Get ready to say goodbye to that folder on your iPhone holding all the stock iOS apps you never use.
Code found in iTunes suggests Apple finally plans to give iPhone and iPad users the tools to delete unwanted iOS apps that come pre-installed on devices like the Compass, Tips, Stocks, Voice Memos, and more.
The iTunes metadata discovered by AppAdvice shows that Apple has added two new keys labeled “isFirstParty” and “isFirstPartyHideableApp” that weren’t there a few weeks ago.
The two new keys use a boolean value of true/false, suggesting some apps won’t be hideable. It’s unclear though whether the apps will be completely deleted — saving users precious storage space in the process — or if they will just be invisible to the user.
Tim Cook said last year that Apple has looked into users’ complaints that they can’t hide unwanted apps. The Apple CEO warned that “if they were to be removed they might cause issues elsewhere on the phone. There are other apps that aren’t like that. ”
The new feature could be unveiled as part of iOS 10 in June, when the company is expected to host its annual WorldWide Developers Conference, though a public release isn’t likely to happen until Fall 2016.
