How to Delete Apps on an Android Phone

This article provides step-by-step instructions for three ways to delete apps from your Android smartphone, including how to delete pre-installed apps.

How Do I Get Rid of Apps I Don't Want? 

There are multiple ways to delete apps that you don't want from your Android smartphone. Here are two of the easiest.

How to Delete Android Apps

1. From the homescreen of your phone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to show your list of apps.

2. Tap and hold the app you want to delete until a menu pops out from it.

3. In the pop-out menu, tap Uninstall.

   In some versions of Android, like Android 12 on Pixel, you have to drag the app to see the Uninstall option, and when you see it, drag the icon into that box at the top.

4. A pop-up window makes sure you understand what's going to happen. To continue with deleting the app, tap OK.

5. A message tells you the app has been uninstalled and it is now removed from your Android phone.

How to Delete Android Apps From Settings

This option is particularly good if you're trying to free up storage space, since it lets you see which apps take up a lot of space.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps.

2. Tap the app you want to delete.

3. Tap Uninstall.

   Some apps don't show an Uninstall button on this screen. To learn how to delete these pre-installed apps, check out the next section.

4. In the pop-menu, tap OK. In just a moment, the app you selected will be deleted from your Android.

How Do I Uninstall Preinstalled Apps in Android?

Android phones come with a lot of pre-installed apps, and uninstalling these often requires a different set of steps. To uninstall preinstalled apps, follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Play Store app and tap on your profile icon in the top right corner.

2. Tap Manage Apps & Device.

3. Tap Manage.

4. Tap the check box next to each app you want to delete.

5. Tap the trash can icon at the top right of the screen.

6. In the pop-up menu, tap Uninstall.

7. Technically, this won't totally remove the pre-installed app from your phone. The icon will still appear in this list. However, this does remove all updates you've installed to the app and frees up all storage used by the app.

Why Can't I Delete Apps on My Android?

In some cases, you may find you're not able to delete the apps you want to remove. If you're facing that situation, here are some of the causes:

• App is system or pre-installed: Some apps can't be deleted, either because they're essential to the operation of the phone or because the phone's maker or phone company has blocked deleting them.
• Deletion is blocked by an admin: If you get your phone from work or a parent, it could be configured to only allow someone with an administrator password to delete some or all apps.
• There's a bug: It's possible that you're experiencing some kind of bug preventing app deletion. If so, try restarting your Android and, if that doesn't work, installing any available OS updates.