Remove built-in Apple apps from the Home screen on your iOS 10 device or Apple Watch

With iOS 10, you can remove some built-in Apple apps from the Home screen on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch.

When you remove a built-in app from your Home screen, you also remove any related user data and configuration files. This can affect things like related system functions or information on your Apple Watch.

The apps built into iOS are designed to be very space efficient, so all of them together use less than 200MB. Removing built-in iOS apps doesn't free up storage space on your device.

Built-in apps you can remove from your Home screen

If you have iOS 10, you can remove1 these apps from your Home screen:

  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Compass
  • Contacts2
  • FaceTime3
  • Find My Friends
  • Home
  • iBooks4
  • iCloud Drive
  • iTunes Store
  • Mail
  • Maps4
  • Music4
  • News (where available)
  • Notes
  • Podcasts4
  • Reminders
  • Stocks
  • Tips
  • Videos or TV
  • Voice Memos
  • Watch app5
  • Weather

  1. With iOS 12, you can delete built-in apps from the Home screen on your device. See this article for more information on built-in apps in iOS 12.
  2. If you remove the Contacts app, all of your contact information will remain in the Phone app.
  3. If you remove the FaceTime app, you can still make and receive FaceTime calls in Contacts and the Phone app.
  4. If you remove the iBooks, Maps, Music, or Podcast apps, they won't be available to use with CarPlay.
  5. If you try to remove the Watch app from an iPhone that's paired with an Apple Watch, an alert asks you to unpair your Apple Watch before you can remove the app.

Remove a built-in app from your Home screen

  1. On your iOS device, touch and hold the app lightly until it jiggles. If the app doesn't jiggle, make sure that you're not pressing too hard.
  2. Tap Remove on the app, then tap Remove.
  3. Press the Home button to finish.

If you have an Apple Watch, removing an app from your iPhone also removes that app from your Apple Watch.

Restore a built-in app that you removed

  1. On your iOS device, go to the App Store.
  2. Search for the app. Make sure that you use the exact name of the app. Find the correct name of built-in apps.
  3. Tap to restore the app.
  4. Wait for the app to restore, then open it from your Home screen.

If you have an Apple Watch, restoring an app to your iPhone also restores that app to your Apple Watch.

What happens when you remove built-in apps from your Home screen

Removing built-in apps from your Home screen can affect other system functionalities. Here are some examples:

  • If you have an Apple Watch paired with your iPhone, removing an app from your iPhone Home screen also removes that app from your Apple Watch Home screen.
  • If you remove the Podcasts app from your Home screen, Podcasts won't be available with CarPlay.
  • If you remove the Music app, you may be unable to play some audio content using Apple apps or third-party apps on some car stereos or stereo receivers.
  • If you remove the Stocks or Weather app from your Home screen, stocks and weather won't be available elsewhere. For example, you won't see stocks and weather information in Notification Center on your iPhone or as Complications or Glances on your Apple Watch.
  • If you remove the Calculator app, the calculator won't appear in Control Center.

To restore an affected functionality, you can add built-in apps back to your Home screen.

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