The two ways to remove an app from your iPhone
You can delete an app in two ways: by holding down its icon on your home screen and choosing delete, or by going into Settings and removing it from there. Both methods completely remove the app and its data from your phone. The home screen method is faster if you can see the app; the Settings method works if you've buried the app in a folder or can't remember where it is.
Deleting an app does not delete your account with that service. If you delete Instagram, your Instagram account still exists — you're just removing the app from your phone. You can reinstall it later and log back in with the same username and password.
Key Takeaways
- Hold the app icon on your home screen until a menu appears, then tap "Remove App" and confirm you want to delete it.
- You can also go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage, find the app, and tap "Delete App."
- Deleting an app removes it from your phone but does not delete your account or data stored on the company's servers.
- Some built-in Apple apps like Mail and Safari cannot be fully deleted, but you can hide them from your home screen.
Deleting an app from your home screen
Find the app you want to remove on your home screen. Press and hold the app icon until a menu pops up with several options. You'll see "Remove App" near the bottom of that menu — tap it.
A second menu will appear asking you to confirm. You have two choices: "Remove from Home Screen" (which hides the app but keeps it installed) or "Delete App" (which removes it completely). Tap "Delete App" if you want it gone entirely. You'll be asked one more time to confirm — tap "Delete" in the red box that appears.
The app is now removed from your iPhone. If you change your mind later, you can reinstall it from the App Store for free.
Deleting an app through Settings
Open the Settings app and tap "General." Scroll down and tap "iPhone Storage." You'll see a list of all your apps sorted by size, with the largest ones at the top.
Find the app you want to delete and tap its name. A details screen will appear showing how much space it uses. Tap the red "Delete App" button. Confirm by tapping "Delete" in the red box.
This method is useful if you have many apps and want to see which ones are taking up the most space on your phone. You can delete the largest ones first if you need to free up storage quickly.
What happens to your data when you delete an app
When you delete an app, your phone removes the app itself and any data it stored locally — things like cached photos, downloaded files, or temporary information the app kept on your device. This data is gone.
However, anything stored on the company's servers remains. If you delete Gmail, your emails are still in your Gmail account. If you delete a banking app, your transaction history is still on the bank's servers. When you reinstall the app and log back in, you'll see all your old information.
Some apps ask for permission to store photos, contacts, or location data on your phone. Deleting the app does not automatically delete those permissions — you may need to go to Settings and manually revoke them if you don't want the app to have access anymore.
Apps you cannot fully delete
Apple's built-in apps — Mail, Safari, Maps, Stocks, Reminders, Notes, and a few others — cannot be completely removed from your iPhone. If you try to delete one, you'll see "Remove from Home Screen" as your only option.
You can hide these apps so they don't clutter your home screen. Choose "Remove from Home Screen" instead of "Delete App," and the icon will disappear. The app is still on your phone and will still receive updates, but you won't see it unless you search for it or look in the App Library.
Freeing up space by deleting apps
Apps are often the largest things taking up space on your phone. Deleting even a few large apps can free up several gigabytes. Games, social media apps, and video streaming apps tend to be the biggest offenders.
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see exactly how much space each app uses. The list shows apps in order from largest to smallest. If your phone is running low on storage, deleting the top five apps on that list can often free up enough space to make your phone run faster.
Keep in mind that deleting an app and then reinstalling it later will download it fresh from the App Store, so you're not permanently losing anything — you're just removing it from your phone right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting an app delete my account?
No. Deleting the app removes it from your phone, but your account with that service remains active on their servers. When you reinstall the app, you can log back in with your username and password and access everything you had before.
Can I delete an app and then get it back?
Yes. You can reinstall any app you've deleted by opening the App Store, searching for it by name, and tapping the download button. If the app costs money, you won't be charged again — the App Store remembers that you've already purchased it.
What's the difference between "Remove from Home Screen" and "Delete App"?
Removing from the home screen hides the app but leaves it installed on your phone. Deleting the app removes it completely. You can still find a removed-from-home-screen app by searching for it or looking in the App Library, but a deleted app is gone until you reinstall it.
Does deleting an app free up storage space?
Yes, significantly. Apps can take up hundreds of megabytes or several gigabytes of space. Deleting large apps like games or video streaming services is one of the fastest ways to free up storage if your phone is running low.
Can I delete built-in Apple apps like Mail or Safari?
No, you cannot fully delete them. You can only remove them from your home screen. They'll stay on your phone and continue to receive updates, but you won't see them unless you search for them or look in the App Library.