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User profile for user: DJPens
DJPens Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

SOLUTION: Deleted Apps Keep Showing Up On My iPhone/iPod Every Time I Sync! I Want To Manage The Apps Manually!

I've been faced with this issue before. There are some apps that I deleted, but they always show back up on my iPhone every time I sync it. It gets pretty annoying and I want to manage my apps manually. Well, I have a solution for you guys. Follow the steps below!


Step 1: Open up your iTunes 11 and plug your iDevice into your computer.


Step 2: On the top right of your iTunes screen, click on the name of your device.


Step 3: Go to the "Apps" tab and scroll down until you see "Automatically Install New Apps", make sure that it is unchecked.


Step 4: If there are any apps that you don't want to show up on your iDevice, click on the "Remove" button right next to them. The button will change to "Will Remove", which means that the app will be removed from your iDevice the next time you sync it. The same thing goes for the "Install" buttons next to the app. Always sync after you choose every app that you either want to remove or install.


Step 5: Go onto the "Settings" app on your iDevice.


Step 6: Scroll down to "iTunes & App Store" and open it.


Step 7: Scroll down until you see the "Automatic Downloads" category and turn off both of the "Apps" and "Updates" sliders.


Step 8: Sync your iDevice and you should be able to manage your apps manually 😉


I hope that I've helped some of you, have a great day!

iPhone 5, iOS 7.0.2, Works on every iPhone and iPod!

Posted on Oct 1, 2013 8:35 AM

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12 replies
User profile for user: heikkipekka
heikkipekka
User level: Level 1
8 points

Apr 23, 2014 9:24 AM in response to DJPens

Wow, this might be it. Just today had this issue, first with my iPhone 4S and then with iPad mini. Apps deleted from the device would get re-synced to the device while backing the device up to iTunes. This might be the reason, although I don't get it why "Automatically Install New Apps" checked in iTunes would sync OLD APPS already once downloaded, installed and then deleted from the device.


What troubles me, it's quite convenient having iPhone and iPad automatically install new apps when buying apps from the iTunes from the comfort of my MacBook Pro. So wouldn't want to turn that off on the mobile devices themselves.


Maybe you can just uncheck that option in iTunes, but leave the setting on in the mobile devices themselves? I'll try that. Thanks!

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User profile for user: relafj1
relafj1
User level: Level 1
0 points

Apr 26, 2014 11:16 AM in response to DJPens

Just an FYI. I followed the instructions as written but the old apps kept loading. I am running iTunes 11.1.5.5. In the Apps tab, the different screens that I have on my phone are shown on the right side of the PC window. I would start a sync and the unwanted apps would appear in my home screens. I would stop the sync and edit the home screens (in iTunes) by double clicking the screen shots. They would enlarge and then allow me to remove ("X") each of the unwanted apps. Some of the apps kept returning even after I removed them from the home screens. I had to do this multiple times until all of the unwanted apps no longer appeared. I only had a 100 or so unwanted apps but I feel sorrow for those that would have to do this process if they have over 500 apps.

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User profile for user: Mactabby
Mactabby
User level: Level 1
58 points

Nov 19, 2014 6:48 PM in response to DJPens

Just to add another voice - I have had the same issue with both my kids' iPad Minis (16Gb) after restoring them from an older iPad (32Gb). In today's example, I deleted apps from the iPad until it was using less than 12Gb space, backed it up to my Mac via iTunes, synced it a few times just to be sure iTunes and I were in agreement as to the iPad's lighter app load. I then backed up again, then restored the Mini from that backup of the iPad, at which point iTunes decided the Mini needed all the apps I'd deleted from the iPad at the start of the process.


At no point were those apps showing as 'Will Install' in iTunes - it just went ahead and added them.


Since then I have tried deleting them from the Mini, app by app, and from the Mini's Settings->General->About->Usage window as well. I have tried deleting them from the management window in iTunes and tried clicking 'Remove' for all of them in iTunes. It doesn't matter, iTunes keeps reinstalling them the first opportunity it gets.


I can't tell you how much I hate iTunes. It is comfortably the worst usability experience and one of the worst performing pieces of software I have ever been required to use.

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User profile for user: TsmH
TsmH
User level: Level 1
0 points

Aug 25, 2015 12:19 PM in response to DJPens

There's no need to mess around with iTunes to delete apps on an iOS device. Tap Settings > General > Usage, then look at the apps from the Manage Storage section.

Tap on an app’s name, then tap Delete App. it, and it's data & storage, and it's name in the long list under Settings, is gone. Old apps removed by the jiggle delete feature leave a lot of data on an IOS device. After this its all gone.

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User profile for user: flysafely
flysafely
User level: Level 1
9 points

Aug 27, 2015 8:17 AM in response to TsmH

Thank you, TsmH.
Question:
1. When I sync my iPhone to iTunes, will the apps I deleted from my iPhone stay deleted, and after the sync, iTunes will not show the deleted app


2. iCloud didn't delete those same apps on my iPad. Did you find that you had to delete from all devices manually?


Just a comment, I sure wish Apple would list the apps there (Settings/General/Usage/Manage Store) alphabetically instead of by size.


Thanks so much, TsmH,


Nancy N

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SOLUTION: Deleted Apps Keep Showing Up On My iPhone/iPod Every Time I Sync! I Want To Manage The Apps Manually!

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