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PSA: As you’d expect, iOS 10 doesn’t really delete stock apps, it just hides them

One of the small but often-requested changes introduced in iOS 10 is that you can, finally, hide stock apps. The wording is important, because Apple’s own wording is somewhat misleading.

When you ‘delete’ a stock app, iOS asks you if you want to ‘remove’ the app. And Apple’s own support page for the feature also uses the same word.

The reality, though, is somewhat different, as Apple SVP Craig Federighi confirmed on John Gruber’s podcast. All you are actually doing is deleting the user data associated with the app, and hiding the icon from view. The actual binary remains on your device.

That may not actually matter much, though, as Apple’s support page points out.

The apps built into iOS are designed to be very space efficient, so all of them together use less than 150MB.

The complete list of stock apps that can be hidden is shown below.

  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Compass
  • Contacts1
  • FaceTime
  • Find My Friends 
  • Home
  • iBooks 
  • iCloud Drive
  • iTunes Store
  • Mail
  • Maps
  • Music
  • News
  • Notes
  • Podcasts
  • Reminders 
  • Stocks
  • Tips
  • Videos
  • Voice Memos
  • Watch app
  • Weather 

Via TechCrunch

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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