How To Delete Apps From Your iPhone—Including the Record of Apps You *Thought* Were Removed

You may think that a good cleaning spree is more beneficial for the physical aspects of your life; however, there are other areas that could use a once (or twice!) over that will help you feel more organized and less cluttered. One of these involves something that everyone has on them, at all times—their phone! We're talking about how to delete apps from your iPhone.

Smartphones are useful to us in so many ways, but it is a good idea to de-clutter them in order to keep them functioning in the most optimal way possible. After all, you wouldn't want to miss out on saving important information because you ran out of storage, would you? 

If you've already begun your journey of cleaning up apps on your iPhone or iPad but have questions on whether or not you did it correctly (or are wondering why you even started this task in the first place), we have the answers you're looking for. You won't regret getting rid of all things old in order to free up space or add something new! Continue reading to find out exactly how to delete apps from your phone.

Why Permanently Delete an App?

Just like anything else in life, it's a good idea to evaluate what you have stored in places that don't get used very often. As daunting as it may be, that hall closet needs to be looked over and gone through to get rid of anything that isn't being used anymore.

The same exact thing can be said for your cell phone. Unused apps and data take up space and can slow the processing speed if things get too backed up. With all the advancements made in technology these days, nothing is more frustrating than staring at a loading screen. 

Permanently deleting apps from your phone will not only clear up space on your home screen but can also free up much-needed storage space. If you're unsure how to delete apps once and for all (or want to make sure you're doing it correctly), we've got you covered.

Related: 50 Best Decluttering Tips 

Does Deleting an App Delete Everything?

If you delete an app from your phone, you may not lose the data stored within that app. Your phone will no longer hold any of that information, but the server that backs up the app will. No need to worry if you accidentally delete the wrong app! All you have to do is search for it in your app store and reinstall it (which usually shows up as a cloud download since you've had it before). Afterward, all your data should still be accessible within that app.

Related: Is Your iPhone Showing an Orange Dot? 

How To Delete Apps on iPhone

There are several different ways to delete an app. One of the most common ways is to click and hold down the app you want to delete. A list of options pops up, including "Remove App," "Share App" or "Edit Home Screen."

After selecting "Remove App," another set of options is given: "Delete App," "Remove from Home Screen" or "Cancel."

If you only wish to remove the app from your home screen, select that option, and the app will still be stored in the App Library. If you want to completely delete it, select "Delete App" and it will be removed from your phone—including from the Library.

Related: How to Cancel All of Your Subscriptions in One Fell Swoop

Deleting From Your Apple Account

Maybe you've already removed an app, but when you go into your Account from the App Store (by clicking on your photo/icon in the top right corner) and click on "Purchased," you can see ALL of the apps that you've downloaded.

In this section, you'll see all the apps you've ever downloaded, past and present.

So, if you want to remove any trace of an app from your phone, this is where you'll want to go.

Swiping the app to the side will reveal a "Hide" option. Clicking on it will remove that specific app record from your Apple account.

Related: What Is a 'Smart Plug' and What Are the Best Ones to Buy?

Deleting From Your App Library

If you'd like to take a shortcut, you can delete apps straight from your App Library. To do so, swipe your home screen over to the right as far as you can go—this will display every app on your phone in categories.

From here, you can use the same method as above. Click and hold on an app that you want to delete and an options list will display:

After selecting "Delete App," you will be asked if you are sure you want to delete this app. At this point, you can either cancel your request or delete the app.

Related: Saying Goodbye to Social Media—Here's Exactly How To Delete an Instagram Account

Deleting From Settings

Open up your phone's Settings and click on "General." Then, scroll down to "iPhone Storage." From there, scroll down until you see apps listed, along with how much room they take up on your phone.

Once you've made your app selection, you'll be taken to a screen where you can delete the app. This is a great way to delete apps that take up way too much room on your phone (especially if you hardly use them).

How To Delete Apps From iCloud

First, open Settings and tap on your name.

Then, select "iCloud."

Under the "Apps Using iCloud list," select "Show All."

Once there, find the app you wish to delete. By tapping the toggle selection to the right, an option to "Delete from My iPhone" pops up. This allows you to remove all data from your phone.

Can You Delete Preinstalled Apps on an iPhone?

Yes, you can! It is worth noting, however, that doing so can impact other aspects of your device or devices. For example:

• If you have an Apple Watch paired with your iPhone and you delete an app from your phone, it will also remove that app from your watch home screen.

• By deleting Podcasts from your phone, you will no longer be able to access them through CarPlay.

• If you choose to delete the Stocks or Weather apps, they will no longer be available elsewhere—such as in the Notification Center on your phone or Glances on your watch.

• The Calculator app will no longer be a part of your Control Center if you choose to delete it.

Related: An Apple Watch That Can Help Track Reproductive Health

How To Delete Preinstalled Apps on iPhone

The process is the same for other apps—simply tap and hold the one you'd like to delete, and a list of options will display. For the Calculator app, for example, those options are "Copy Last Result," "Edit Home Screen" or "Remove App."

By selecting "Remove App," another option list comes up with: "Delete App," "Remove from Home Screen" or "Cancel." Select "Delete App" to permanently remove it from your device or "Remove from Home Screen" if you'd like for it to be a part of your Control Center, but not take up space on your home screen.

How to Offload Unused Apps

You can go through your settings to automatically offload any unused apps that you may have forgotten about. Once you've opened Settings, select the "App Store."

Scroll down until you see the option to toggle "Offload Unused Apps" on or off.

By toggling this option on, any apps that you haven't used in a while will automatically be removed from your phone. Not to worry, though! If you wish to reinstall any offloaded app, your information will still be stored within that app in the App Store.

Related: How to Unsend Messages on iPhone

Can Uninstalled Apps Still Track You?

Deleted apps can no longer follow or detect your location. However, app developers can engage in something called "tagging," which allows them to see things like the last WiFi network a phone used or apps that were on the device at one point. 

In order to stop or turn off tracking, open Settings and select "Privacy & Security."

Next, select "Tracking."

There is a toggle option at the top of the screen that will allow you to turn off the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" function. There are also individual toggle selections for each app.

When you toggle the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" function off, an options list displays: "Allow Apps to Continue Tracking," "Ask Apps to Stop Tracking" or "Cancel." This will help you keep tracking enabled on the apps you want it on, or turn it off for the others.

Next Up: Here's Why iPhone Users' Text Messages Are Sometimes Green