How to Uninstall Apps on Android

To uninstall apps on Android, open the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, tap Manage apps & device, tap Manage, tap the name of the app, and tap Uninstall. You can also touch and hold an app icon and choose Uninstall, or remove the app from Settings > Apps. Some apps that came with the phone can only be disabled, and Samsung Galaxy phones use slightly different labels.

The steps come from Google’s Delete apps on your Android device help page and Samsung’s Manage apps on your Galaxy phone or tablet page.

What You Need

• An Android phone or tablet with the Google Play Store. Google notes that some of its steps work only on Android 13 and up.
• Menu names vary by brand and software version. Where a label differs on your phone, look for the closest match.
• If you pay for a subscription inside the app, cancel it first. Uninstalling does not cancel it. See Before You Uninstall below.

Before You Uninstall

Warning: Uninstalling removes the app from your device. Samsung says that if you reinstall the app later, you may need to sign in again or set it up again. Anything that only existed inside the app on the phone, such as game progress that was never synced or files saved only in the app, may not come back.

• Subscriptions keep billing. Google states that when you uninstall an app, your subscription won’t cancel. Cancel it first in your Google Play subscriptions: select the subscription, tap Cancel subscription, and follow the instructions. You keep access until the end of the period you already paid for.
• Paid apps stay yours. If you bought an app, you can reinstall it without buying it again.
• Online data stays with your account. Email, cloud notes, and other data stored on a service’s servers are not removed when the app is. Deleting an account is a separate step inside the app or on its website.
• Back up first if the app holds something you care about. See how to back up an Android phone.
• Selling or giving away the phone? Removing apps one at a time is not enough. See how to factory reset an Android phone.

How to Uninstall Apps from the Play Store

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. Tap your profile icon at the top right.
3. Tap Manage apps & device, then tap Manage. You see a list of the apps installed on this device.
4. Tap the name of the app you want to remove. Its Play Store page opens.
5. Tap Uninstall, then confirm if asked. The button changes to Install when the app is gone.

On many phones the Manage list also shows a checkbox next to each app. Check several apps, tap the trash icon, and tap Uninstall to remove them together. If you do not see checkboxes, remove the apps one at a time with the steps above.

How to Uninstall an App from the Home Screen or App List

This is the quickest way to remove a single app.

1. Find the app on your Home screen, or swipe up from the bottom of the Home screen to open the full app list.
2. Touch and hold the app icon.
3. Tap Uninstall in the menu, or drag the icon up to Uninstall at the top of the screen and lift your finger.
4. Confirm when asked.

Watch the wording. Google explains that you may see Remove, Uninstall, or both. Remove takes the app off your Home screen only. Uninstall takes it off your device. If you removed an icon by mistake, you can put the app back on your Home screen.

How to Uninstall an App from Settings

Use Settings when you cannot find the icon, or when you want to see how much space an app uses before you remove it.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Apps. On some phones this is called Apps & notifications, and you may need to tap See all apps.
3. Tap the name of the app.
4. Tap Uninstall, then confirm.

If the app page shows Disable where Uninstall should be, the app came with the phone. See the disable section below.

How to Uninstall Apps on a Samsung Galaxy

Samsung’s menus may vary by model and software version, but the method is the same on current Galaxy phones and tablets.

1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down to open the Apps screen.
2. Touch and hold the app you want to uninstall.
3. Tap Uninstall.
4. Confirm by tapping OK or Uninstall, depending on your model.

Two things are different on a Galaxy:

• Two app stores. Apps from the Galaxy Store are reinstalled from the Galaxy Store, not the Play Store.
• More preloaded apps. Samsung says some preloaded apps cannot be uninstalled. Essential apps such as Phone, Messages, Contacts, Gallery, and My Files stay because the device needs them. Many others can be disabled or hidden.

How to Disable Preinstalled Apps You Can’t Uninstall

Google says you can’t delete some system apps that came preinstalled, but on some phones you can turn them off so they no longer show in your list of apps. A disabled app stays on the phone, and you can turn it back on later.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Select the app you want to disable.
4. Tap Disable.
5. Confirm. On a Galaxy, tap Disable app.

