How to Offload Individual Apps on iPhone

In my previous article, I discussed how to uninstall Apps automatically: How to automatically Offload Unused Apps on iPhone. In this piece, I will be discussing how to manually offload individual apps on iPhone. Offloading an app is different from deleting an app on an iPhone. The Offload Unused Apps feature frees up the storage used by the apps but keep the documents and data intact. It helps you avoid reconfiguring an app from scratch. The app’s icon and user data will remain on the iPhone. The icon will display a cloud with a downward arrow. When you want to use it again, tap the icon and download it again. Kindly refer to this interesting guide: How to install Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) in Windows 11.

When you offload unused apps on your iPhone, the app is deleted, but the saved data from the app remains on your iPhone. But, If you don’t want to manually reduce the local storage to free some space, then Offload Unused Apps can work in the background to automatically recover space while keeping the app data backed up. Kindly refer to these related guides: How to remove a Bluetooth device and connect a new Bluetooth device to Macbook, and how to disable or enable FaceTime on Mac.

Why Should you offload Apps?

The Offload Unused Apps setting gives your iPhone control over which unused apps. I had a situation where an important App got offloaded and I missed a friend’s birthday. Because of this, I do not recommend enabling the automatic offload feature because you don’t want to lumber things up where you need to use a specific app, but your iPhone automatically offloaded it.

By manually offloading individual apps, you have complete control of your iPhone and your apps. This is why I have decided to describe these steps as well and this is the method I have employed.

Note: Manually offloading is optional as iOS automatically offloads unused apps when it’s low on storage (When enabled). Thus, to manually offload apps, go to Settings as shown below.

Under Settings, click on “General”.

Click on iPhone Storage

Select any apps you will love to manually offload. So, In my case, I will be manually offloading the Telegram App. Click on the App (in my case Telegram).

Click on Offload App. Hence, this will ensure the Telegram App is offloaded. If you wish to Uninstall or delete the App, just hit the Delete App button as shown above.

Even after offloading an app on your iPhone, the app’s icon will appear on your iPhone’s Home screen. You will be able to tell that the app is offloaded because there will be a small cloud icon below the app icon.

To reinstall an app you have offloaded, simply tap on the app on your Home screen. A circle will appear on the icon after you have tapped on the app and it will begin to reinstall.

You can also reinstall an offloaded app by going to Settings -> General -> iPhone Storage and tapping on the offloaded app. Then, tap Reinstall App.

This sums up how to offload individual apps on iPhone. I hope you found this blog post helpful. Please let me know in the comment session if you have any questions.