Why Can’t I Delete Apps on iPhone and How to Fix?

In order to free up the space and home screen, some people choose to delete iOS apps, but find that they can’t delete app from iPhone. Why won’t my iPhone let me delete apps? After iOS update, some users report they cannot delete app on iPhone. “I cannot delete apps from iPhone 16 after updating to iOS 18. Tried to delete using iCloud but that didn’t work either. Why can’t I delete apps on my iPhone and how to fix the annoying issue?”

Actually, this is one of the common iOS update problems you may meet after updating to iOS 18. And in the previous iOS 17 update, some iPhone users have ever got a similar app deleting issue. In this post, we explain why I can’t delete apps on iPhone and accordingly offer several methods for deleting apps, not on the home screen. All these methods work well even on iOS 18.

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Why Can’t I Delete Apps on My iPhone?

That you are unable to delete apps on iPhone indicates that you can’t delete apps on the home screen by tapping and holding the app icon. Why is my iPhone not letting me delete apps? Normally, you can only delete third-party apps but are not allowed to delete built-in apps such as Messages, Photos, Cameras, etc. Additionally, other restrictions might prevent you from deleting apps. We have listed other reasons for iPhone not letting me delete apps below as well.

• The apps are restricted by Screen Time.
• The apps are restricted by Mobile Device Management (MDM).
• The app hasn’t been downloaded or installed completely yet.

Now that we have known why iPhone won’t let me delete apps, how do you delete an app that won’t delete? Below we will show you several methods to help you if you can’t delete apps on iPhone. Keep reading!

Fix Can’t Delete Apps on iPhone via Spotlight

How to delete apps on iPhone? How to delete apps on iOS 18? Spotlight is a good choice for you to delete apps on iPhone. It is always used for people to search for apps or information on iPhone. In the new iOS 18, you can also delete apps using Spotlight on your iPhone. Here is how to uninstall apps on iPhone when you can’t delete apps on iPhone or can’t delete apps on iPad:

1. Open Spotlight on your iOS 18 iPhone, and type for the app name you want to delete.

2. When it shows, press and hold on the app’s icon.

3. Choose Delete App.

4. Now tap the Delete to confirm.

5. The app will be deleted from your iOS 18.

Fix Can’t Delete Apps on iPhone via One Click

If you can’t delete apps on iPhone iOS 18, and long-press an app on the home screen but nothing happens, or you want to remove the apps from your iPhone in bulk, here is software that can help you successfully remove the app easily. AnyTrans – iPhone Data Manager is a professional and wonderful iOS data manager, including apps, photos, music, texts, etc. With it, you can delete or uninstall an app or all apps in one click. So, if you’re unable to delete apps on iPhone, it can solve this problem for you. Below are the main features of AnyTrans.

• Batch deletion of apps in minutes – Tired of deleting apps one by one? AnyTrans allows you to delete apps in bulk directly, saving your energy and time.
• All-in-one app manager – Whether it is installing and deleting apps, or upgrading and downgrading apps, AnyTrans is no problem.
• Simple and easy to use – You only need to tap on the button. Even a software novice can easily operate it.
• Not just for iOS 18 – All iPhone models and iOS system versions are included.

Besides, AnyTrans allows you to transfer apps from iPhone/iPad to computer, and vice versa. What’s more, you can download any apps and build your own App Library.

Now, get the latest version of AnyTrans on your Windows PC/Mac, and fix can’t delete apps on iPhone issue with the following steps:

Step 1. Click Apps to Manage

1. Launch AnyTrans > Head to Device Manager.

2. Click the Apps category to preview all apps on your device.

Step 2. Delete the App Not Deleting on iPhone

1. All your apps are listed here, including version, app size, etc.

2. Select the app that won’t delete on your iPhone iOS 18 (we take the Widgetsmith app as an example) > Click the Delete button. Also, you can click Uninstall button.

Step 3. Confirm to Delete the Selected App

1. Then AnyTrans will pop up the window to let you confirm whether to permanently delete the selected apps.

2. Click Yes to permanently delete the app.

After that, you can check your iPhone to see whether your app was successfully deleted.

Fix Can’t Delete Apps on iPhone via Other Ways

In addition to the above two commonly used methods to fix can’t delete apps on iPhone issue, there are some other methods to delete iOS apps. Let’s see how to remove apps from iPhone.

Method 1. Delete Apps on iPhone

You may have found you can’t delete apps easily on your iPhone 7 or iPhone 8/X/11/12 with the 3D-Touch feature. Because when you press an app, it brings you to 3D touch menu, instead of showing you the “X”. In this situation, just gently put your finger on the icon without pressing down to delete or move apps.

