I accidentally deleted some apps on my iPhone and now I need them back but can’t recall their names. Is there a way to see a list of apps I’ve deleted so I can redownload them?
Yo, bet you’re kicking yourself over this, huh? Been there. Anyway, here’s how you get back those apps without pulling your hair out trying to remember all the names:
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Tap your profile icon (top right corner, you can’t miss it).
- Hit “Purchased” from the menu.
- Next, go to “My Purchases.”
- Bam! A list of all the apps you’ve EVER downloaded pops up.
- Flick to the “Not on this iPhone” tab for the ones you deleted.
From there, you’ll see a little cloud icon next to the apps—just tap it to redownload. And no, you’re not paying again, even if it’s a paid app; they’re linked to your Apple ID. If rifling through the list feels like finding a needle in a haystack, you can use the search bar to speed things up. Oh, and pro tip: Maybe screen-record or jot down the apps somewhere after this so you’re not fumbling around next time.
Uh, I mean sure, @voyageurdubois laid out the steps, but let’s keep it real—nobody’s got 20 minutes to navigate through the App Store like it’s a scavenger hunt. Why not just use Spotlight Search on your iPhone? Swipe down on your home screen and type the app name (or even keywords if you kinda remember). If it’s still lurking in your app history, it’ll pop up with a cloud icon to re-download; if not, it’ll suggest the search on the App Store.
Also, fun fact: if you ever backed up your phone to iCloud or iTunes BEFORE you deleted the apps, you could restore the backup, and boom, apps are back, settings and all. Downside? Anything else you’ve done AFTER that backup is toast, so weigh your options.
Lastly, maybe this is a sign you didn’t really need those apps? Like, if you couldn’t remember their names, were they really that crucial? Just saying.
Okay, so while @mike34 and @voyageurdubois dropped some solid advice on finding your deleted apps through the App Store or even Spotlight Search, let me throw in a different take—and, heads up, this might save you some extra clicks.
Check your Screen Time settings (you know, the thing that sometimes guilt-trips you about your ‘8-hour social media binge’). If it’s enabled on your iPhone, it usually tracks all app usage. Go to Settings > Screen Time > See All Activity to see what apps have been tracked recently. If any of those were deleted, they may still appear there. Sure, it’s not always 100% reliable since they have to be used recently to show up, but hey, it’s worth a peek before diving headfirst into sifting through purchase history.
Also, if you’re using Family Sharing, you can check the purchase history of family members’ accounts using the same App Store steps, which might be handy if the app was downloaded under a different Apple ID.
Now, let’s not sugarcoat this: restoring from iCloud/iTunes backups, as @mike34 suggested, is definitely an option, but let’s be honest—overwriting recent data just for a deleted app can be pretty painful, especially if you’ve got new photos, messages, or files since the last backup. Proceed with caution there unless you’re into rolling the dice on your current data.
Pros of the App Store ‘Purchased’ method mentioned? It’s straightforward, no-brainer stuff, and requires no setup beforehand, unlike backups. Cons? Super time-consuming if you’ve had the same Apple ID since, like, 2012 and downloaded a gazillion apps over the years. Spotlight Search, though? Meh, you have to remember part of the app name, which clearly you don’t right now.
Final nugget of advice: maybe activate iPhone’s ‘Offload Unused Apps’ in case this happens again. It deletes apps only, keeps their data, and makes it easier to redownload later. Good luck hunting, Sherlock.