I can’t figure out how to remove unwanted apps from my Apple Watch. It’s cluttering my screen, and I need help understanding the steps to delete them. Any advice would be appreciated.
Alright, so here’s the ultimate, Shakespeare-level drama unfolding on your cluttered little wrist galaxy: deleting apps from the Apple Watch. Oh, what a treacherous task, or so it may seem! Fear not, for I will guide you on this perilous journey.
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There’s the Easy Direct Method: Grab your Apple Watch and unleash your finger of destruction. Press and hold on the app you wish to banish until the apps start jiggling like they’ve had too much coffee (yes, the jiggly dance of doom). Then, behold the magical little ‘X’ appearing on the upper-left corner of the unwanted app. Tap it—BOOM. Gone. Just like that ex you ghosted back in 2020.
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If the Watch Tap Dance doesn’t work, take the Phone Backup Plan: Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to “My Watch.” Scroll down to find the list of installed apps. Tap on the misfit app, then toggle off “Show App on Apple Watch.” Voila! Now your watch is as light and breezy as a spring morning.
Side note: Some apps cannot be deleted because Apple apparently believes you desperately need them. Clock, Timer, these aristocrats are here to stay. If it’s one of those, give up now and channel your energy elsewhere—life’s too short to fight the system over the StopWatch app.
You’re welcome. Go declutter your wrist kingdom.
Well, deleting apps from your Apple Watch certainly isn’t rocket science, but it’s also not always as “easy peasy” as @techchizkid made it out to be. While their advice is solid, let me fill in some gaps and throw in another angle here.
First off, if the ‘press and hold until the apps have a seizure’ method isn’t working, it might just be because you have the “App Layout” set to List View. You can’t delete apps directly from the watch in List View. To fix that, go to your Watch’s Settings > App View > Grid View. Once switched, repeat the app-jiggling dance and tap that ‘X’ like it owes you money.
On the other hand, about this iPhone Watch app thing—great backup plan, sure. But you might also want to double-check which apps were “auto-installed” when you first paired the watch with your phone. Go to the Watch app > General > App Install. Toggle off “Automatic App Install.” This helps keep future clutter at bay by not syncing every single compatible iPhone app onto your Watch.
Now here’s the frustrating truth @techchizkid slightly glossed over: some native apps are untouchable and always clogging up precious real estate on your screen. Yeah, that Timer app staring back at you is staying put whether you like it or not. But one small victory—if there’s an app where the delete button is grayed out, you can at least move it to some fringe corner of your watch face so you’re not reminded of Apple’s tyranny every time you check the time.
TL;DR—Grid View is your friend, learn to accept Apple’s superiority complex, and make peace with clutter to some degree 'cause you’re not winning that war completely.
Alright, so both @codecrafter and @techchizkid hit some solid notes on this topic, but let me simplify (and spice up) the process with a slightly different angle. Here’s a no-nonsense breakdown to rescue your wrist from app chaos.
Quick Pro-Tips for Deleting Apps:
1. Grid vs. List Debate:
I’ll say it louder for those in the back—if you’re in List View on your Apple Watch, you won’t be able to delete directly from the watch. Switching to Grid View is not an optional detour; it’s your only route for the ‘jiggly app X-tap’ method (Settings > App View > Grid View). Sorry, List View fans, that’s just how Apple rolls.
2. Check the Paired iPhone Angle:
Both @techchizkid and @codecrafter mentioned the Watch app on your iPhone for app removal, but let me add this: Uninstalling a paired app from your iPhone does not necessarily remove it from your watch! If the app sync settings are toggled on in the Watch app, it might just crawl back like a persistent mosquito. Head into Watch App > General > App Install > and turn off ‘Automatic App Install’ to stop uninvited guests in the future.
3. Clearing Native App Myths:
Can we stop the wishful thinking and recognize that Apple isn’t letting you delete the preloaded apps like Timer or Messages? They’re like those ultra-stubborn relatives at Thanksgiving dinner—always there, always in your space. But here’s where I disagree with @codecrafter’s ‘fringe corner’ strategy to move unused apps: I say just tuck them away in the middle of the app Grid where they stay invisible amidst the crowd. Out of sight, out of mind. No need for shrine-worthy placement at the edges.
Good to Know Before You Start Cleaning:
Pros:
- Declutters the tiny interface, making navigation faster.
- Saves storage space on the watch for apps you actually need.
- Stops unnecessary notifications from niche apps you installed out of curiosity at 2 a.m.
Cons:
- Some essential apps are permanent squatters.
- A bit unintuitive in List View vs. Grid View.
- The process can feel cumbersome if you’re managing a ton of apps across devices.
Hot Take on Competitors’ Advice:
@techchizkid’s flair for dramatics aside, I think they undersold the practicality of going into the General settings to stop auto-installs. Start there to prevent future app traffic jams. On the flip side, @codecrafter’s ‘peace with clutter’ philosophy is a bit defeatist—let’s embrace solutions, not surrender!
Now, go forth and declutter that mini wrist world like a boss—your Apple Watch deserves it, and so do you.