Uninstalling Android apps
Apps you download from Google Play can be easily uninstalled from your phone or tablet, and if the app was purchased, you can always re-install at a later date.
Uninstalling an app you downloaded
If you’ve installed an app on your phone or tablet using Google Play that you no longer want, you can uninstall it by following these steps:
- Navigate to Menu > Settings > Applications > Manage applications (on devices running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Settings > Apps).
- Scroll through the list of apps to find the one you’d like to uninstall.
- Tap on the app you’d like to uninstall.
- Tap “Uninstall.”
Note: if you don’t see the “Uninstall” button, or if you only see the option to “Uninstall updates,” then the app in question cannot be removed from your device. The app is likely a system app that cannot be uninstalled.
Uninstalling an app that you did not download
Apps that come pre-installed on your phone or tablet are known as system apps. System apps cannot be uninstalled because they are part of the version of the Android operating system running on your device.
On most devices, system apps include native Google apps such as Google Talk and Google Maps. For questions about other system apps that you may have installed on your device, please contact your mobile carrier.
Reinstalling apps
You’re able to return to the My Apps section of the Google Play Store app on your phone or tablet at any time to reinstall a purchased application that you’ve previously removed. To access My Apps:
- Launch the Google Play Store app (labeled “Play Store”)
- Tap Menu > My Apps
Permanently removing uninstalled apps
At this time, there is no way to permanently delete or remove apps from the Google Play website (My Orders/My Android Apps) or from the Google Play Store app (My Apps) that you’ve previously downloaded but have since uninstalled.
