The fastest way to remove an app from your Samsung phone
To delete an app on a Samsung phone, press and hold the app icon on your home screen or in the app drawer until a menu appears, then tap Uninstall or Remove. The app will be gone in seconds. If you do not see an uninstall option, the app is built into Samsung and cannot be removed — you can only disable it or hide it from view.
Some apps come pre-installed on Samsung phones and cannot be deleted the normal way. For those, you can disable them (which stops them from running and removes them from your app list) or hide them so they do not show on your home screen. The steps differ slightly depending on which method you choose and which version of Samsung's Android system you have.
Key Takeaways
- Apps you downloaded can be uninstalled by holding the icon and tapping Uninstall; they disappear completely from your phone.
- Samsung pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled but can be disabled, which stops them from running and removes them from your app list.
- You can hide apps from your home screen without removing them by using the home screen settings or the app drawer menu.
- If you change your mind, you can reinstall any app you deleted by opening the Google Play Store and searching for it by name.
Delete an app you downloaded from the home screen
The easiest way to remove an app is directly from your home screen. Find the app icon, press and hold it until the menu appears at the top of the screen, then tap Uninstall. A confirmation message will ask if you are sure — tap Uninstall again, and the app is gone.
If you do not see Uninstall in the menu, try a different approach: tap App info or Information instead. This opens the app's settings page. At the top, you will see either an Uninstall button or a three-dot menu. Tap whichever one is there, then select Uninstall. The app will be removed from your phone.
Delete an app from the app drawer
You can also delete apps from the app drawer, which is where all your installed apps live. Open the app drawer (usually by swiping up from the bottom of the home screen or tapping the app grid icon), find the app you want to remove, and press and hold it. The menu will appear with the same options as the home screen.
Tap Uninstall, then confirm. The app is removed. If the app is a Samsung system app, you will see Disable or Turn off instead of Uninstall — that is normal, and tapping it will disable the app rather than delete it.
Disable or hide Samsung pre-installed apps
Samsung phones come with apps like Samsung Internet, Samsung Health, and Samsung Notes that cannot be uninstalled. To stop them from running and remove them from your app list, you can disable them. Press and hold the app icon and tap Disable or Turn off. A warning will appear explaining that disabling the app may affect other features — tap Disable again to confirm.
If you want to keep the app but just hide it from your home screen, you do not need to disable it. Instead, press and hold the app icon and tap Hide or Remove from home screen. The app stays on your phone and will still run in the background, but you will not see it on your home screen or in your app drawer.
Hide apps without removing them
Hiding an app is different from deleting or disabling it — the app stays on your phone and continues to work, but you will not see it in your app drawer or on your home screen. This is useful if you want to keep an app but do not use it often.
To hide an app, open your app drawer, press and hold the app, and look for an option like Hide, Hide app, or Remove from home screen. Tap it, and the app disappears from view. To see hidden apps later, open your app drawer settings (usually a three-dot menu at the top) and look for Show hidden apps or Hidden apps. You can unhide any app from there.
Reinstall an app you deleted
If you delete an app and later change your mind, you can get it back. Open the Google Play Store, tap the search icon at the top, type the app name, and tap the result. Tap Install, and the app will read and install on your phone. This works for any app you downloaded — it does not work for Samsung pre-installed apps that you disabled, because those are already on your phone and can be re-enabled instead.
To re-enable a disabled Samsung app, go to Settings > Apps, find the app in the list, tap it, and look for a Enable or Turn on button. Tap it, and the app will be active again.
What to do if an app will not uninstall
If you try to uninstall an app and nothing happens, or you see only a Disable option, the app is a Samsung system app and cannot be removed. Your only options are to disable it (which stops it from running) or hide it (which removes it from view but keeps it running). Both options work well if you do not want to see or use the app.
Another reason an app might not uninstall is if it is set as a device administrator. Go to Settings > Security > Device admin apps (or Advanced security settings on newer phones), find the app, and tap Deactivate. Then try uninstalling it again. If it still will not uninstall after that, it is a system app and must be disabled instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting an app remove all my data from it?
Yes. When you uninstall an app, all the data it stored on your phone is deleted — saved files, login information, settings, and messages. If the app backs up data to the cloud (like Google Drive or the app's own server), that data stays safe and you can restore it if you reinstall the app later. Check the app's settings before you delete it if you are unsure whether your data is backed up.
Can I delete multiple apps at once?
No, Samsung phones do not have a built-in way to select and delete multiple apps at the same time. You must delete them one at a time by holding each icon and tapping Uninstall. If you have many apps to remove, this takes a few minutes, but it is the only method available.
What happens if I disable a Samsung app?
Disabling an app stops it from running and removes it from your app drawer and home screen. The app stays on your phone and takes up storage space, but it will not open, send notifications, or run in the background. You can re-enable it anytime from Settings > Apps. Disabling is safe and does not harm your phone, though disabling some system apps may affect related features.
Can I delete apps that came with Samsung?
No, you cannot uninstall Samsung pre-installed apps like Samsung Internet or Samsung Health. You can only disable them or hide them. Disabling stops them from running; hiding removes them from view but keeps them active. If you want them gone completely, disabling is your best option.
How do I see all my hidden apps?
Open your app drawer and tap the three-dot menu or settings icon at the top. Look for an option called Show hidden apps, Hidden apps, or Display hidden apps. Tap it, and all your hidden apps will appear. You can unhide any app from that list by tapping it and selecting Unhide or Show.