Deleting unnecessary apps from your iPhone is recommended. It keeps your iPhone decluttered and also frees up some precious storage space. But what if iPhone apps won’t delete?
In case you want to delete a certain app from your iPhone, but can’t do so, keep reading this article for an explanation of your situation and potential troubleshooting methods.
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What to do if you can’t delete apps on your iPhone
Probably the main reason you can’t delete apps from your iPhone is because of the content restrictions that prevent you from doing so. Disabling these restrictions will allow you to delete apps again without any problems. Even tho I’m almost positive content restrictions are the main reason, I’ll list a few more generic workarounds just in case, so you’ll have more options to work with.
1. Check the restrictions
You can severely limit the whole experience of using iOS with content restrictions. These settings determine what type of content you can access, limit your time in specific apps, but they also control what you can do with said apps. One of the options inside the content restrictions settings can prevent you from deleting apps and completing in-app purchases.
According to the forums, having this option enabled is the number one reason users can’t delete apps from their iPhones. And I firmly believe that’s the case with you, as well. So, we’re going to disable this restriction, which will allow you to delete apps once again. Here’s what you need to do:
- Go to Settings.
- Head over to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases > Deleting Apps.
- Choose Allow.
Once you allow deleting apps on your iPhone, go on and delete the app you want. You’ll probably be more successful this time.
2. Restart iPhone
Sometimes, a simple restart could solve a lot of problems. I guess that’s why it’s been the most common troubleshooting method for just about anything tech-related for decades. Because of that, it may be helpful in this case, as well.
To restart your iPhone, press and hold the Side button + the Volume Down button at the same time, until the Power off slider appears. Just drag the slider to the right, and your iPhone will power off. Turn on your iPhone again, and check if you’re now able to delete apps.
3. Update iOS
iOS updates are usually good for your iPhone. They bring new features and improve the overall stability and security of the system. But some iOS updates also tend to cause a problem or two. That’s why it’s recommended to always keep your iPhone up to date. Because if a certain issue was caused in the previous iOS version, there’s a good chance the developers will fix it in the next release.
To be fair, I still haven’t heard of a bug inside an iOS update that prevents you from deleting iOS apps, but you never know. Maybe some future updates will actually cause this problem, so it’s always good to be aware.
To check for updates, head over to Settings > General > Software Update. If the new update is available, install it and see if the problem persists.
4. Sign in and out of iCloud
And the last thing we’re going to try is signing out of your iCloud account and signing back in. Here’s how to do that:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap your name, and go to Sign out.
- Type your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
- A window asking you which data you want to copy from your iCloud account to your phone. keep in mind that this might delete some data from your phone, so you’ll want to carefully read the instructions on this page.
- Once you’ve decided what you want to keep, tap Sign Out.
- Now that you’re signed out, head back to Settings, and go Sign in to your iPhone.
- Enter your credentials, tap Next, enter your passcode, and you’re back in.
That’s about it. I hope these solutions helped you get rid of the unwanted apps and free up some storage space on your iPhone. In case you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, let us know in the comments below.
