How to Delete Apps on Android Phones or Tablets

This article explains how to uninstall apps you don't use anymore for all versions of Android 4.1 and later. As of 2021, most phones run Android 10 or higher.

Uninstall Android Apps from the App Drawer or Using Settings

There are two ways to uninstall a downloaded app on your Android phone or tablet: the Settings app or the app drawer. We detail both methods below.

From the App Drawer

Here's how to uninstall from the app drawer:

1. In the app drawer, long-press the app you want to delete.

2. Drag the icon to the upper-right corner of the screen where the word Uninstall appears. Release your finger.

3. Confirm that you want to uninstall the app.

In Settings

It's possible to uninstall an app using the Android settings rather than the app drawer. Here's how:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select Apps & Notifications > See all X apps (the X is the number of apps currently installed on the device).

3. Select the app you wish to uninstall.

4. Select Uninstall.

5. Confirm you want to uninstall the app.

On Old Android Versions

The steps to delete or uninstall an app on pre-4.0 versions of Android are similarly simple. There may be some variation among phone brands and Android versions, but this method works on most Android devices.

1. Tap Menu (hard or soft button).

2. Select Settings, then choose Applications > Manage applications.

3. Tap the app you want to delete.

4. Tap Uninstall to remove the app from your device. If there's no uninstall button, it's a system app, and you can't delete it.

On Some Samsung Devices

If the previous instructions don't work on your Samsung device, try this:

1. Tap the Recent apps button and then tap Task manager.

2. Go to the Download tab and find the app you want to uninstall.

3. Tap the Uninstall button next to the app.

4. Tap OK.

   If you don't see an Uninstall button, you can't delete the app using this method.

On a Kindle Fire

Amazon elected to go with an older customized version of Android for its Kindle devices, so the instructions to remove apps are different. You can manage your Kindle from your Amazon account on the web, but here's how to delete apps using the device:

1. Go to the Home screen and tap the Apps tab.

2. Tap the Device tab to show only the apps on the Kindle (as opposed to all the apps you could potentially store on the device).

3. Long-press the app you want to remove until you feel or see a response.

4. Tap Remove from Device.

Purchased Apps and the Cloud

Nearly all Android app stores let you keep your license to reinstall a purchased app. If you uninstall software that you bought from Google Play, for example, you can download it again if you change your mind later.

To delete your access to an app you purchased on Amazon, you must do that through your Amazon account on the web. It's a more involved process than uninstalling it from a device. This may come in handy if you deem an app offensive and never want to see it again.

Spammy Apps That Make More Apps

Occasionally, you might run into an app that makes other apps, so you might delete things you don't remember installing. You're not imagining things. You can read more about avoiding Android spam. If you can identify the offending app, you can get rid of the problem. App stores are cracking down on this sort of nuisance.

System Apps

You can try to delete an app that shipped with your phone, but this often does not work. Most of these apps are tied to the inner workings of your phone, and deleting them could break other apps. Shy of going to drastic measures and rooting the phone, the system apps have to stay.

System apps include Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome, and Google Search. Some manufacturers, such as Samsung and Sony, install their own system apps on their phones and tablets in addition to the Google apps. Some, like the Amazon Kindle, remove all Google apps and include a different set of system apps.