On a Galaxy you can also touch and hold the app on the Apps screen and tap Disable. Samsung notes that not all preinstalled apps can be disabled. For those, use the Apps screen settings to hide the icon instead: tap the More icon, tap Settings, choose Hide apps on Home and Apps screens, select the app, and tap Done.

Be careful with apps you don’t recognize. Disabling an app that other apps or system features depend on can cause problems. If something stops working, enable the app again.

Archive an App Instead of Uninstalling It

Archiving is a middle option on newer phones. Google says archiving removes the app’s software, permissions, and temporary files and stops its notifications, but keeps the app icon and your data. Some of these steps work only on Android 15 and up, and only on supported devices.

1. Open Settings, then tap Apps.
2. Select the name of the app.
3. Tap Archive.

To bring the app back, tap its faded icon on the Home screen. The app must still be available in the app store.

How to Reinstall or Re-Enable an App

1. Open the Google Play Store app and tap your profile icon.
2. Tap Manage apps & device, then tap Manage.
3. At the top, tap This device and choose Not installed.
4. Select the app, then tap Install. For an app you disabled, tap Enable.

For a Galaxy Store app, open the Galaxy Store, tap Menu (the three horizontal lines), tap My apps, and tap the Download icon next to the app.

How to Confirm the App Is Gone

Open the Play Store page for the app. It shows Install where Uninstall used to be. The icon also disappears from your Home screen and app list. A disabled app is different: it stays on the phone and can be turned back on from the Play Store’s Manage list.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
There is no Uninstall button, only Disable	The app came with the phone. Disable it, or hide it on a Galaxy.
Disable is missing or grayed out	The system needs that app. It cannot be turned off through normal settings.
You only see Remove	That only takes the icon off the Home screen. Use the Play Store or Settings method.
The app is not in the Play Store list	It may have come from the Galaxy Store or another source. Use the Settings method.
Uninstall is blocked on a work or school phone	Your organization may manage the device. On a Galaxy, search Settings for Device admin apps to see which apps have that access, and contact your IT department.
An app is making the phone crash, so you can’t get to it	Restart in safe mode, then uninstall recently downloaded apps one at a time. Google says the way to start safe mode varies by phone, so check your manufacturer’s support site.
Storage is still full afterward	Photos, videos, and downloads often use more space than apps. See what to do when Android storage is full for no reason.

If an app is only misbehaving, you may not need to remove it. Try clearing the app’s cache on Android first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does uninstalling an app delete my data?

It removes the app from the device, and you may have to sign in and set it up again if you reinstall. Data saved to your account online, like email or cloud notes, stays with that account. If you want to keep the app’s data on the phone, archive the app instead where that option is available.

Does uninstalling an app cancel my subscription?

No. Google states that your subscription won’t cancel when you uninstall the app. Cancel it in your Google Play subscriptions. If you subscribed directly with the company and not through Google Play, cancel with that company.

Do I have to pay again to reinstall a paid app?

No. Google says that if you bought an app, you can reinstall it without buying it again.

What is the difference between uninstalling and disabling?

Uninstalling takes the app off the device. Disabling turns off a preinstalled app and takes it out of your app list, but the app stays on the phone and can be enabled again.

Why can’t I uninstall some apps?

They came preinstalled and the phone maker or carrier does not allow removal. Some are required for basic functions. On many phones you can disable them, and on a Galaxy you can hide the ones that cannot be disabled.

How do I reinstall an app I removed?

Open the Play Store, tap your profile icon, tap Manage apps & device, then Manage, and tap This device at the top, then Not installed. Select the app and tap Install.

Does Android remove unused apps by itself?

Not completely. For apps you haven’t used in a while, Android can delete temporary files, revoke permissions, and stop background activity and notifications. You can review them under Apps > Unused apps in Settings. On supported phones, unused apps can also be archived automatically. To stop that for one app, open it in Settings > Apps and turn off Manage app if unused.

Once the apps you don’t use are gone, open the Manage list in the Play Store every few months and remove anything new that you no longer need.