Maps, Safari etc. You can use this tutorial to “move” them to another screen (perhaps the ‘last’ one) so that you don’t have to see them and/or make room for the Apps you use more frequently.
- If you don’t see an X mark at all, on any of your Apps – you’ll need to enable an existing Restriction before you can uninstall Apps. Start out by tapping the Settings button from your Home screen.
- Scroll down to the General tab and select it.
- Now scroll to Restrictions and select that.
- When prompted, enter your 4 digit PIN code. If you don’t know your 4 digit PIN code – start guessing. Ask a family member who may have set it up for you. If you can’t determine the 4 digit PIN code, you will not be able to make any changes.
- Scroll down to the Allow: section of the Disable Restrictions screen. Look for the entry titled Deleting Apps. Slide the button next to it from OFF to ON.
- Double-check to make sure the Deleting Apps entry is set to ON.
- Now jump back to step #2 and you should have no problem uninstalling Apps from your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
NOTE: if you’d like to disable the ability for Apps to be installed at all on an iPhone, see this tutorial on how to stop Apps from being installed on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. This can be particularly useful for parents who want to be able to control which Apps are installed on their child’s iDevice.
This helps somewhat, I am having an issue that I cannot delete an app form my iPhone or iPad or computer unless I manually delete the app on all three places, so much for syncing. What is Apple thinking of, when I delete an app from one place I want it deleted from ALL locations. I understand security and for those people that delete on accident, but thats what backup is for. So I have it right, if I want to delete an app I need to go to all three devices; phone, pad, and computer and delete them. WOW and they say Blackberry was backward, and old school.
Thank youu so much! i knew it wiggled but just forgot how to make it
omg this so helpful!!!!! thank you!!
thx this rocks!!! i love christanbeker hehehebe
I’ve deleted apps but…they still show up if I go to Updates…purchased…and there they are. They have the icloud icon next to them but why are they still showing up? Thank you for help.
Is there anyway to delete apps off iPhone without deleting on iPad? I shared the apps from my phone to my iPad now I want to free up space on phone is there a way?
I really think Apple needs to give the option to remove apps that come pre-installed on the iPod, from the iPod, but have the app non-removable from iTunes. This will simple mean if you don’t want an app on your iPod, you can just skip over it when you are syncing apps to your iPod, but it will always be on iTunes when you need it. Apple could even restrict deleting these apps to when you are connected to iTunes. I know it isn’t a huge deal, its just something that bothers me, and many of the people I know that own an iPod touch or an iPhone.
It’s amazing what you can find with a simple Google search. Your instructions are very well written and I was able to free up some much-needed space on my iPhone. Thanks so much!
Deleted non working satnav with intentions of reinstalling..was unable to due to lack of space, so deleted 3 other apps and now have plenty of space. Still unable to install and getting same message..what am I doing wrong?
Thank you so very much. I had no idea how to do it and it was eating at me for weeks now. You’re a lifesaver.
This was so helpful. I use an apple lapto but this is my first iPod so thank you for this simple tutorial. Very well written
Omg this rocks except I have now forgotten my restriction password!!!!!
I wish there was a way to delete the iPod apps already on!!!!!!!!!’
thank you , thank you!!!!!!
Thank-you ever so much this was so simple grascias senior
Not helpful at all cause I dont know my 4 digit code
thank you. Excellent instructions. I read a few other websites and didn’t know about the “Restrictions.” Your advice saved me!
I know my restriction code but i still cannot remove apps because theres not an actual icon so when i hold down on the screen it wiggles but no x appear…. Please help how do i remove??????
I don’t know my 4 digit password though!
I have an app that is waiting but when I hold to delete it doesn’t have an x and it won’t let me update any other apps……what do I do???