How to Delete Apps on an iPad

This article explains the different ways to delete apps from an iPad running iPadOS 14 and up: From the home screen, from the General pane inside Settings, and from the App Store app. (The basic concepts should work for earlier versions of iPadOS too.)

How to Delete Apps on an iPad from the Home Screen

Deleting apps you no longer use is a quick way to neaten up your home screen. The simplest way to delete apps on an iPad is right from the home screen. Here's what to do:

1. Tap and hold on the app you want to delete.

   

2. In the menu that pops out of the app, tap Delete App.

   

3. In the pop-up window, tap Delete.

   

   This process will delete the app and all of its associated data from your iPad. However, any app data in iCloud will remain. If you reinstall the app later, you may be able to access that data from iCloud.

In step 2, you can also tap Edit Home Screen. The menu will disappear, and then all apps will start to shake. Tap the X on a shaking app to delete it.

How to Remove Apps from an iPad Using the Settings App

While removing apps from the iPad home screen is the quickest option, if you're looking specifically to free up storage space, you may prefer to remove apps from the Settings app. Here's how:

1. Tap Settings.

   

2. Tap General.

   

3. Tap iPad Storage.

4. The app section lists every app installed on your iPad and how much storage space it takes up. If you want to free up storage, this is the best view to use, since you can easily find and delete storage-hogging apps.

   When you find an app you want to delete, tap it.

5. Tap Delete App.

   

6. In the pop-up, tap Delete App again to remove the app from your iPad.

   

How to Uninstall Apps on an iPad Using the App Store App

Looking for another option to uninstall apps from your iPad? You can do it from the App Store app, too, by following these steps:

1. Tap the App Store app.

   

2. Tap your icon or photo in the top right corner to open the account pop-up.

   

3. In the Available Updates section, swipe right to left across the app you want to delete to reveal the Delete button.

   

4. Tap Delete.

5. In the pop-up, tap Delete to uninstall the app.

   

How to Delete Pre-Installed Apps on an iPad

The iPad comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps from Apple. These apps range from useful (Photo Booth, Clips) to essential (Safari, Mail). But if you don't want them, you can delete many of these apps. The pre-installed iPad apps that users can delete are:

You can delete all of these apps from your iPad using any of the earlier steps from this article.

If you delete a pre-installed app and want it back, you can re-download it from the App Store.