The quickest way to uninstall an app
To remove an app from your Samsung tablet, press and hold the app icon on your home screen or in the app drawer until a menu appears. Tap Uninstall or the trash icon, then confirm the removal. The app disappears when ready.
If you do not see an uninstall option, the app is likely a system app that came pre-installed on your tablet. Samsung does not allow removal of these apps through the home screen, but you can disable them instead — which stops them from running and hides them from view.
The method works the same whether you are removing apps you downloaded yourself or built-in apps you want to hide. The difference is what happens when you tap the icon: downloaded apps uninstall completely, while system apps only disable.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon, then tap Uninstall to remove apps you downloaded from the Google Play Store or elsewhere.
- System apps that came with your tablet cannot be fully uninstalled, but you can disable them to stop them from running and hide them from your home screen.
- Disabling a system app frees up storage space and battery life without removing the app files completely.
- You can re-enable a disabled app at any time by going to Settings, Apps, and tapping the app name, then selecting Enable.
- Uninstalling an app removes all its data and settings — reinstalling it later will not restore your saved progress unless the app backs up to the cloud.
Uninstalling apps you downloaded yourself
Apps you installed from the Google Play Store or sideloaded onto your tablet can be completely removed. The fastest route is the home screen: find the app icon, press and hold it until a menu pops up, and tap Uninstall. Confirm when prompted, and the app is gone.
If you cannot find the app on your home screen, open the app drawer (usually a grid icon at the bottom of the screen), find the app there, and use the same press-and-hold method. Some tablets also let you swipe the app icon upward or downward to uninstall it — try that if the menu does not appear.
Uninstalling removes the app and all its data from your tablet. If the app saved progress to your Google account or the cloud, you can reinstall it later and that data may return. If it did not back up, reinstalling starts you fresh.
Disabling system apps that came with your tablet
System apps — the ones Samsung or your carrier installed before you received the tablet — cannot be uninstalled through the home screen. Instead, you disable them, which stops them from running and removes them from view. Open Settings, tap Apps, find the app you want to remove, and tap Disable.
When you disable an app, it no longer runs in the background, uses battery, or takes up active storage space. The app files remain on your tablet, but you will not see it or interact with it unless you re-enable it later. This is a safe way to clean up your tablet without risking damage to system functions.
Some system apps cannot be disabled — Samsung locks certain core apps like Settings or the phone dialer to prevent accidental removal. If the Disable button is grayed out, that app is required for your tablet to function.
Removing apps through the Settings menu
If the press-and-hold method does not work, you can uninstall or disable any app through Settings. Open Settings, go to Apps, and scroll through the list until you find the app you want to remove. Tap the app name, then tap Uninstall (for downloaded apps) or Disable (for system apps).
This method also shows you how much storage space each app uses, which is helpful if you are trying to free up room on your tablet. Apps that use a lot of space appear higher in the list when you sort by size.
The Settings route takes a few more taps than the home screen method, but it works reliably on all Samsung tablets and gives you a full view of what is installed.
Clearing app data and cache without uninstalling
If an app is misbehaving but you want to keep it, you can clear its data and cache instead of removing it. Open Settings, tap Apps, find the app, and tap Storage. You will see two buttons: Clear Cache and Clear Data.
Clear Cache removes temporary files the app created while running — this is safe and often fixes freezing or crashing. Clear Data removes everything the app saved, including login information and saved progress. Use Clear Data only if the app is seriously broken and you are willing to set it up again from scratch.
Clearing cache and data does not uninstall the app itself, so you keep the app icon and can use it again when ready after.
Freeing up storage space by removing large apps
If your tablet is running low on storage, uninstalling large apps is one of the fastest ways to reclaim space. Go to Settings, tap Apps, then look for a sort option (usually three dots or lines at the top). Select Sort by Size to see which apps take up the most room.
Apps that include a lot of media — games, video players, photo editors — often use several gigabytes. Removing even two or three large apps can free up enough space to let your tablet run smoothly again. You can always reinstall them later if you need them.
Keep in mind that uninstalling an app removes its data. If you have saved files or progress inside the app, back them up before you uninstall — most apps have an export or backup option in their settings.
What to do if an app will not uninstall
If you tap Uninstall and nothing happens, the app may be set as a device administrator. Some apps request permission to manage your tablet's security or settings, and once they have that permission, they cannot be uninstalled until you remove that permission.
To check, open Settings, go to Security or Biometrics and Security, and look for Device Admin Apps or Apps with Special Access. Find the app in the list, tap it, and select Deactivate or Remove Admin Access. After that, you can uninstall it normally.
If the app still will not uninstall after you remove admin access, restart your tablet and try again. A restart clears temporary locks that sometimes prevent uninstallation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I uninstall multiple apps at once?
Most Samsung tablets do not have a built-in way to uninstall several apps in one action. You have to uninstall them one at a time through the home screen or Settings. If you are removing many apps, the Settings route is faster because you can scroll through the full list without switching screens.
Will uninstalling an app free up storage space when ready?
Yes. The space is freed as soon as the uninstall completes. If your tablet still feels slow after uninstalling apps, restart it — sometimes cached data from the removed apps lingers until the next restart.
What happens if I disable a system app by mistake?
You can re-enable it anytime. Go to Settings, Apps, find the app, and tap Enable. There is no penalty for disabling and re-enabling system apps, so do not worry if you turn off the wrong one.
Can I uninstall Google Play Store or other Google apps?
No. Google Play Store, Gmail, Google Maps, and other core Google apps cannot be uninstalled on Samsung tablets — they are system apps locked by Samsung. You can disable them if you do not use them, but you cannot remove them completely.
Do I lose my data if I uninstall an app?
Yes, unless the app backed up your data to the cloud. When you uninstall, all saved progress, settings, and files stored inside the app are deleted. If you reinstall the app later, it will not recover that data unless the app developer synced it to your Google account or their own servers.