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4.0 to have the availability to remove system apps?

Would iPhone OS have the availability to remove system apps?

  • Yes

    Votes: 9 11.3%

  • No

    Votes: 62 77.5%

  • Yes, but only from iTunes

    Votes: 7 8.8%

  • Yes, from both the device and the iTunes.

    Votes: 2 2.5%
  • Total voters
    80
ChrisGonzales90

ChrisGonzales90

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 29, 2010
895
0
Hillsboro, Oregon USA.
Do you guys think the iPhone 4.0 will have the availability to remove system apps. (stocks, weather etc)

I hope so. I don't use stocks so removing them like I can with 3rd party apps would be ideal.

to restore them just plug the phone in to iTunes and from the app tab drag the system icon over to the phone.
 
There are technical hurdles in the way that make it a semi-pointless idea right now.

The flash is split into 2-3 partitions. One has the OS, and another has userland. Userland houses all your 3rd party apps, music, documents, etc, etc. It is usually preserved during an OS upgrade and not touched. The OS partition is erased and rewritten during an OS upgrade (on larger updates anyways). Because of this design, the OS partition isn't really meant to be edited without introducing some level of risk that an update might not work correctly. That's problem #1.

With the way the UI works now, the user doesn't have the permissions to delete the built-in apps (only root does). Giving the user permission to do this can be detrimental to the OS as a whole (giving the user root), or will still potentially leave the user in a bad state really easily if the user is only given permission to edit the apps. That's problem #2.

With folders, the need to remove the apps is reduced a bit since you can now hide them away in a folder.
 
Krevnik said:
There are technical hurdles in the way that make it a semi-pointless idea right now.

The flash is split into 2-3 partitions. One has the OS, and another has userland. Userland houses all your 3rd party apps, music, documents, etc, etc. It is usually preserved during an OS upgrade and not touched. The OS partition is erased and rewritten during an OS upgrade (on larger updates anyways). Because of this design, the OS partition isn't really meant to be edited without introducing some level of risk that an update might not work correctly. That's problem #1.

With the way the UI works now, the user doesn't have the permissions to delete the built-in apps (only root does). Giving the user permission to do this can be detrimental to the OS as a whole (giving the user root), or will still potentially leave the user in a bad state really easily if the user is only given permission to edit the apps. That's problem #2.

With folders, the need to remove the apps is reduced a bit since you can now hide them away in a folder.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the explanation. I see the problem now. But it would be nice if they found a way to do this with out running in to the problem you stated.

Plus it would be a first I think on any smart phone. It will also free up some space... but not much.

Even the option as silly as hiding them would be ideal.
 
ChrisGonzales90 said:
Plus it would be a first I think on any smart phone. It will also free up some space... but not much.
Click to expand...

It wouldn't even free up space... the user doesn't have any write access to the OS partition, and it isn't included in the 'free space' count reported by the iPhone or iTunes. Deleting them would just be for the sake of deleting them.

Hiding them also fails to dodge problem #2 where you could get into a bad state by hiding important apps and /must/ take it back to the machine you sync it to in order to restore them (like say, Settings, the App Store, Phone, etc).
 
Maybe I'm wrong but I think that was one of the reasons for the folders function that and the fact that many users were asking for it.
 
Apple doesn't give you choices, its their way or the highway. That being the case, you'll not be able to remove the system apps
 
ct2k7 said:
What if someone accidentally removed the phone app :eek:
Click to expand...

Then you'd just restore.

I think the apps like weather, stocks, notes, and contacts should be able to be removed. I don't even see the need for the separate contacts app since there all of your contacts are within the phone app to begin with.

But I don't think this will be in 4.0 or 5.0 or anytime soon. Jailbreaking however, lets you hide these apps.
 
Reaktor5 said:
Then you'd just restore.

I think the apps like weather, stocks, notes, and contacts should be able to be removed. I don't even see the need for the separate contacts app since there all of your contacts are within the phone app to begin with.

But I don't think this will be in 4.0 or 5.0 or anytime soon. Jailbreaking however, lets you hide these apps.
Click to expand...

My son did it whilst we were on holiday as a joke. I can't restore it :/ I don't think they'll eve be removable, but I simply cannot justify the contacts app.
 
I like the contacts app, I go through it when making calls rather than the phone app. I don't see the point in removing these apps, they honestly are not that big of an inconvenience. If you really don't like them, move them to the last page and stick them in a folder.
 
How hard can it be to implement this?? I want to remove stocks and weather widget! When I had it jailbroken, I was able to hide it at least..Now I plan to make a ″s-hit″ folder to put..well, s-hit in it! :D
 
maflynn said:
Apple doesn't give you choices, its their way or the highway. That being the case, you'll not be able to remove the system apps
Click to expand...

As opposed to Android? I'm on my Nexus One right now and I can't find a way to delete the Maps or Messaging applications.
 
simple as no way will there be a way to remove them in 4.0, the beta for 4.0 don't allow it, so the finished 4.0 wont. As already stated you will only be able to do this when jailbroken. They are called system apps for a reason they are not meant to be removed by the user as you can easily accidently remove the wrong app
 
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