Method 2. Check Restriction for Deleting Apps

The reason why can’t I delete apps is that there are some restrictions for deleting apps. Nobody could remove apps on your device if you don’t allow “deleting apps” on restrictions. Check whether you allow “deleting apps”:

1. Go to Settings > Click Screen Time.

2. Find and click Content & Privacy Restrictions > Tap on iTunes & App Store Purchases.

3. Check if the Deleting Apps is Allowed. If no, enter it and choose Allow option.

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Method 3. Delete Apps from App Library iOS 18

How to delete apps from App Library iOS 18? 

1. Swipe left to open App Library.

2. Search and find the app you want to delete.

3. Tap and hold the app > Click Delete App.

Method 4. Remove Built-in Apps on iPhone/iPad

Usually, we can tap and hold on to apps to remove the apps on our iPhone iPad. And the latest iOS 18 enables us to remove some built-in apps. But you should know there are still some default apps that you cannot delete, including Messages, Phone, Settings, Safari, Clock, Camera, Photos, App Store, Health, Wallet, and Find iPhone.

Method 5. Delete Waiting Apps

Sometimes, your apps may be stuck on waiting when you install or update them, and you cannot delete them. In this case, you can solve the problem that you can’t delete apps on iPhone by restarting the iPhone, reconnecting to the network, clearing the phone space, etc.

Also Read: How to Fix iPhone Apps Stuck on Waiting >

Method 6. Remove Apps on iPhone iPad with PhoneClean

If all the above methods can’t help you delete apps on iPhone, you can have a try on PhoneClean – iPhone Storage Cleaner. This tool enables you 1-click to remove multiple apps on your iPhone. Download and install PhoneClean on your computer and below are the steps that you can follow to manage your iPhone storage and delete apps with PhoneClean.

1. Connect your iOS device to computer with a cable, run PhoneClean, and click Toolbox > App Clean.
2. Select the unwanted apps, and click the Trash icon on the top right corner to remove the selected apps from your iPhone.

Other Methods

You can try some basic tips to fix your “iOS app deleting” problems, such as restarting your device or Force-Restart, restoring your device, and deleting iPhone iPad apps with iTunes.

Also Read: How to Delete Voicemail on iPhone >

How to Delete Hidden Apps on iPhone

You can use the methods above to uninstall the apps you can find on your home screen. Sometimes, there are too many applications on our iPhone, so not all the installed apps are in the folders and pages of the home screen. If you can’t find them, you can’t delete apps on iPhone. How to delete apps on iPhone that are hidden? Don’t worry, there are two ways you can refer to delete hidden apps on your iPhone.

Method 1. Remove Apps from Settings Directly

1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. You will see all the apps that you have installed on your iPhone.
2. Find the app you want to remove and tap on it > tap Delete App.

Method 2. Delete Apps that are Hidden from App Library

This method is suitable for iPhone with iOS 14 or later. App Library is a totally new way to arrange and manage the apps on your iPhone. Please follow the detailed steps below to find and delete the hidden apps:

1. On Home Screen, you need to swipe left until you see the App Library.

2. Tap the search bar to open the list.

3. Tap and hold the app icon > choose Delete.

Bonus Tip. How to Backup Apps Before Deleting

Before you try the forced restart or factory reset and other methods to fix can’t delete apps on iPhone issue, it is best to back up the apps that you don’t want to delete from your iPhone. Since these methods will erase all your apps and data on your iPhone and you have to download those apps from the App store one by one. Here, we recommend a special Apps backup software for you called AppTrans – App Transfer & Backup that helps you back up all the apps, like WhatsApp, or app data on Android or iOS devices with just a few clicks and 100% safety.

Now free download AppTrans and follow the steps below to make a backup of your apps and app data:

Step 1. Launch AppTrans on your computer > Choose the App Backup option on the left control panel and then click on the Back Up Now button.

Step 2. Connect your iOS or Android device to the computer > Tap on Back Up Now button.

Step 3. Select the apps that you want to backup and you can choose to backup both app and app Data only backup app by tapping on the button at the lower right corner.

Step 4. Now AppTrans is downloading your iPhone’s apps and app data. It may take some time to complete the backup process based on the amount of device data. Please keep patient.

The Bottom Line

That’s all for some efficient ways to delete apps on iPhone iPad when you can’t delete apps on iPhone or iPad directly. Compared with other methods, AnyTrans can obviously help you fix can’t delete apps on iPhone with the greatest ease and convenience. Thus, to learn how to delete apps on iPhone, just free download AnyTrans now! Besides deleting apps, we provide you with some other tips to free up space on your iPhone iPad. If you got further ideas or any questions about this tip, feel free to leave your comments below.