It turns out that you can’t delete Apple’s apps from iOS 10 after all. At least, not in the strictest sense.
You know that long-awaited change Apple quietly slipped into iOS 10? The one about being able to delete Apple’s unwanted stock apps? Yeah, it isn’t strictly true.
One of the big iOS 10 discoveries to emerge from the post-WWDC keynote period has been the ability to delete default Apple apps just as you would third-party apps.
While Apple didn’t mention as much (for obvious reasons), it’s been confirmed that those tell-tale delete crosses are present on Mail, Calendar, Notes, Weather, Watch, Music, and more.
Now Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, has clarified the matter to prominent Apple blogger John Gruber (via TechCrunch). He says this provision doesn’t actually delete Apple’s apps – it simply hides them on the homescreen.
These Apple services are actually baked into iOS itself, you see, which is why they update only when iOS itself updates. Federighi says that the apps need to remain in place for security signing reasons.
Related: Everything you need to know about iOS 10
When you “delete” these apps in iOS 10, then, you’re merely removing the icon and deleting any related user data stored on your iPhone. You’ll be able to “re-download” the Apple apps from the App Store, but in truth most of what you’ll need for this will still be there.
To all intents and purposes, then, you can indeed remove Apple’s apps from your phone. But know that there will always be a significant piece of them left embedded in iOS 10.
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Are you looking forward to iOS 10, or has Apple’s reveal left you disappointed? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
