How to Uninstall a Game on Xbox One

It's the best way to free up space on your Xbox One

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on May 1, 2022
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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What to Know

  • Turn on Xbox One > highlight My games & apps > select Games > highlight game to delete.
  • On controller, press menu button > Manage game > press A button to open game management screen.

This article explains how to uninstall an Xbox One game, as well as how to reinstall one in case you change your mind.

How to Uninstall an Xbox One Game

When your Xbox One is full and you're ready to uninstall some games, here's how.

  1. Turn on your Xbox One. Press the Xbox button on your controller.

  2. On the d-pad, press down to highlight My games & apps.

    Xbox One my games and apps screen.
    ​

  3. Press the A button to open My games & apps.

  4. Select Games to delete a game or Apps to delete an app.

  5. Use the d-pad to make sure Games is highlighted.

  6. Press right on the d-pad.

  7. Use the d-pad to highlight the game you want to delete.

    Xbox One Game library screen.
    ​

  8. Make sure you have highlighted the game you want to delete.

  9. Press the menu button on your controller.

  10. Use the d-pad to highlight Manage game.

    If you select Uninstall game instead of Manage game, you can immediately uninstall everything. You will not get the option of whether or not to remove add-ons or save data.

  11. Press the A button to open the game management screen.

    Xbox One game options menu.
    ​

  12. Use the d-pad to highlight Uninstall all.

    Xbox One game management screen.
    ​

  13. Press the A button.

    If you have installed any add-ons, you can choose the specific components that you want to uninstall.

  14. Use the d-pad to highlight Uninstall all again.

    Xbox One uninstall game screen.
    ​

  15. Press the A button.

    This will uninstall the game, all add-ons, and delete any save files. To reduce the likelihood of your saved data being lost, make sure you were connected to the internet and signed into Xbox Network the last time you played the game, and that you remain connected during the uninstall process.

Reinstalling an Xbox One Game After Deletion

When you delete an Xbox One game, the game is removed from your console, but you still own it. That means you are free to reinstall any game you have deleted, as long as you have enough available storage space.

To reinstall an uninstalled Xbox One game:

  1. Navigate to Home > My games & apps

  2. Select Ready to install.

  3. Choose a previously uninstalled game or app and select install.

    Reinstall uninstalled Xbox One game screen.

Does Uninstalling an Xbox One Game Delete Saved Games?

The other main concern involved in uninstalling Xbox One games is that local save data is removed right along with the game files. You can prevent any problems here by copying your saved data to external storage, or just moving the entire game to an external hard drive, but Xbox One actually has cloud storage that backs up your save data.

For the cloud save function to work, you need to be connected to the internet and signed into Xbox Network. If you get disconnected from the internet or Xbox Network while you're playing, then your local saved data might not be backed up. So if you're worried about losing your saved games when you uninstall, make sure to connect to the internet and sign in to Xbox Network when you play your games.

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