No, you can't delete your default iPhone apps – but you can hide them

iPhone 6S
iPhone 6S

The ability to delete the default apps on an iPhone is something iOS users have been asking Apple to do for years now, but Apple won't budge. It means that a lot of users have a folder of what they consider to be useless apps, such as the Watch app when you don't even have an Apple Watch paired with your device.

But there is a new trick that shows how to get rid of the default apps from your iPhone home screen.

Some reports suggest this trick gets rid of the apps from your phone altogether, but instead it actually just hides them. The apps won't uninstall and if you do a search on your phone you'll be able to find them again.

Gone, but not forever

The tip comes from YouTube user Videosdebarraquito who shows the technique in the video down below.

First off you need to drag all the apps you want to delete into one folder and then hold down on the app again so it wiggles and you can move it.

From there you need to drag the app over to the next page in the folder and then to another page after that.

Don't let go of the app, instead tap the home button here and you'll then delete the app icon. It's not quite clear if you can get these back at a future date, so only do this if you're sure you want to lose the icons from your home screen.

You can then do a search on the phone to find the apps again in the future, if you need them.

Via Metro

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.