If you’ve been using your Apple Watch for a long time and didn’t check the available storage space, or if you have a lot of unwanted apps – you are in the right place. In this article, we’ll show you how to remove apps from your Apple Watch to free up some storage space and declutter your home screen.
You can do little to free up some storage space on your Apple Watch; uninstalling apps is the only practical option. Thankfully, you can also remove a few pre-installed apps from your Apple Watch. Further, we’ll also show you how to disable automatic app downloads on your Apple Watch. Let’s begin.
Method 1: How to Delete Apps on Apple Watch Directly
The first method is to delete the app from your Apple Watch directly. However, the steps vary depending on how your apps are displayed on the home screen – whether you use the grid or list view.
Delete an App in Grid View
Here’s how you can delete an app in the grid view on your Apple Watch.
Step 1: Press the Digital Crown to go to Apple Watch’s home screen.
Step 2: Long-tap anywhere on your home screen. Continue doing so until the app icons start wiggling.
Step 3: Tap on the cross-mark icon on top of the app to uninstall it.
Step 4: Tap on the Delete app to confirm.
However, if you have trouble finding the app you want to delete, scroll down in the grid view, and tap on the list view to change the icon schemes.
Delete an Apple Watch App in List View
We prefer using the list view to delete apps since the apps are arranged alphabetically, making it easy to scroll and find them. Here’s how to remove apps on your Apple Watch using the list view.
Step 1: Find the app you want to uninstall and long-tap on it.
Step 2: Tap on the cross-mark icon to uninstall the app.
Step 3: Tap on the Delete app to confirm.
Alternatively, you can swipe left on an app in the list view to find the delete option.
Another method to remove apps on your Apple Watch is to use the Watch app on your iPhone.
Method 2: Uninstall Apps With Watch App on iPhone
If you have trouble finding the app you want to delete on the small dial, you can use the Watch app on your iPhone to quickly find and delete the app. Here’s how:
Step 1: Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to the My Watch tab from the bottom.
Step 2: Scroll to the ‘Installed on Apple Watch’ section and select the app you want to delete.
Step 3: Turn off the toggle for ‘Show App on Apple Watch’.
Doing this will remove the app on your Apple Watch. Besides removing the apps, you can also ping Apple Watch from your iPhone.
List of Built-In Apps on Apple Watch You Can Uninstall
As mentioned earlier, you can also remove pre-installed apps on your Apple Watch using the same method. However, do note that you can only uninstall these apps on the Apple Watch itself but not using the Watch app on your iPhone.
Here is the list of apps you can uninstall on your Apple Watch if you have watchOS 9.4 or later.
- Activity
- Depth
- Emergency Siren
- Find My
- Heart Rate
- Maps
- Wallet
- Workout
- World Clock
Bonus: Stop Apple Watch From Automatically Downloading Apps
Whenever you install an app on your iPhone that is compatible with your Apple Watch, the app also gets automatically downloaded on your Apple Watch. So, here’s how to turn off automatic downloads on your Apple Watch.
Using Apple Watch
Step 1: Press Digital Crown to open Home Screen on Apple Watch. Tap on the Settings app.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap on App Store.
Step 3: Turn off the toggle for ‘Automatic Downloads’.
Using the Watch App on iPhone
Step 1: Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to the My Watch tab.
Step 2: Scroll down to find the settings for App Store.
Step 3: Turn off the toggle for ‘Automatic Downloads’.
FAQs on Apple Watch Apps
No. You cannot offload apps on Apple Watch.
Yes. If you remove an app on your iPhone, it will be deleted on your Apple Watch as well.
You can use the App Store on your Apple Watch to download the apps again.
Free Up Storage on Apple Watch
We hope this article helps you remove apps from your Apple Watch and save some space. Further, you can also remove downloaded content, like Music, on your Apple Watch to free up space. Also, check out how to use WhatsApp on Apple Watch.
Last updated on 22 August, 2023
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