Filipe Espósito
The first beta of iOS 16 was made available to developers earlier this week,
and we now know more about several of its new features, including the
customizable lock screen and new iMessage features. In addition, Apple will
now let users uninstall the Find My, Health, and Clock apps with the update.
Being able to uninstall Apple apps that come preinstalled on iOS is not a
new feature. Since iOS 10, users can delete apps such as Calculator,
Calendar, Mail, Music, Notes, and Podcasts. Over the years, Apple has
expanded the list of native system apps that can be removed from the iPhone
and iPad. Now Find My, Health, and Clock are part of this list.
As confirmed by 9to5Mac, these three apps can now be removed from iOS 16 and
iPadOS 16. But of course, youll probably end up losing some system
functionality by removing the Find My, Health, or Clock apps from your
devices.
When it comes to Find My, deleting the app doesnt turn off built-in Find My
features, such as Find My Friends. A message alerts the user that any
people, devices, or items associated with their Apple ID will still be there
after uninstalling the app and that users can still manage these options in
the Settings app.
However, as you might expect, you wont be able to locate your devices and
accessories like AirTag without having the app installed. Apps removed from
iOS can be reinstalled at any time through the App Store. Now there are only
a few native Apple apps that still cant be uninstalled, such as Phone,
Safari, Messages, and the App Store.
9to5Macs Take
While I have always appreciated the ability to hide or remove Apples native
apps since not everyone uses the companys own services, its interesting to
see that this option has been expanded to such important apps as Find My and
Health. At the same time, its weird to think that someone would delete the
native Clock app, losing options to create timers and alarms.
But the explanation for this may be related to the recent antitrust
investigations that Apple has been facing. Back in 2020, the European Union
raised the possibility of banning tech companies from forcing users to have
all their own apps installed. There are also accusations that Apple uses its
control over iOS to push its own services.
Since iOS 14.3, Apple has added a new step in the setup process of a new
iPhone or iPad that suggests some third-party apps to the user in order to
comply with requirements of governments like Russia. As such, letting users
remove all iOS apps may reduce the chances of the company being hit by
further antitrust lawsuits.
===========================================================
The fb-exchange mailing list
Manage account,
List Page: https://www.freelists.org/list/fb-exchange
Subscribe: mailto:fb-exchange-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=subscribe
Unsubscribe: mailto:fb-exchange-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=unsubscribe
Archive: https://www.freelists.org/archive/fb-exchange
Administrative contact: insight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
===========================================================
