Over the years, Apple has been criticized for iPhone apps that couldn’t be deleted. Now, European Union users will be able to delete key apps from their phones, thanks to the upcoming iOS 18.2 software which has just arrived in developer beta.
The first iPhone, and the latest, included a Stocks app, even though not everyone cared about knowing share prices. Later, you could delete this. When the Apple Watch launched, several people complained to me that as they didn’t have a watch, there was an app icon which was just a waste of space. You can delete the Watch app now, too.
While most of us are waiting for the general release of iOS 18.1 with its first glimpses of Apple Intelligence—and Apple has just reconfirmed when that update is coming—developers are now able to download the first beta of iOS 18.2.
With it, users in the European Union have the capability to delete lots more apps that the rest of the world cannot. And some of them are so central to the iPhone, it might surprise you that they can be removed.
The App Store, for instance, has been a staple of the iPhone, offering access to millions of apps, for years now. But EU users will also be able to delete the Camera app, Safari, Messages and Photos. Instead, users will turn to browsers like Chrome, photo libraries like Google Photos and so on.
I suspect that most people will leave these key apps in place, but instead set others as default choices. After all, the apps themselves take up finite space and can be tucked away in a folder or hidden entirely if you wish. And, you never know, you might want to change your mind, so unearthing it will be easier than downloading it all over again.
This is part of Apple’s response to the Digital Markets Act and while it only applies in the EU, you can be sure that governments in the U.S., U.K. and beyond will be watching closely to see how things play out.
The general release of iOS 18.2 will arrive in December, Apple says.
