With the release of the watchOS 9.4 update, owners of compatible Apple Watch models have the ability to remove built-in apps directly from the watch.
Apple itself did not mention this feature in the release notes, but added information about smartwatches to a support document for removing built-in apps from various devices.
You can now remove the following apps from your Apple Watch:
- Activity;
- Depth;
- Emergency siren;
- Locator;
- Pulse.
- Cards.
- wallet;
- Workout;
- World clock.
Previously, to remove an app from the Apple Watch, one had to uninstall it on the iPhone.
It is worth noting that removing the built-in programs will affect the basic functions of the watch. For example, if you uninstall the Heart Rate app, your Apple Watch will no longer notify you of high heart rate, irregular heart rate, and cardio workouts.
It’s not yet clear why Apple decided to allow the removal of built-in apps. It is likely that the company took this step under pressure from antitrust regulators, who regularly accuse the iPhone maker of imposing their programs on users.