The Apple iPhone and iPad both ship with a multitude of first party apps, but some are much more useful than others.
Photos, Safari, Mail and Calendar? Those are all pretty handy. The likes of Game Center, Watch and Find Friends? Perhaps not so much.
However, while it’s easy enough to hide these items in a folder on a far flung homescreen, you can’t get rid of them completely. Much to the chagrin of some iOS users.
According to AppAdvice (via AppleInsider), changes to the iTunes metadata suggest hideable iOS apps may be just around the corner.
App Store titles now have two new keys, which are “isFirstParty,” and ‘isFirstPartyHideableApp.”
This, it seems, may be in preparation for a new version of iOS that gives users the option to hide may of those unwanted apps.
See also: iOS 10: 11 features we’d like to see
The news follows hints from Tim Cook that some first-party apps may be removable at some point in the future. Currently, it’s not possible because many of the apps in question are dependent on others.
“There are some apps that are linked to something else on the iPhone,” Cook told Buzzfeed in September.
“If they were to be removed they might cause issues elsewhere on the phone. There are other apps that aren’t like that. So over time, I think with the ones that aren’t like that, we’ll figure out a way.”
Which iPhone apps are you dying to get rid of? Share your thoughts in the comment below.
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Editorial independence
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.
