Being unable to delete Apps on iPhone or iPad is a fairly common problem reported by users. You will find below the steps to fix this problem.
Unable to Delete Apps on iPhone
The problem of being unable to delete Apps on iPhone or iPad can occur on any iPhone or iPad and is more common in 3D-Touch enabled devices.
In most of the cases, the “X” button which allows Deleting of the Apps does not appear, when users tap and hold the screen.
In certain other cases, users have reported seeing duplicate App icons, one of which could be deleted as usual while the second App icon could not be deleted.
1. Tap Gently on the screen
On 3D-Touch enabled models of iPhone (iPhone 6S and above), pressing and holding on the App Icon activates the 3D Touch Menu, instead of bringing up the “X” button next to the Apps.
A simple solution to this problem is to gently Tap and Hold on the App icon for about 2 to 3 seconds. The “X” icon will then appear next to the App, allowing you to delete the App.
Once you are done with deleting the App, press on the Home button to return back to the normal Home screen.
2. Restart Your iPhone
The next solution that can help with the issue of “X” icon not appearing for all the Apps or a particular App that you want to delete is to Restart your iPhone.
1. Press and Hold the Power (Sleep/Wake) button until you see Slide to Power OFF option on the screen of your iPhone.
2. Slide the Power icon to the right and wait for the iPhone to completely power OFF.
3. Next, wait for about 30 seconds and then Turn ON your iPhone by Pressing and Holding the Power (Sleep/Wake) button.
Once your iPhone starts, the App that you were trying to delete will be gone or you should be able to delete it.
3. Disable Restrictions
In case above two methods are not helping, it is quite possible that you may have restricted deleting of the Apps on your iPhone.
You may have taken this measure sometime in the past to prevent your kids from accidentally deleting the Apps or to prevent In-App purchases on your device.
Hence, follow the steps below to remove Restrictions on Deleting of the App, after which you will be able to delete Apps on your iPhone.
1. Open Settings on your iPhone and tap on Screen Time.
2. On the Screen Time screen, tap on Content Privacy & Restrictions.
3. On the next screen, tap on iTunes & App Store Purchases.
4. On iTunes & App Store Purchases, tap on Deleting Apps.
5. On the next screen, enable deleting of Apps by tapping on Allow.
After this, you should be able to delete Apps without any problems on your iPhone.
Some Apps Cannot Be Deleted
In case you are not aware, native iPhone Apps and Apps that are directly built into the iOS operating system by Apple cannot be deleted.
Even if you Press and Hold on the screen of your iPhone, the “X” button will not appear next to the Native iPhone apps like Notes, Messages, Settings, Safari, Camera, Photos, App Store, Wallet and Find My iPhone.