Is your iPad feeling sluggish, or are you just tired of endless video recommendations? Perhaps you're looking to reclaim some storage space, or manage screen time for yourself or a family member. Whatever your reason, deleting the YouTube app from your iPad is a straightforward process.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, ensuring a smooth and successful removal.
Step 1: Are You Really Sure? Understanding What Happens When You Delete the YouTube App
Before we dive into the "how-to," let's quickly address what deleting the YouTube app entails and what it doesn't. This will help you make an informed decision.
- What gets deleted:
- The YouTube application itself.
- Any data stored within the app, such as cached videos, temporary files, and downloaded videos (if you have YouTube Premium and used the offline viewing feature).
- What does not get deleted:
- Your YouTube account and all your subscriptions, watch history, playlists, and uploaded videos. This information is tied to your Google account, not the app on your iPad. You can always access it by logging into YouTube on a web browser or on another device.
- Any other Google apps or services on your iPad (like Gmail, Google Maps, etc.).
- Your iPad's overall settings or other app data.
So, if you're just looking to free up space, deleting the app is a great idea. If you want a complete break from YouTube, you'll also need to consider signing out of your Google account on other devices or taking steps to block the website.
Ready to proceed? Let's get started!
Step 2: The Quick & Easy Way: Deleting from the Home Screen
This is the most common and often the fastest method to remove an app from your iPad.
Sub-heading: Identifying the YouTube App Icon
First, you need to locate the YouTube app icon on your iPad's Home Screen. It typically looks like a red rectangle with a white "play" symbol. You might find it on one of your main Home Screen pages, or within a folder. If you have many apps, you might need to swipe through several screens or open folders to find it.
Sub-heading: The "Jiggle Mode" Method
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Tap and Hold: Find the YouTube app icon. Now, gently press and hold your finger on the icon. Don't press too hard, or you might trigger 3D Touch (if your iPad supports it). Just a sustained touch for a couple of seconds.
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Enter "Jiggle Mode": After a moment, all the app icons on your screen will start to jiggle. This indicates that you're in "edit mode." You'll also see a small "X" or a minus sign () in the top-left corner of each app icon that can be deleted.
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Tap the "X" or Minus Sign: Locate the "X" or minus sign () on the top-left corner of the YouTube app icon. Tap it.
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Confirm Deletion: A pop-up menu will appear, giving you a few options. You'll likely see:
- "Remove App"
- "Share App"
- "Edit Home Screen" (if you tapped the icon from the App Library)
Tap on "Remove App."
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Final Confirmation: Another, more specific, prompt will appear asking: "Do you want to Delete 'YouTube'?" and it will specify that "Deleting this app will also delete its data." Tap on "Delete App."
Presto! The YouTube app will vanish from your Home Screen and be uninstalled from your iPad.
Step 3: The Detailed Approach: Deleting via Settings
This method is particularly useful if you want to see how much storage space the YouTube app is actually consuming before you delete it, or if you're having trouble locating the app icon on your Home Screen.
Sub-heading: Accessing iPad Storage Settings
- Open Settings: Tap the "Settings" app icon on your iPad's Home Screen. It looks like a set of gray gears.
- Navigate to General: In the left-hand sidebar of the Settings app, scroll down and tap on "General."
- Go to iPad Storage: In the "General" settings, look for and tap on "iPad Storage." This section might take a few moments to load as your iPad calculates storage usage for all your apps and data.
Sub-heading: Locating and Deleting YouTube from Storage
- Find YouTube in the List: You'll see a list of all your installed apps, ordered by the amount of storage they use (largest to smallest). Scroll down until you find "YouTube." You'll see the total amount of space it's occupying.
- Tap on YouTube: Tap on the "YouTube" entry in the list. This will open a new screen with more details about the app's storage usage. You'll see two main categories:
- App Size: This is the size of the app itself.
- Documents & Data: This includes all the cached files, downloaded videos, and other user data associated with the app. This is often where a significant amount of space is consumed.
- Choose "Delete App": On this screen, you'll see two options:
- "Offload App": This removes the app itself but keeps its documents and data. This is useful if you want to free up space temporarily but intend to reinstall the app later and don't want to lose your app-specific data.
- "Delete App": This is what we want! Tap on "Delete App."
- Confirm Deletion: A confirmation pop-up will appear asking, "Deleting 'YouTube' will also delete all of its documents and data. This action cannot be undone." Tap on "Delete App" again to confirm.
