Existing users, 
Removing stubborn iPhone apps
Posted 14 July 2008 @ 9am in Troubleshooting
Some iPhone applications downloaded from the App Store have proven difficult to remove. The two traditional methods of deleting/uninstalling apps are as follows:
- On the iPhone, press and hold any icon until all icons begin to shake. Press the black “X” in the upper left end of the icon, and the app is deleted from the iPhone.
- View applications in your iTunes library on your computer, control or right-click any application and select “delete”
However, if you delete the App from the iPhone the computer will reload it when you sync again. If you delete it from the computer the opposite happens. iTunes reports having purchased (free or otherwise in this case) apps to load from the iPhone. It then reappears. The ostensible workaround and is to delete the offending App from both places before syncing your iPhone again. However, we were foiled again in our attempts to remove some applications from our iPhone: they showed up again and again.
This is contrary to the behavior described in Apple Knowledge Base document HT1977:
“If you delete an Application from your iTunes library, the next time you sync your iPhone or iPod touch with that computer it will be removed from the device. If you delete an application from your device, but not from your iTunes library, it will be synced back to your device the next time your connect to iTunes.
“If you delete an Application from your iTunes library, the next time you sync your iPhone or iPod touch with that computer it will be removed from the device. If you delete an application from your device, but not from your iTunes library, it will be synced back to your device the next time your connect to iTunes.”
Similar issue? Please let us know.
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3 Comments
Posted by martyrsaregay
14 July 2008 @ 7pm
In order to keep this from happening, in the apps tab of the Iphone menu in itunes, uncheck the option to automatically sync the apps when connected to your computer. It’s here that you decide which apps you’ll like to keep on your Iphone/Ipod.
Posted by anandblore10
17 July 2008 @ 10am
actually my iphone was having problem with the screen. First the applications were opened on one touch but next the touchscreen not functioning. So I refurbish to upgrade to 2
Posted by kloranfm
8 September 2008 @ 8am
But how do you delete the apps that came with the phone that you don’t want?
I want to erase things like Stocks, which Ill NEVER use and just want to be rid of.