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Delete built-in Apple apps on your iOS 12 or later device or Apple Watch

With iOS 12 and later, you can delete some built-in Apple apps from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch.

When you delete a built-in app from your device, you also delete any related user data and configuration files. This can affect things like related system functions or information on your Apple Watch.

Built-in apps you can delete from your device

If you have iOS 12 or later, you can delete1 these apps from your device:

• Activity
• Apple Books4
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Compass
• Contacts2
• FaceTime3
• Files
• Find My Friends
• Home
• iTunes Store
• Mail
• Maps4
• Measure
• Music4
• News (where available)
• Notes
• Photo Booth
• Podcasts4
• Reminders
• Stocks
• Tips
• TV (where available)
• Videos
• Voice Memos
• Watch app5
• Weather

1. With iOS 10, you can remove built-in apps from the Home screen on your device, but you can't delete them. See this article for more information on built-in apps in iOS 10.
2. If you delete the Contacts app, all of your contact information will remain in the Phone app.
3. If you delete the FaceTime app, you can still make and receive FaceTime calls in Contacts and the Phone app.
4. If you delete the Apple Books, Maps, Music, or Podcast apps, they won’t be available to use with CarPlay. If you delete the Music app, you'll be unable to play audio content in its library using Apple apps or third-party apps on some car stereos or stereo receivers.
5. If you try to delete the Watch app from an iPhone that’s paired with an Apple Watch, an alert asks you to unpair your Apple Watch before you can delete the app.

To cut to the chase, you cannot delete the photo app. You will have to delete the photos manually after syncing them with the Google Photos app, then only view them in the Google Photos app. New photos will appear on your phone; if you could remove the photo app you would not be able to take photos with the phone because there would be no place to save them.