iOS 18.2 Lets EU Users Delete App Store, Safari, Messages, Camera and Photos

With iOS 18.2, iPhone users in the European Union can fully delete a number of core apps, including the App Store, Safari, Messages, Camera, and Photos.

Apple said in August that it planned to make additional changes to its Digital Markets Act compliance in the European Union, and one update included the option for EU users to remove system apps. Almost all apps can now be deleted in the EU, with the exception of the Phone app and the Settings app.

Apps that are removed, such as the ‌App Store‌, can be re-downloaded using an "App Installation" section in the Settings app.

In the U.S. and other countries, core apps like ‌Photos‌ and the ‌App Store‌ can be hidden but not entirely removed from the ‌iPhone‌ and replaced with third-party apps.