While Apple ships iPhones and iPads with a pre-loaded set of stock apps, it also provides the option to delete any of these stock apps that you are not using.
The option to remove native or stock apps was first provided by Apple in iOS 10. However, at that time the stock apps were only hidden from the view and not removed from the device.
Starting with iOS 11, Apple started allowing users to delete many of the stock apps and actually started removing them from Apple device.
List of Stock Apple Apps That Can Be Deleted from iPhone
Here is a list of Stock Apple Apps that can be deleted from iPhone, iPad and iPod.
- Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Maps, Notes, FaceTime, iTunes, Weather, Calculator, Notes, Activity
- iBooks, News, Podcasts, Stocks, Tips
- Music, TV, Find My Friends
- Files, Watch App, Compass, Voice Memos, Find My Friends, Photo Booth, Voice Memos.
What Happens When You Delete Stock Apps on iPhone?
While it might be a good idea to get rid of Stock Apps that you are unlikely to use, you also need to be aware of what happens when you delete certain stock Apps from your device.
1. If you delete the Music app, you may not be able to play music in your car using Apple or Third party Apps.
2. Deleting Podcast, iBooks and Apple Maps will make these Apps unavailable with CarPlay.
3. If your Apple Watch is paired with iPhone, deleting a Stock App on iPhone also deletes it from Apple Watch.
4. You won’t be able to get Weather and Stock updates in the Notification Center, if you delete the Weather and Stock App from your iPhone.
5. Even if you delete Contacts app, information about your Contacts will still be available in the Phone App.
6. If the FaceTime app is deleted, you can still make and receive FaceTime Calls in Contacts and the Phone App.
7. You won’t be able to delete the Watch App from iPhone, if your iPhone is already paired with Apple Watch. You need to Unpair Apple Watch with your iPhone, before deleting the Watch App from iPhone.
Steps to Delete Stock Apps On iPhone or iPad
Now that you understand which Stock Apps can be deleted and What Happens When you Delete Stock Apps on iPhone, you can follow the steps below to Delete Stock Apps on iPhone or iPad.
1. Press and hold on the Stock App that you want to delete on your iPhone or iPad, until the App begins to wiggle.
2. Next, tap on the X icon that appears in the upper left corner of the Stock App that you want to delete from your iPhone (See image below).
3. On the pop-up that appears, tap on the Remove option to confirm that you do want to go ahead and delete the Stock App on your iPhone or iPad.
This will remove the Stock App from the Home screen and completely delete the selected Stock App from your iPhone.
Reinstall Stock Apps On iPhone or iPad
You can follow the steps below to Restore or Reinstall Deleted Stock Apps on iPhone or iPad, in case you change your mind or end up accidentally deleting an important Stock App.
1. Open the App Store on your iPhone
2. Search for the Deleted App on the App store by typing its name in the search bar.
3. From the search results, tap on the Cloud icon located next to the App (See image below).
Note: Once the App is Reinstalled on your iPhone, you might see the same App being restored on your Apple Watch.