I really enjoy the new App Store, especially the Today tab, where I can read more in-depth stories about developers, apps, and even collections of apps that I may find interesting. I spend more time on the new App Store than I ever did before. However, I still have a bit of a problem—Updates.
The Updates tab works exactly as expected—an app is updated, and you can download it directly to your phone. Great. However, many of the updates that come through are for apps that I haven’t used in a while and would love just to delete them. I wish there were a button right there, along with Update, that allowed me to remove the app.
I realize that I could just go find the app and delete it manually, but when I’m staring at a list of updates, pressing “Update All” seems like the most natural thing to do. I always tell myself that I’ll go through the pages of apps and delete the ones I don’t want anymore—I never do.
Having a delete button would be an effortless way for users to keep their devices clean and up-to-date without having to spend the time going through pages of apps.
I would love to say that I’m going to finish writing this and then go clean up my iPhone, but I just hit Update All. Next time.
What’s more annoying is when there’s an update listed there, but then when you try to apply it, an error message pops up saying “Application is no longer in the store.” So either let me install the last update the vendor made, or don’t nag me about it.
Sounds like the “Offload Unused Apps” option was made for you. I love using it.
Offload doesn’t delete it. I’m with Jim – just met get the thing off my phone permanently.
Along the same lines it’s even more nuts I can’t just delete apps from the App Compatibility view in the settings app either.
Offload gets rid of the app and keeps your data. The only thing left is the app icon and your data in case you want to reinstall the app. It won’t receive updates, either, since it’s not installed.
Implementing a “delete” button in the Updates section would involve more than just adding the button, Apple would also have to make sure people aren’t accidentally deleting apps (and their content) instead of updating an app, and what to do if that happens.
It’s easy to say “just do X”, it’s hard to figure out “how do we do X properly”.
Go to Settings – general – storage.
There you will get a list of all your apps with the last opened date, easy just to tap an app there and delete it. (Way quicker way to go trough your device than scrolling trough screens and folders.)
I would settle for a find on phone button that takes you to the screen the app is located. Open is nice but I often want to delete as well. Show me where it is without me searching for it. This would be especially useful in on the screen that lists 32 bit apps that don’t even work on your device.
Also, when using spotlight in IOS, deep press on an app in search results to delete would be helpful.
it’s not really a nag…there’s little reason for anyone to manually update apps, is there? once apple introduced the auto updates the need to go into the Updates screen vanished.
there’s little reason to even be in the Update screen to manually update the apps, iOS will auto-update them for you…so putting a Delete button there will only add confusion, leading users to believe they should go there for updating and deleting.
if you don’t want to delete apps from the pages, go to General > iPhone Storage.
“once apple introduced the auto updates the need to go into the Updates screen vanished.”
I have lost track of the number of times an app update made the app markedly worse, whether by making a game less fun (but more profitable), by changing a simple and elegant interface into a disorganized mess (looking at Apple and the Music app), or by introducing horrible bugs.
I switch off automatic app updates on every device I have. I will be the one who decides when an app has improved and should be updated, TYVM.
Long press on the app icon in the Update list to make the icon wiggle and tap the X to delete just like in the springboard. That’s how I’d like to see this implemented. Familiar UI, low risk of making a wrong choice; win-win.
“how do you know whether an update does those things or not?”
People with auto updates enabled will complain that the new version is worse.
how do you know whether an update does those things or not? the release notes won’t make that clear.
and neither Apple Maps nor Music were app updates, they were OS updates, and there was nothing you could do to prevent them other than stay on some old verizon of iOS forever.
Sounds like you just want to invent work for yourself. Do you also compulsively clear your recently used apps list (aka the app switcher)?
Download the update, discover that it’s worse, restore from backup – either delete the app and restore the old version from Itunes, or if that’s not possible, restore from the most recent icloud backup.
They could fix this by adding the delete functionality to an app’s product page. This is where Android puts it (the “Install” button turns into “Uninstall” and “Open” after an app is installed, then “Open” turns into “Update” when there’s an update and “Uninstall” is still available). Right now they only let you open the app from there (or update, then open if it has an update).