Apple Might Finally Let iPhone Users Delete Some Of Those “Junk Drawer” Apps

If you own an iPhone, you probably have a folder somewhere on your device that says “Crap I Don’t Use” or “Why Can’t I Delete This, Darn It?” that holds all of the native apps that come preloaded onto Apple phones, but that can’t be deleted. That junk drawer might be a bit less full sometime in the future, as Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says the company may allow iPhone users to remove certain apps.

The problem is, some of those preloaded apps are essential to how the phone runs, Cook told Buzzfeed News in a recent interview, so removing them might hamper a device from working properly.

“This is a more complex issue than it first appears,” Cook 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.”

For those that aren’t absolutely necessary for the iPhone to function, Cook says Apple will “figure out a way” for users to remove them. After all, it’s not like the company wants to punish users with all that bloatware, Cook adds.

“It’s not that we want to suck up your real estate; we’re not motivated to do that,” he told Buzzfeed. “We want you to be happy. So I recognize that some people want to do this, and it’s something we’re looking at.”

20 Minutes With Tim Cook [Buzzfeed News]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.