How to delete apps on Samsung phones

Fact Checked

Deleting unwanted or unused apps is a great way to free up some extra storage space on your phone. While some Samsung smartphones come with default apps that aren’t intended to be deleted, they can be disabled. Canstar Blue explains how to delete apps on your Samsung phone. 

How can I see how much space I have left on my Samsung phone?

The number of apps on your phone doesn’t always show how much space you have left. Different apps need different amounts of space to work properly.

To see how much free storage space is available on your Samsung, open your phone and tap on ‘Apps’ > ‘Settings’ > ‘Device maintenance’ or ‘Device care’ > ‘Storage’.

How to delete apps on a Samsung phone

There are multiple ways to delete apps on a Samsung phone. Here are a couple of options to choose from:

How to delete apps on a Samsung phone via app settings

1. Go to the home screen and select the ‘Apps’ icon.
2. Tap on ‘Settings’ to open up the ‘Application manager’. Some devices might need to take the extra step and access this feature via the ‘Applications’ tab.
3. Select the app you want to uninstall and then tap ‘Uninstall’.

If you don’t have the ‘Apps’ icon installed, you can delete apps via Settings.

1. Go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Apps’.
2. Scroll down to the app you’d like to delete.
3. Tap ‘Uninstall’ and confirm. 

How to delete apps on a Samsung phone from the home screen

Alternatively, you can erase the applications straight from the home screen.

1. Open your phone to the home screen and tap on ‘All Applications’.
2. Go to ‘Downloaded Apps’.
3. Select ‘Menu’ and tap on ‘Uninstall’.
4. Choose the app(s) you want to delete and tap ‘OK’.

How to delete apps on a Samsung phone via apps tray

1. Swipe up on the screen to access your ‘Apps Tray’.
2. Press and hold the app icon for more options and select ‘Uninstall’.
3. Tap ‘Ok’ to uninstall the app.

Compare Samsung Galaxy phone plans

How to delete Facebook on a Samsung phone

While deleting Facebook on a Samsung phone used to be straightforward, it is now often impossible to do so. Facebook reportedly struck several deals with Samsung and other Android brands to make it impossible to remove the app. Samsung models including and upwards of the Galaxy S8 are unable to delete Facebook. 

To check if you can delete Facebook from your Android simply click on ‘Settings’ > ‘Applications Manager’ select ‘Facebook’ and tap ‘Uninstall’. 

If uninstalling isn’t available on your device, you can still disable Facebook to ensure the company can no longer collect your data information.

How can I disable default apps on a Samsung smartphone?

Even if your Samsung smartphone won’t let you fully remove an app, you can still disable it. Disabling an app will hide it from the home screen and make it inaccessible – unless you choose to enable it by changing the settings in Application Manager.

Here’s how to disable a default app on your Samsung phone:

1. Go to ‘Settings’ >‘Apps’. This will bring up a list of all your applications.
2. Tap the app you want to disable.
3. Select the ‘Disable’ option.
4. A warning may appear saying: “Disabling built-in apps may cause errors in other apps.” You can choose to continue disabling the app by tapping ‘Disable’. Otherwise, you can tap ‘Cancel’.

Here’s how to bring back disabled apps:

1. Open up the home screen and tap on ‘Menu’.
2. Go to Settings’ >‘General’.
3. Choose ‘Application Manager’, then swipe the ‘Turned Off’ tab to show the list of disabled apps.
4. Select the app you want to enable and tap ‘Turn On’.