The fastest way to delete an app
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 it in your App Library, or Delete App if you want to remove it entirely. Confirm by tapping Delete when prompted.
That's the method most people use because it's the quickest. The app disappears immediately, and if you chose to delete it completely, all its data goes with it. If you only removed it from your home screen, you can still find it later in your App Library — the folder at the end of your home screens — and reinstall it without losing anything.
The other method, through Settings, takes longer but gives you more control over what happens to your data. Both work equally well; pick whichever feels natural to you.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold an app icon, tap Remove App, then choose whether to remove it from your home screen only or delete it entirely.
- Removing an app from your home screen keeps it in your App Library so you can reinstall it later without losing data.
- Deleting an app completely removes it and all its stored data from your iPhone.
- You can also delete apps through Settings by going to General, then iPhone Storage, selecting the app, and tapping Delete App.
Removing an app from your home screen versus deleting it completely
When you press and hold an app and choose Remove App, you get two options. Remove from Home Screen hides the app from your main screens but keeps it installed on your phone. You'll find it in your App Library, and you can drag it back to your home screen anytime without losing any of its data — your saved passwords, game progress, or account information all stay intact.
Delete App removes the app and everything associated with it. Your login information, saved files, game progress, and any data the app stored on your phone disappears. You can reinstall the app later from the App Store, but you'll start fresh. This is useful when you're done with an app and want to free up storage space, or when you want to remove something you don't plan to use again.
Most people remove apps from their home screen rather than delete them entirely, because it keeps the option open to use them later without losing anything. Delete completely only when you're certain you won't need the app again, or when you want to reclaim storage space.
Using Settings to delete an app
Open Settings, then 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 remove and tap it.
On the app's detail screen, tap Delete App. A confirmation message appears asking if you're sure. Tap Delete to confirm. The app and all its data are removed from your phone.
This method is slower than pressing and holding, but it's useful if you want to see how much storage each app takes up before deciding what to delete. If you're running low on storage space, this view shows you exactly which apps are using the most room, so you can prioritize what to remove.
What happens to your data when you delete an app
When you delete an app completely, your iPhone removes the app itself and any files it created while you were using it. This includes login credentials the app saved, messages or notes within the app, game progress, photos or videos stored in the app, and any settings you customized. The data is gone unless you backed it up separately.
Some apps store information in iCloud rather than on your phone — for example, Notes and Reminders sync to iCloud automatically. If you delete those apps, your data stays in iCloud and reappears if you reinstall them. But most third-party apps (games, social media, messaging apps) store their data only on your phone, so deleting them means losing that data permanently.
If you're unsure whether an app backs up to iCloud, the safest approach is to remove it from your home screen first rather than delete it completely. That way you can check whether your data is still there if you reinstall it later.
Freeing up storage space by deleting apps
Apps take up varying amounts of storage depending on what they do. A simple note-taking app might use 5 to 10 megabytes, while a game or photo editor can use 500 megabytes to several gigabytes. If your iPhone is running low on storage, deleting large apps is one way to reclaim space quickly.
To see which apps are using the most space, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. The list shows each app's size. Apps at the top are using the most storage. Deleting even one large app can free up several gigabytes if you're running out of room.
Keep in mind that deleting an app removes only the app itself and its stored data — it doesn't delete photos or videos you took with your camera, or files you saved to iCloud. If you need more storage, you may also want to delete old photos, videos, or large email attachments, which often take up more space than apps.
Reinstalling an app you deleted
If you deleted an app and later want it back, open the App Store and search for the app by name. Tap the cloud icon with a down arrow (or the Get button if it's a new download). Your phone downloads and installs the app again.
When you reinstall an app, you're starting fresh with its data. Any saved passwords, game progress, or files you had before are gone unless the app syncs to an online account. If the app has a login (like Instagram or Gmail), you'll need to sign in again. If it's a game with cloud saves, your progress might be there if you log into the same account you used before.
If you only removed an app from your home screen rather than deleting it, you don't need to reinstall it. Just open your App Library (swipe to the last home screen page), find the app, and tap it to open it or press and hold it to drag it back to your home screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete built-in Apple apps like Mail or Calendar?
You can remove most built-in apps from your home screen, and they'll disappear from view. However, you cannot completely delete them from your iPhone — they're part of the operating system. If you remove one and later want it back, find it in your App Library and tap it to reinstall it to your home screen.
Will deleting an app free up a lot of storage space?
It depends on the app's size. Large games or photo editors can free up several gigabytes. Smaller apps like calculators or simple utilities might only free up a few hundred megabytes. Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see which apps are using the most space before you decide what to delete.
What if I accidentally deleted an app I need?
Open the App Store, search for the app by name, and tap the cloud icon to reinstall it. You'll need to sign in again and set it up from scratch unless the app backs up to an online account. If you removed it from your home screen instead of deleting it completely, find it in your App Library and tap it to use it again.
Does deleting an app delete my photos or messages?
Only if those photos or messages were stored inside the app itself. Photos you took with your Camera app stay in Photos even if you delete other apps. Messages in the Messages app stay there. But photos or messages saved only within a third-party app (like a messaging game or photo editor) will be deleted along with the app.
Can I delete multiple apps at once?
You can remove them one at a time using the press-and-hold method, but there's no built-in way to select and delete several apps simultaneously. If you want to delete many apps, the fastest approach is to go through Settings > General > iPhone Storage and delete them from that list, since you can do it without switching between home screens.