How to delete installed iPhone and iPad apps right from the update list on iOS 13 and iPadOS

Apple’s listened: iOS 13 and iPadOS make it possible to delete apps right from the update list!

Even though iOS 13 and iPadOS make it somewhat harder to download and install app updates by hiding the update interface under your Apple ID profile picture—and replacing the Updates tab with Arcade—it’s now possible to delete apps right from the update list on App Store.

Follow along with iDownloadBlog as we show you how to delete apps when updating them on your iOS device or viewing a list of your recently updated apps.

Deleting apps from the update list in iOS 13 & iPadOS

To delete apps right from the update list on iOS 13 and iPadOS, do the following:

1) Open App Store on your iPhone with iOS 13 or iPad with iPadOS.

2) Tap your Apple ID profile picture near the top-right corner.

3) Scroll halfway down to the section titled Pending Updates or Updated Recently.

You can find these sections right below Personalized Recommendations.

Pending Updates is only shown if there are updates available to any of your installed iPhone or iPad apps. The same goes for Updated Recently, it’s hidden unless you have downloaded and installed some app updates on your iPhone or iPad.

4) Swipe left on any listed app in the list and tap Delete, then confirm the action.

Deleting Facebook Messenger from my updates list on iOS 13.

This is yet another small but tremendously useful feature addition in iOS 13 and iPadOS. With this option, you can now triage your apps by removing unwanted ones from within App Store as soon as you spot their updates, without ever having to go to the Home screen and hunt for the icon.

Other ways to delete apps

Don’t forget about the other ways of deleting apps in iOS 13 and iPadOS.

Like before, you can simply tap and hold an icon on the Home screen to enter the icon jiggle mode, then tap the “x” in the icon’s top-left corner. Alternatively, visit your device storage section in Settings → General where all of the installed apps are listed based on their size.

TUTORIAL: How to update apps on iOS 13 and iPadOS

From there, choose an app from the list and tap Delete App in order to remove both the app itself and any app user data from the device.. Or, tap the Offload App option if you’d like to have the app binary removed but your app data kept intact on the device.

TUTORIAL: How to offload unused apps

Offloading an app is especially useful if you’d like to keep any in-app content and settings on the device in case you change your mind and re-install the app down the road.

Other App Store changes in iOS 13 & iPadOS

Something that you may want to keep in mind is the fact that iOS 13 and iPadOS change your App Store settings so that you receive automatic updates for apps. Many people, this author included, prefer to manually refresh apps because updates sometime remove functionality and the only way to know about that in advance is by manually reading the changelog before updating.

To have the updates manually downloaded, go to Settings → iTunes & App Stores and slide the toggle App Updates underneath the heading Automatic Downloads to the OFF position.

iOS 13 and iPadOS bring out other notable App Store changes.

The storefront now supports Arabic and Hebrew languages, and that’s across editorial content, collections and lists, product pages and search. Another crowd-pleaser: you now finally have an option at your disposal to download large apps and games over cellular connections.

A new iOS 13 option to download large apps over cellular.

And thanks to the changes to the way iOS apps are packaged on the store, customers can expect up to 50 percent smaller apps and up to 50 percent smaller app updates on average.

iOS 13 compatibility

iOS 13 is compatible with the following Apple smartphone models:

  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE
  • iPod touch (7th generation)

For more information, read Apple’s press release or visit apple.com/ios/ios-13-preview.

iPadOS compatibility

iPadOS is compatible with these iPads:

  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro
  • 11-inch iPad Pro
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad (6th generation)
  • iPad (5th generation)
  • iPad mini (5th generation)
  • iPad mini 4
  • iPad Air (3rd generation)
  • iPad Air 2

Watch our video overview of the new iPad-only updates embedded below.

Subscribe to iDownloadBlog on YouTube

For more, read Apple’s press release or visit apple.com/ipados/ipados-preview.

Need help? Ask iDB!

If you like this tutorial, pass it along to your friends and leave a comment below.

Got stuck? Not sure how to do certain things on your Apple device? Let us know via help@idownloadblog.com and a future tutorial might provide a solution.

Submit your own how-to suggestions via tips@idownloadblog.com.