Let’s be honest, I don’t need all the apps on my iPhone to be on my Apple Watch, too. For example, I don’t really need my banking app on my Apple Watch because I won’t be using it on a smaller screen.
Managing the apps on my Apple Watch is easy. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to delete any app on your Apple Watch.
How to Delete an App using your Apple Watch
Step 1: To open all apps on the watch screen, press the Digital Crown once.
Step 2: Touch any app and hold it for a few seconds till it starts to jiggle.
Step 3: Tap the cross button on the app you want to delete > Delete App to confirm.
Step 4: Press the Digital Crown to go back to the original app screen.
Note: Apple’s built-in apps cannot be deleted from the Apple Watch, such as Messages, Photos, Mail, Phone, Settings, App Store, Camera, Calendar, Weather, compass, iTunes, Books, etc.
How to Delete an App using your iPhone
Step 1: Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Under the My Watch tab, scroll down to the Installed on Apple Watch section.
Step 3: Tap the app you don’t want on your Apple Watch> toggle off Show App on Apple Watch.
Can you delete built-in apps on the Apple Watch?
So you would be wondering, can you delete some built-in apps on the Apple Watch that you don’t use? Yes and no. While some pre-installed apps can be deleted from the Apple Watch, others cannot. Here is a list of the apps you can and cannot delete from the Apple Watch running watchOS 9.4 or later.
| Built-in apps that can be deleted from the Apple Watch | Built-in apps that cannot be deleted from the Apple Watch |
|---|---|
| Activity | Messages |
| Alarms | Photos |
| Blood Oxygen | |
| Camera Remote | Phone |
| Cycle Tracking | Settings |
| Depth | App Store |
| ECG | Camera |
| Siren | Calendar |
| Find Devices | Weather |
| Find Items | Compass |
| Find People | iTunes |
| Heart Rate | Books |
| Medications | Maps |
| Memoji | Calculator |
| Mindfulness | Home |
| Noise | Music |
| Now Playing | Podcasts |
| Sleep | Reminders |
| Stopwatch | Shortcuts |
| Timers | Stocks |
| Tips | |
| Voice Memos | |
| Wallet | |
| Walkie-Talkie (where available) | |
| Workout | |
| World Clock |
Can’t delete apps on Apple Watch? Here’s a hack!
At the off chance that your apps don’t show the cross sign in order to delete them, try this simple hack:
- Open Settings on your iPhone and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Content and Privacy Restrictions under the Restrictions section, and make sure it is toggled on.
- Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases > Deleting apps > Allow.
- Restart your Apple Watch and try the above-mentioned steps again to delete the apps from your Apple Watch.
Deleted the wrong app? Here’s how to reinstall an Apple Watch app
- Head to the App Store on your Apple Watch and search for the app you want to reinstall.
- The deleted app will have a downward arrow inside a cloud icon next to it, indicating that this app was previously installed on your device. Tap on the cloud icon to reinstall the app.
- Head to the home screen by pressing the Digital Crown, and you will see the app on the screen.
Wrap Up
Deleting and installing apps on the Apple Watch is easy and quick. With a few simple taps, you can let go of the apps that you don’t need on your device. In case you delete the wrong app because the screen is too small, the same can be reinstalled with ease.
If you’re having trouble with this process, such as the delete button now showing up, the Screen Time setting is worth a shot for easy troubleshooting.
