watchOS 9.4 Lets You Delete Built-In Apps Right From Apple Watch
The watchOS 9.4 update that came out today has a hidden feature that is designed to allow you to delete built-in apps directly from the Apple Watch. Apple did not mention this function in the release notes for the update, but a support document on deleting built-in apps from various devices has been updated.
According to Apple, the following apps can be deleted from the Apple Watch if you are running watchOS 9.4 or later:
- Activity
- Depth
- Emergency Siren
- Find My
- Heart Rate
- Maps
- Wallet
- Workout
- World Clock
Prior to watchOS 9.4, you could remove an app from your Apple Watch by removing it from your iPhone, but the app needed to be deleted from both devices. With watchOS 9.4, you can delete an app like Activity or Maps on your Apple Watch, leaving it intact on the iPhone.
Apple warns that deleting built-in apps can affect core device functionality. If you delete the Heart Rate app, for example, the Apple Watch is not able to send high heart rate, low heart rate, irregular rhythm, and cardio fitness notifications.
Apple has come under fire for requiring that its apps be installed on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch devices, so it has been implementing tools for deleting the apps over the last several years. iOS 14 in particular added support for deleting a wide variety of built-in apps, which is useful for those who prefer to use third-party alternatives.
Popular Stories
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent.
A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect.
The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design.
It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information.
Relocated Charging Port
While the Magic Mouse switched from...
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect.
There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things.
Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3.
Mac users can download the macOS Sequoia update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15.
With...
