The fastest way to delete an app from your Samsung tablet
To remove an app, 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 delete within a few seconds. If you do not see an uninstall option, the app came pre-installed on your tablet and your system may not allow removal — you can disable it instead by tapping Disable from the same menu.
Some apps cannot be removed because Samsung or your carrier locked them into the system. Disabling stops them from running and hides them from your app list, which works almost as well as deletion for freeing up space and stopping notifications.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold any app icon until a menu appears, then select Uninstall to remove it permanently.
- Pre-installed apps that cannot be uninstalled can be disabled instead, which stops them from running and removes them from your app drawer.
- You can also remove apps through Settings > Apps, where you see a full list of everything installed on your tablet.
- Uninstalling an app does not delete your account or data tied to that service — you can reinstall it later and log back in.
- Disabling a system app takes up almost no storage, but uninstalling a regular app frees up the space it was using.
Removing apps from your home screen versus the app drawer
Your Samsung tablet has two places where apps live: the home screen (the main page you see when you unlock the tablet) and the app drawer (the full list of all installed apps, usually opened by swiping up from the bottom or tapping an icon labeled "Apps").
If you press and hold an app on your home screen, you get options to uninstall it, move it, or remove just the shortcut. Removing the shortcut keeps the app installed but hides it from the home screen — the app still runs in the background and takes up storage. Uninstalling removes the entire app. If you want to delete the app itself, choose Uninstall, not Remove from Home Screen.
You can also go to the app drawer, find the app, press and hold it, and tap Uninstall from there. This method works the same way and deletes the app completely.
Using Settings to remove apps
If the press-and-hold method does not work or you want to see all your apps at once, open Settings and go to Apps (sometimes labeled process Manager or Manage Apps depending on your tablet model and Android version). You will see a list of every app installed on your tablet.
Tap the app you want to remove, then look for a button labeled Uninstall at the top or bottom of the screen. Tap it, and the system will ask you to confirm. Tap OK or Uninstall again, and the app will delete. If you see Disable instead of Uninstall, the app is a system app that your tablet will not let you remove — tap Disable to turn it off.
This method is useful if you have many apps to remove at once, because you can work through the list without going back to your home screen each time.
The difference between uninstalling and disabling
Uninstalling removes the app completely from your tablet. It no longer runs, sends notifications, or takes up storage space. If you want to use it again later, you can reinstall it from the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store.
Disabling turns off a system app so it cannot run or send notifications, but it stays on your tablet taking up a small amount of storage. You cannot uninstall system apps because they are part of the Android operating system itself. Disabling is the closest you can get to removing them. If you change your mind, you can re-enable a disabled app by going back to Settings > Apps, tapping the app, and selecting Enable.
For regular apps you downloaded yourself, always uninstall rather than disable — uninstalling frees up storage, while disabling does not.
What happens to your data and accounts when you remove an app
Uninstalling an app does not delete your account or any data stored on the company's servers. If you uninstall Gmail, for example, your emails stay in Google's system. When you reinstall the app and log back in, all your messages and settings are still there.
Some apps store data locally on your tablet — photos, documents, or settings saved inside the app itself. When you uninstall, that local data usually deletes too. However, if the app syncs to the cloud (like Google Drive or Dropbox), your files remain safe online. Check the app's settings before uninstalling if you are unsure whether your data is backed up.
If you want to keep local data before uninstalling, look for an export or backup option inside the app. Some apps let you save your data as a file before you remove them.
Troubleshooting when an app will not uninstall
If you tap Uninstall and nothing happens, the app may be set as a device administrator. Go to Settings > Security (or Biometrics and Security) > Device Admin Apps or Administrator Apps. Find the app in the list, tap it, and select Deactivate or Remove. Then go back to Settings > Apps and try uninstalling again.
Another reason an app might not uninstall is if it is a pre-installed system app. In that case, you will only see a Disable button, not Uninstall. Tap Disable instead — this stops the app from running and hides it from your app drawer.
If you still cannot remove an app after disabling device admin access, restart your tablet and try again. Sometimes a temporary system glitch prevents uninstall. If the problem continues, the app is likely a core system app that Samsung does not allow removal of, and disabling is your only option.
Freeing up storage space by removing large apps
Apps take up different amounts of storage depending on what they do. Games, photo editors, and streaming apps are usually the largest. To see how much space each app uses, go to Settings > Apps, tap an app, and look for Storage or App Size. The number shown is how much space that app is using.
If your tablet is running low on storage, removing a few large apps can free up gigabytes of space. Start by looking for games or apps you have not used in months. You can always reinstall them later if you need them again.
Keep in mind that uninstalling an app only frees up the space the app itself uses. If the app created large files or caches (temporary data it stored), those may remain on your tablet even after uninstall. To clear cached files, go to Settings > Storage and look for an option to clear cache or temporary files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove multiple apps at once?
Most Samsung tablets do not have a built-in way to select and delete multiple apps at the same time. You have to uninstall them one by one. The fastest method is to go to Settings > Apps and work through the list, tapping each app and selecting Uninstall.
What if I accidentally uninstall an app I need?
You can reinstall it from the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store. Open the store app, search for the app by name, and tap Install. Your account and data will be restored when you log back in, as long as the app syncs to the cloud.
Does uninstalling an app free up RAM or just storage?
Uninstalling frees up storage space on your tablet's hard drive. It does not directly free up RAM (memory), but if the app was running in the background, stopping it can make your tablet feel faster. Disabling an app also stops it from running in the background.
Why do some apps have a Disable button instead of Uninstall?
Those are system apps that came pre-installed on your Samsung tablet by Samsung or your carrier. They are part of the operating system, so your tablet will not let you remove them completely. Disabling them stops them from running and hides them from your app drawer, which achieves almost the same result.
Will removing an app stop it from sending notifications?
Yes. Uninstalling removes the app completely, so it cannot send notifications. Disabling an app also stops notifications. If you want to keep an app but silence its notifications, you do not need to uninstall it — go to Settings > Notifications, find the app, and turn notifications off.