iOS 16 adds Find My, Health, and Clock to the list of deletable apps

According to 9to5Mac, earlier this week, the first beta version of iOS 16 was pushed to developers for preview, and people now know more about its several new features, including custom lock screens and new iMessage features. In addition, Apple will now allow users to uninstall Find My, Health, and Clock apps through updates.

Being able to uninstall Apple apps that come pre-installed on iOS is not a new feature. Since iOS 10, users have been able to delete apps like Calculator, Calendar, Mail, Music, Notes, and Podcasts. Over the years, Apple has expanded the list of native system apps that can be deleted from iPhone and iPad. Now, Find My, Health, and Clock are also on this list.

As confirmed by 9to5Mac, these three apps can now be removed from iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. But of course, by removing the Find My, Health, or Clock apps from your device, users may end up losing some system functionality.

For Find My, deleting the app does not turn off Find My's built-in features, such as Find My Friends. A message will remind users that after uninstalling the app, any people, devices, or items associated with their Apple ID still exist, and users can still manage these options in the Settings app.

However, as you might expect, users will not be able to find their devices and accessories (such as AirTags) without installing the app. Apps deleted from iOS can be reinstalled at any time through the App Store. There are only a few native Apple apps that still cannot be uninstalled, such as Phone, Safari, Messages, and App Store.

9to5Mac believes that Apple's expansion of the option of deleting native system applications to important applications such as FindMy, Health and Clock may be related to the antitrust investigation the company has recently faced. As early as 2020, the European Union proposed the possibility of prohibiting technology companies from forcing users to install all their own applications. Others accuse Apple of using its control over iOS to promote its own services.

Since iOS 14.3, Apple has added a new step in the setup process of a new iPhone or iPad to recommend some third-party applications to users in order to comply with the requirements of governments such as Russia. Therefore, letting users delete all iOS apps may reduce the company's chances of further antitrust lawsuits.