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How to delete iMessage apps on iPhone & iPad

In This Article

In This Article

iMessage apps were supposed to be the next big thing for Apple’s iMessage platform, allowing users to play games, share songs and more with other iMessage users from within the Messages app.

However, uptake hasn’t been as widespread as Apple would’ve liked. When was the last time you used an iMessage app? Were you even aware that they were a thing?

Well, the good news is that you can delete any old iMessage apps from your iPhone from the heyday of iMessage apps you’re no longer using. The bad news is that it’s not quite as straightforward as you might assume, especially if you remember how iMessage apps used to work when they were first introduced in iOS 8.

Still, that’s where we at Trusted Reviews come in. If you want to delete iMessage apps on youriPhoneoriPad, here’s how to do it.

What you’ll need:

The Short Version

Step1

Open the Settings app

Open the Settings app

You might assume that, dealing with iMessage apps, you’d have to open the Messages app. But, for some reason, that’s not the case! Instead, you’ll have to head to the Settings app – the app with a mechanical cog icon if you’re unfamiliar.

Step2

Tap Messages

From the main Settings app menu, scroll down until you see the Messages section. Tap it.

Step3

Tap iMessage Apps

From within the Message settings menu, tap iMessage apps. This will take you to a list of all the iMessage apps currently installed on your iPhone or iPad.

Step4

Tap the delete icon next to the app

From the list of installed iMessage apps presented to you, simply tap the delete icon to the left of the app you want to get rid of.

Step5

Tap Delete

Once you tap the icon, a Delete button should appear on the right-hand side of the app. Tap that.

Step6

Confirm your decision

Finally, to confirm that you want to uninstall the iMessage app, tap Delete on the pop-up that appears.

Troubleshooting

While you could uninstall iMessage apps from the Messages app in earlier versions of iOS and iPadOS, it has moved to the Settings app with more recent versions of the software.

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Lewis is the Mobile Editor of Trusted Reviews with plenty of phone experience, from the Nokia 3210 to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. He has been in the tech industry writing about phones, headphones, tablets,…

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Why trust our journalism?

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.