How to delete iPhone apps

It’s all well and good getting excited about the latest iPhone app and downloading it to your device, but when the novelty has worn off, it’s not obvious to know how to get rid of it. 

Whether you’re trying to make space on your iPhone, tidy up your home screen, spend less time on Instagram, or have security concerns, this guide will show you how to delete unwanted iPhone apps, whatever version of the iPhone iOS you are currently on. 

Read on to find out how to properly, finally, for once and for all, delete your iPhone apps. 

How to delete iPhone apps on devices running iOS 13 and older 

Deleting iPhone apps on older devices is very straightforward. While on the home screen which contains the app you want to be deleted, press and hold (“long press”) on any app until they begin to jiggle. Once they start to move in what Apple calls “jiggle mode,” any third-party apps you have downloaded will then have an “X” appear at the top left of the app icon. 

Tap the “X” on the app you want gone to start the deletion process, then tap on “Delete” in the pop-up confirmation window that appears. 

How to delete an iPhone app on iOS 14 devices 

The deletion process changes for anyone with a more up-to-date device running iOS 14. This is because this version of the iPhone operating system introduced the new App Library. This is like a folder that all your apps are stored in. 

Within the App Library your apps are sorted into categories automatically. So, your social media apps will all be put into a “Social” subcategory. With iOS 14, when you install new apps, they’ll be added to your App Library. You can access your App Library by swiping left from your home screen. 

How to delete an iPhone app from your iPhone’s home screen 

With an iOS 14 device, you can delete apps from your home screen by tapping and holding, or doing a “long press” on the app you would like to delete. This will bring up further options. These options differ for different apps. For example, if you press and hold an email app, you’ll see a shortcut to create a new email. 

For basic apps, you’ll see just two main choices — the option to share the app, and the option to “Remove app.” Tap this to remove it from your home screen. 

All this process has done however, is to stop the app icon from appearing in your live apps on your iPhone’s homescreen. If you want to delete the app entirely from your iPhone, you need to head to your App Library. 

How to delete an iPhone app from your App Library 

From your home screen, swipe left until you see the App Library. 

Tap the search field that appears at the top of your screen and start typing the name of the app you’d like to delete. 

When the app appears in your search results do a long press on the app’s icon. This will generate a pop-up window giving you the option to delete the app. Tap to delete. 

You then have one final pop-up window to confirm that you would like to delete the app. 

Tap one last time to confirm your decision and you’re done!