How to uninstall apps on Android

2 min read · 4 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Apps you no longer use take up storage, run in the background and ask for updates. Removing them is the quickest way to tidy a phone. You can install any of them again later, and paid apps do not need to be bought twice.

Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them, so the Samsung name is given where it differs. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Step by step

1. Touch and hold the app icon

   Do this on the home screen or in the app list. A small menu appears.

   Done

2. Tap App info, then Uninstall

   On many phones the menu has an Uninstall option directly. Confirm with OK.

   Done

3. Remove several apps in the Play Store

   Open the Play Store and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap Manage apps and device, then the Manage tab.

   Done

4. Sort by least used or by size

   Tap the sort button and choose Least used or Size. Tick the apps you want to remove and tap the bin icon at the top.

   Done

Good to know

Some apps that came with the phone cannot be uninstalled. Open App info and tap Disable instead. The app stops running and disappears from the app list.

Uninstalling an app does not cancel a subscription. Cancel it in the Play Store under your profile picture, Payments and subscriptions.

Android can do part of this for you: in App info, leave "Manage app if unused" on and the system removes permissions and temporary files from apps you have not opened for months.

In short: Hold the icon, App info, Uninstall. For many apps: Play Store, Manage apps and device, Manage.