Deleting Apple apps on iOS 10? There's a catch.
Starting with iOS 10, you can delete Apple's own apps from your iOS device -- but there are some things you need to know.
Gone are the days of creating a junk folder and tucking it away on your last home screen, full of Apple apps you never use. The Apple app graveyard is in the cloud now; no really, it is.
After installing iOS 10, you can delete 23 of the apps Apple preinstalls on every iOS device. Here's the complete list:
Calculator | iCloud Drive | Reminders |
Calendar | Store | Stocks |
Compass | Tips | |
Contacts | Maps | Videos |
FaceTime | Music | Voice Memos |
Find My Friends | News | Watch app |
Home | Notes | Weather |
iBooks | Podcasts |
As you can see, some of those apps offer core functionality to your iOS device. Naturally, that means deleting app like Mail or Calendar could lead to some lost functionality and issues. More on that in a minute, but first let's go over how you can rid yourself of some of the more annoying apps.
Delete an app
If we want to get technical about it, you aren't truly deleting Apple apps from your iOS device. You're actually hiding the icon and deleting all personal information and settings for the app you delete. According to Apple, all of its apps combined only use up 150 MB of storage on your device, so there's no need to fret about freeing up space by deleting Apple apps.
Deleting an app is the same process as any other app: Long-press on the app icon, wait for it to start jiggling, then tap on the X.
Side effects
Right now, Apple doesn't provide a means to set a third-party app as the default app. Meaning, if you were to delete Mail you can't tell iOS 10 to use Outlook or Gmail in its place. That translates into lost functionality when using Siri (e.g., "Siri, send an email" will now prompt you to install Mail). A similar message will show up when you tap on an email address.
However, there are some areas of iOS that will work with third-party apps. After deleting the Calendar app, you can still use Siri to add appointments to your calendar and view entries in apps like Fantastical 2. Despite Siri working, you will still lose out on the ability to tap on a date in an email or text message and view your calendar for possible scheduling conflicts.
Removing an Apple app will naturally remove any associated widgets and Apple Watch apps. Furthermore, removing apps like Podcasts and Music will also remove the app from a car via CarPlay.
Reinstalling an Apple app
To bring a deleted Apple app back to life, open the App Store and search for it. Tap on the download button, then marvel at how quickly the app is restored. Since the app was never truly deleted from your device, tapping the download button simply reactivates it. You will need to go back into the Settings app and adjust the apps' settings to work as you expect. Reinstalling Mail, for example, reset my viewing preferences and signature.
Apple details the new feature in a support document, which can be found here.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on July 14, and has since been updated to reflect the launch of iOS 10.