Skip to main content

Apple CEO Tim Cook open to removing pre-installed apps on iOS

A complaint that has been levied throughout the iOS updates is directed at the inability to remove preinstalled apps. This objection has only gained more momentum with new app introductions, including the Apple Watch app, News, Find My Friends, and Tips, which may never be opened by users but cannot be deleted.

In a Buzzfeed interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, the head honcho himself, was open to the idea of removing apps built by the company.

Recommended Videos

“This is a more complex issue than it first appears,” he says. “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 isn’t a promise, but it’s a start.

Cook said Apple’s job is to make you happy and this should extend to offering ways to free up space. That said, Apple would need to find a happy medium, since it does not want to jeopardize its position in the services battle against Google, Microsoft or other competitors.

Apple already made adjustments to the iOS 9 update size to make sure iPhone and iPad owners were able to update without issues.

We doubt Apple will ever allow users to remove apps like iTunes Store, FaceTime or Apple Music, but miscellaneous apps like Photo Booth, iBooks, Podcasts, and Newsstand could all face the chop in future versions of iOS.

In iOS 9, Apple will preinstall Find My Friends and Find My iPhone. Both apps have been available in previous versions, but did not come with the inability to delete them. Apple will also bring transit maps, News, Wallet, and spotlight search to iOS 9, adding another 1GB of software before the customer has even opened their iPhone.

David Curry
Former Contributor
David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…
iOS 26 rumored to go back to basics with four intriguing upgrades
An iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18, showing its home screen.

In just two days from now, Apple will take the stage at WWDC 2025 and showcase the big yearly upgrades for its entire software portfolio. I am quite excited about the platform-wide design update and a few functional changes to iPadOS, especially the one targeting a more macOS-like makeover for the iPad’s software. 

Of course, analysts will be keenly watching for Apple’s next moves with AI, but it seems some of the most dramatic features have been pushed into the next year. Apple can afford some of those delays, as long as the company serves enough meaningful updates to its user base. Apple won’t exactly be running dry on AI, though. 

Read more
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more
Why you shouldn’t care what number Apple puts on your iPhone’s software
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen.

One number may change to another number at an important industry event on June 9, and despite some of the headlines that have been circulating around the news, this succinct explanation of what may happen allows you to guage its real importance. Apparently, Apple may use the WWDC 2025 keynote presentation to announce a change from the expected iOS 19 software’s name to iOS 26, and here’s why you shouldn’t worry about it. 

Many people won’t even know

Read more