Apps and defaults
Offload Unused Apps
Most people call this removing apps you do not use while keeping their data.
When storage runs low, apps you have not opened in a while are removed but their icons and data stay, so tapping the icon reinstalls them.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 16 and later
- Settings
- App Store
- Offload Unused Apps
What it does
Only the app itself is removed. Documents, settings and login state remain. The icon stays on the Home Screen with a small cloud symbol.
What changes
When it is on
Unused apps are removed automatically when space runs short.
When it is off
Nothing is removed. You manage storage yourself.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Frees space without losing anything.
- Reinstalling is one tap.
Good reasons to turn it off
- An offloaded app needs a network connection to come back.
- An app pulled from the App Store cannot be reinstalled at all.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
Costs you something
Storage
Helps
Out of the box: Off, though iOS suggests it when storage is low.
Questions people actually ask
- What is the cloud icon on my app?
- The app has been offloaded to save space. Tap it to download it again. Your data is still there.
If it is not working
- A cloud symbol next to an app name means it has been offloaded.
- You can offload a single app manually from iPhone Storage.
- It does not work offline, so offload nothing you need on a flight.