How to delete and restore iOS’ built-in apps on iPhone

While iOS 10 brought the ability to more or less hide iOS’ built-in apps, you can actually delete them with iOS 11. Follow along below for how to delete and restore the default apps on iPhone.

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Deleting the default iPhone apps is as easy as you’d expect, it’s just like deleting third-party apps. However, keep in mind, you can’t delete all of the default iOS apps. You’ll quickly be able to tell as those you can’t delete won’t show a  in the top left corner once in wiggle mode.

Keep in mind, deleting the built-in apps doesn’t really free up any meaningful space on your device. You’ll be better off checking out some of these options if that’s your goal. Removing built-in apps is more for organizational and personal preferences.

For how to restore a built-in iOS app that you’ve already deleted, skip below.

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How to delete and restore Apple’s built-in apps on iPhone

1. Tap and hold an Apple app that you’d like to delete
2. When the apps begin wiggling, let go and tap on the   in the corner of the app you’d like to delete
3. Confirm you’d really like to go through with it by tapping Delete

How to restore Apple’s built-in apps on iPhone

1. Launch the App Store
2. Tap Search in the bottom right hand corner
3. Type the default app name exactly as Apple spells it  (i.e. compass) and look for the apps without any ratings. Watch out for any ads that may appear at the top of your search results
4. Tap the  icon to restore the app

Here’s how the process will look:

To see a full list of the built-in apps that you can delete and for more information on more unique scenarios and questions, check out the Apple Support page here.

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For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:

• How to protect your iPhone data with privacy controls built in to iOS 11
• How to deactivate/delete your Facebook account or change privacy settings on iPhone
• How to compose 2:1 video in Final Cut Pro X that’s better formatted for today’s smartphones [Video]
• How to wirelessly charge your AirPods case for about $10 in 3 easy steps
• How to find a lost iPhone even when it’s set to vibrate/silent
• How to check your iPhone’s warranty & repair coverage

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