Before iOS 11 was available, the only way to delete an application on our iPhone or iPad was to delete it. However, with the arrival of this version of the popular Apple operating system, a new option arrived: uninstall , which means that it is possible to uninstall an app but not delete it .
Although at first we might think that it is the same, in reality it is not entirely so. In fact, it is normal for many iPhone users to wonder what the difference is between uninstalling and removing. But the truth is that, at least on iOS, they are originally different options.
We must bear in mind that there are many applications on our phone, which at a certain point we decided to install, but which we have not used for quite some time. In fact, some apps we haven’t opened in months. But it is possible that removing them does not seem like a good idea, since deleting an app will not only erase the data and files associated with it, but also the app itself.
Therefore, this is where we find the advantages that the option of uninstalling an app would offer us, and that we will describe below.
What is and what is uninstalling an app on iOS?
In iOS, uninstalling an app is a very useful feature when we want to remove the application itself, but not the data associated with it . In other words, it offers us the possibility of eliminating an application but not its files, so it is an ideal option when we think that, in the future, we might need to reinstall it again, but not doing it from scratch.
That is, it allows us to delete the application but then, to reinstall it in the future, it will not be necessary to reconfigure the application, since the data associated with it will still be available on our iPhone or iPad.
In this way, when we uninstall an app, the operating system will no longer make API calls, it will not run in the background or “bother” us with countless unnecessary notifications. But the app data will remain in the device storage .
If we opt for this functionality, the icon will remain on the home screen, or in a folder on the home screen, and a small cloud-shaped icon will appear below it (right next to the name of the aforementioned application). However, although it would disappear from the list of apps that we find at the bottom of Settings, it can still be visible on the Storage page of iPhone or iPad.
So what is removing an app on iOS? How is it different from the option to uninstall an app?
As its name suggests, removing an application consists of precisely that: deleting an app, and all the data and files associated with it completely and completely.
It is an ideal option when we want to delete a certain application without leaving files and documents related to it, which will also eliminate its configuration files. In other words, if we want to install it again we would have to add all our data from the beginning, as if we were doing it for the first time.
The same will not happen with the “uninstall” option, since the most important files will continue to be in the storage of our device.
As you can see for yourself, the total size of a certain app is divided into two options: the size of the application and the size of the data and documents . Documents and data contain cookies and cached files (such as information related to app login and configuration preferences), as well as uploaded files such as photos or videos.
While if we choose the option to “delete” we will obtain the space occupied by the app and its data, the option to “uninstall” will free up the storage space that would be shown next to the size of the application , since it only removes the app, but not the data.
