Apple CEO Tim Cook says we may finally be able to delete those permanent apps Apple puts on your iPhone

Advertisement

iphone folder apple apps poop emoji

Screenshot

You can't erase these Apple apps from your iPhone or iPad.

If you're an iPhone owner, you've probably noticed that there are some apps you cannot remove from the phone.

Advertisement

These are apps made by Apple, and some of them frankly aren't that useful - the Tips app, for instance, isn't useful if you already know how to use your iPhone. The stocks app won't matter to you unless you follow the stock market.

Cook says Apple is looking into ways to make it possible to delete these apps, but it's a complicated issue. Here's what he told BuzzFeed News' John Paczkowski (emphasis is our own):

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

This is a more complex issue than it first appears...There are some apps that are linked to something else on the iPhone. 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 [for you to remove them]. … It's not that we want to suck up your real estate, we're not motivated to do that. We want you to be happy. So I recognize that some people want to do this, and it's something we're looking at.

With iOS 9, Apple's upcoming software update for iPhones and iPads, the company is adding a few more apps that won't be erasable. New apps for Find My Friends and Find My iPhone are coming in iOS 9, which launches on Wednesday.

Advertisement