I’ve downloaded several apps to try them out, but now I want to remove the ones I don’t need from my Apple Watch. Could someone walk me through the process of deleting or uninstalling apps directly from the watch or the paired iPhone? I’d appreciate any guidance as I’m new to managing apps on these devices.
Oh, deleting apps off your Apple Watch is super easy! Here’s the deal:
Directly on the Watch:
- Press the Digital Crown to see all your apps laid out (looks like a cluster of bubbles or a grid depending on your layout).
- In ‘Grid View’ (those bubbled apps), press and hold an app until they wiggle like they’re asking for liberation.
- Look for the teeny-tiny ‘X’ on the app you want to delete. Tap it. Watch asks, “Are you sure?” Confirm the deletion. Boom, gone.
- For ‘List View’, swipe left on the app you want to ditch and hit the small trash can icon.
Using your iPhone (- bc sometimes your fat fingers just can’t with that tiny screen):
- Open the Watch app ('coz nothing screams control freak like managing apps from a bigger screen!).
- Scroll down to Installed on Apple Watch, find the app, and toggle OFF “Show on Apple Watch.” Poof, it’ll vanish from the watch.
Heads up, tho—some default apps are like that overly attached friend you can’t get rid of. They’re stuck there (e.g., Messages or Workout). Also, deleting the app from your iPhone might remove it from the Watch too, depending on the sync settings… so, you know, double-check before you create an accidental app apocalypse.
Hope this solves your Apple Watch app clutter crisis. 
If we’re being totally honest, deleting apps on the Apple Watch is like trying to evict a really stubborn roommate—you think you’ve got them out, and suddenly they’re back on another screen. But okay, let me break it down for you without copy-pasting what @hoshikuzu already laid out (thanks for the spoiler-free explanation, lol):
First off, here’s my take: just use your iPhone. I mean, the poor tiny screen of the Watch isn’t exactly built for hardcore app management, especially if your thumbs are anything bigger than a toothpick. Seriously, who has the patience to tap those minuscule Xs without accidentally deleting your totally random meditation app that you swore you’d use but never did? Anyway…
While the whole iPhone Watch app toggle-off method is solid, you should know this doesn’t actually delete the app—it just hides it from the Watch. So, if you’re looking to free up storage or fully uninstall the app, you’re stuck using your iPhone or going nuclear and deleting it straight from your phone entirely (after syncing with the Watch).
Also, one thing @hoshikuzu touched on but maybe didn’t emphasize enough—Apple’s default apps are like those plastic clamshell packaging wrap things: real hard to get rid of unless you have tools. Translation: you can’t delete them unless you jailbreak your iPhone or pray to Apple.
Another pro-tip? If the app is being stubborn and refuses to delete (it happens), restarting your Watch or doing a cheeky resync from the iPhone can sometimes work wonders. Think of it as politely forcing the app to pack its bags and leave.
So yeah, tl;dr: small screen, big fingers = major stress. Just let your iPhone do the heavy lifting while you question why you downloaded half of these apps to begin with. Do you really need three different weather widgets on your wrist? Probably not.