And just like that, YouTube is gone, along with its associated data, freeing up valuable space on your iPad!
Step 4: Troubleshooting & Advanced Options
Sometimes, things don't go as smoothly as planned. Here are some common issues and advanced considerations.
Sub-heading: "I Can't Find the 'X' or Minus Sign!"
If you're in "jiggle mode" and don't see the "X" or minus sign () on the YouTube app, it's likely due to a restriction set on your iPad. This is common if it's a device used by a child or managed by an organization.
- Check Screen Time Restrictions:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time.
- If Screen Time is enabled, tap on "Content & Privacy Restrictions."
- Enter your Screen Time Passcode if prompted.
- Tap on "iTunes & App Store Purchases" (or "App Installations & Purchases").
- Make sure "Deleting Apps" is set to "Allow." If it's set to "Don't Allow," tap on it and change it to "Allow."
- Once you've changed this setting, go back to your Home Screen and try deleting the app again using the "jiggle mode" method.
Sub-heading: What About Built-in Apps?
While YouTube is a third-party app that you install from the App Store, it's worth noting that recent iPadOS versions allow you to delete some built-in Apple apps (like Mail, Music, etc.). The process is generally the same as deleting any other app. However, YouTube is never a "built-in" app from Apple, so this isn't directly relevant to deleting YouTube, but good to know for other apps!
Sub-heading: Reinstalling YouTube (If You Change Your Mind)
Deleting an app is not permanent! If you decide you want YouTube back on your iPad, it's incredibly easy to reinstall:
- Open the App Store: Tap on the "App Store" app icon.
- Search for YouTube: Tap the "Search" tab in the bottom right corner (magnifying glass icon). Type "YouTube" into the search bar at the top and tap "Search."
- Download: Find the official YouTube app in the search results (usually the first one). Tap the cloud icon with a down arrow (if you previously downloaded it) or the "GET" button next to it. You might be asked to enter your Apple ID password, use Face ID, or Touch ID to confirm the download.
The app will then download and reinstall on your iPad. Since your account data is stored in the cloud, you'll likely be automatically logged in or can easily log in to access all your subscriptions and watch history.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 10 common "How to" questions related to managing YouTube on your iPad, with quick answers:
How to check how much storage YouTube is using on my iPad?
Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage. Scroll down and you'll see a list of apps and the storage they consume, including YouTube.
How to clear YouTube's cache without deleting the app?
The easiest way to clear YouTube's cache on an iPad is to "Offload" the app. Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage, tap on YouTube, and then tap "Offload App." This removes the app but keeps its documents and data. Then, simply tap the app icon on your Home Screen to reinstall it, effectively clearing the cache.
How to prevent my child from downloading YouTube again after I delete it?
You can prevent app downloads via Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Installing Apps and set it to "Don't Allow." This will block all new app installations.
How to set a time limit for YouTube usage on iPad?
Use Screen Time: Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit. Select "Entertainment" (or find YouTube specifically), then set your desired time limit.
How to block YouTube completely on my iPad (including the website)?
This requires Screen Time restrictions. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Web Content. You can choose "Limit Adult Websites" and then add specific YouTube URLs to the "Never Allow" list, or select "Only Allowed Websites" for stricter control.
How to hide the YouTube app without deleting it?
You can move the YouTube app to a folder, or on iPadOS 15 and later, remove it from the Home Screen and keep it only in the App Library. To remove from Home Screen, long-press the icon, tap "Remove App," then "Remove from Home Screen."
How to recover downloaded YouTube videos after deleting the app?
Unfortunately, downloaded YouTube videos (for offline viewing) are deleted when you delete the app. You would need to re-download them if you reinstall the app and have a Premium subscription.
How to delete Youtube history on my iPad?
This is done within the YouTube app itself or through your Google account. Open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, go to Settings > History & Privacy, and choose "Clear watch history" and "Clear search history."
How to delete my YouTube account entirely?
Deleting your YouTube account is the same as deleting your Google account. This is a significant step and should be done with caution, as it affects all Google services. You can initiate this process through your Google Account settings online, not directly from the iPad app.
How to reinstall YouTube after accidentally deleting it?
Simply open the App Store, search for "YouTube," and tap the cloud icon or "GET" button to redownload it. Your account and data will be accessible once you log in.
