Prevent App Deletion
Keep installed apps
from being deleted.
Use Screen Time to remove the normal Delete App option, protect the rule with a separate passcode, and understand why Apple applies it broadly rather than app by app.
Quick path: Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Deleting Apps > Don't Allow.
On some iOS versions or in regions with alternative app distribution, the parent menu may be named App Installations & Purchases. The goal is the same: restrict deletion and protect the setting with a Screen Time passcode.
Turn off the ability to delete apps
1. Enable Screen Time. Open Settings > Screen Time and turn on App & Website Activity if it is off.
2. Lock Screen Time settings. Create a four-digit Screen Time passcode that differs from the iPhone unlock passcode.
3. Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions. Open iTunes & App Store Purchases or the equivalent installation-and-purchases menu.
4. Tap Deleting Apps. Select Don't Allow.
5. Test it. Touch and hold a third-party app, choose Remove App, and confirm that Delete App is unavailable. Do not test with an app or data you cannot replace.
Prevent a child from deleting apps
On the Family organizer's iPhone, go to Settings > Screen Time and select the child under Family. Open Content & Privacy Restrictions, then the purchase settings, and set Deleting Apps to Don't Allow.
Keep the Screen Time passcode private. On current iOS versions, a parent or guardian may receive notice when a child's Screen Time passcode is used, depending on compatible software and notification settings.
This is useful for school, safety, communication, authentication, filtering, and accountability apps that must remain installed. Confirm that the restriction does not interfere with legitimate storage management or support tasks.
What deletion protection does not do
It is not app-specific. Screen Time's deletion control broadly affects app removal rather than locking one chosen app in place.
It does not block app use. The apps remain fully accessible unless separate App Limits, Downtime, or blocking controls apply.
It does not stop every configuration change. Review Account Changes, passcode changes, VPN or profile permissions, background activity, and other relevant settings separately.
It is not a complete anti-bypass guarantee. Someone controlling device credentials and recovery paths may still change the environment. Use Family Sharing or a trusted passcode holder when real accountability is needed.
Allow app deletion again
Return to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Deleting Apps. Enter the Screen Time passcode and choose Allow.
If Delete App remains missing, confirm the main Content & Privacy Restrictions state, check the child's Family Sharing settings on the organizer's device, and restart the iPhone after authorized changes.
Preventing deletion can help keep Fella installed, but Fella's actual role is different: it keeps selected apps blocked all day with one emergency 5-minute unlock. Apple's restriction manages whether apps can be uninstalled.
Preventing app deletion FAQ
Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases, tap Deleting Apps, and choose Don’t Allow. Protect Screen Time with a passcode.
Apple’s Screen Time deletion restriction applies broadly rather than protecting one selected app. It removes normal deletion for affected apps until the setting is allowed again.
It prevents normal app deletion. Home Screen organization and Remove from Home Screen behavior can vary, so test the exact device and iOS version if icon placement matters.
Return to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Deleting Apps and choose Allow using the Screen Time passcode.
It can stop ordinary uninstalling, but it does not make every blocker impossible to bypass. Screen Time settings, permissions, device credentials, and blocker-specific behavior still matter.
Also learn how to block app downloads, reset the Screen Time passcode, and choose an app blocker that is harder to bypass.