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Apple might finally let you delete apps that come with the iPhone

Apple might finally let you delete apps that come with the iPhone

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According to Tim Cook, Apple is "looking at" letting consumers get rid of default iPhone apps that are rarely used. These are the ones you almost always hide away in a folder the minute you set up your new iPhone: Compass, Stocks, Podcasts, Tips, etc. In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Cook acknowledged that customers want this option, but in the same breath he also dashed any hopes of deleting and replacing core apps like Messages, Safari, or Mail.

Update: Read the iPhone 6S review.

"This is a more complex issue than it first appears," he said. "There are some apps that are linked to something else on the iPhone. If they were to be removed they might cause issues elsewhere on the phone. There are other apps that aren’t like that. So over time, I think with the ones that aren’t like that, we’ll figure out a way [for you to remove them]." So the critical apps aren't going anywhere, but Apple may be easing its stance on others. In iOS 8, Apple added Health, Podcasts, and Tips as built-in apps. With iOS 9, you'll be seeing Find My iPhone, Find My Friends, and News as the latest apps that can't be uninstalled.

Cook went on, telling BuzzFeed News, "It’s not that we want to suck up your real estate, we’re not motivated to do that. We want you to be happy." Of course, Apple's CEO didn't offer any solid details on when this newfound flexibility might arrive. With iOS 9 due tomorrow, we know it certainly won't be part of that update's features — at least initially. But Apple hears us, everybody. Hopefully it's just a matter of time.

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