Apple’s iOS 16 lets you remove 29 stock apps

As Apple releases the first beta of iOS 16, developers have been finding what unannounced new features are being added — and now removed. After some years of increasing how many of its own apps can now be removed, Apple’s iOS 16 brings the total up to almost 30.

The iOS 16 apps that can be removed may change over the course of the beta, though it’s likely the total will either increase or stay the same. Prior to iOS 16, the apps that could be removed were:

1. Books
2. Calculator
3. Calendar
4. Compass
5. Contacts
6. FaceTime
7. Files
8. Find My
9. Fitness
10. Home
11. iTunes Store
12. Mail
13. Maps
14. Mail
15. Measure
16. Music
17. News
18. Notes
19. Podcasts
20. Reminders
21. Shortcuts
22. Stocks
23. Tips
24. Translate
25. TV
26. Voice Memos
27. Watch
28. Weather

Now the beta of iOS 16 adds:

• Camera
• Clock
• Find My
• Fitness

Apple has not commented, and is unlikely to before iOS 16 is publicly released. However, it has previously commented on how removing certain apps, does not necessarily mean that this app’s whole functionality is gone.

For instance, you can remove the Contacts app but according to an Apple support document, “all of your contact information will remain in the Phone app.” Apple does separately say that contact information also “remains available through Phone, Messages, Mail, FaceTime,” and more, but to “remove a contact, you must restore Contacts.”

Similarly, even if users delete the FaceTime app, they can still make a receive FaceTime calls via the Contacts or Phone apps. Deleting Apple Books, Maps, Music, or Podcasts apps means “they won’t be available to use with CarPlay.”

The procedure for uninstalling an app in iOS 16 remains as it was.