Masarik / Shutterstock.com
With the introduction of tvOS 9.0 in October 2015, theApple TVcould finally supportapp downloads. While this sounds commonplace from our modern-day perspective, this new operating system brought a major upgrade to the Apple TV. Before this update, Apple TV users were stuck with whatever apps were pre-installed on the device. After this update, users could now add more than 20,000 unique apps to their Apple TV home page. Naturally, this brought the ability to delete apps, as well. But how do you actually delete apps on Apple TV? Follow along with our guide for details.
Why Delete Apps On Apple TV?
You re probably eager to go over the steps necessary to delete apps on Apple TV. But first, let s review a few good reasons why you might want to delete them in the first place. Maybe you re trying to organize your home page. Perhaps you d like to get rid of apps you no longer subscribe to. Or, maybe you simply want to remove apps you don t need on your device anymore. Any one of these reasons is perfectly valid. Let s elaborate on each one of them below. Then, we ll review the steps and photos in our walkthrough below.
Organization
Firstly, we have organizational reasons. The more apps you download to your Apple TV, the messier that home screen will become. Thankfully, tvOS can sort apps into folders as you would on an iPhone or iPad screen. Deleting apps can be an additional organizational tool, as well. You can use this delete feature to clean up your screen and de-clutter your interface for better, more convenient streaming. Not to mention, deleting apps frees up space for even more apps on your Apple TV device!
Subscription Ended
Secondly, you may want to delete an app because your subscription has ended. Apple TV has a wide variety of streaming service apps ready for you to download and enjoy. These streamers include free trials and in-app purchases to help make subscribing to their services even easier. However, not everybody wants to keep those apps around after the trial ends. In these instances, it s often easier to just delete the app altogether. Otherwise, that ended subscription service s app is just sitting there unused.
App No Longer Needed
Maybe it s not as complex or difficult as organizational needs or endedsubscription services. Perhaps it s just as simple as no longer wanting the app to be on your Apple TV home page. It s possible the app didn t work as advertised. Or, it s just as possible the app wasn t what you expected it to be. It might even be as basic as the app merely no longer serving a purpose for you. In the end, this reasoning is just as sufficient as the other two we ve listed here. Any one is a perfectly good enough reason to delete apps on Apple TV.
Apple TV 4K (3rd Generation)
$144.00
- 4K Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos sound and HDR10+ support
- Equipped with the powerful A15 Bionic chip
- Third-generation Siri Remote with improved clickpad
- Wi-Fi and Ethernet options available
How To Delete Apps On Apple TV
With these reasons now explained, let s walk through the process of deleting apps on Apple TV. This process will work the same from the fourth-generation Apple TV HD to the third-generation Apple TV 4K. However, it s not possible for Apple TV devices before the Apple TV 4K. In other words, only Apple TV devices capable of downloading apps can also delete them. For the record, we re using a first-generation Apple TV 4K for our demonstration. However, this fact should have no real impact on the performance of the tvOS.
Step One: Hover Over App
History-Computer.com
Firstly, find the app you want to delete. Navigate around your Apple TV home screen using theSiri Remote. Once you ve found the app you re trying to remove, don t hit Select. This will open up the app, which is not what we re trying to do. Instead, proceed to the next step.
Step Two: Hold Down Select
History-Computer.com
Once you ve pinpointed the app you wish to delete, hold down the Select button on your Siri Remote. Depending on your particular Siri Remote, this Select button will look a little different from generation to generation. In general, though, it will always be located in the middle of the directional pad. Hold down for a few seconds, and the app should begin to shake.
Step Three: Delete App
History-Computer.com
Lastly, with the app still shaking after holding down Select, press the Play/Pause button on the Siri Remote. This will present you with three options: Delete, New Folder, and Cancel. By default, the Delete button will be highlighted in red. Select Delete, then follow any on-screen prompts that follow. After that, the app will officially be deleted.
That s all there is to it! Now, repeat as many times as you need to. You can always re-download the app from the App Store as long as the developer still has it listed and available.