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I Deleted the App Store, Safari, iTunes, or the Camera from my iPhone, iPad, or iPod! (No You Didn’t!)

    David Payette
  • 3 years ago
    • Categories: Settings

Has the App Store, Safari, iTunes, or the Camera app gone missing from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod? Good news: You didn’t delete them, because you can’t! In this article, I’m going to tell you how to find out where the App Store, Safari, iTunes, or Camera is hiding on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod and show you exactly how to get them back!

Apple is all about making their devices family friendly and they build in a wonderful array of parental controls so that we can keep kids safe. Unfortunately, when it comes to technology, the parental controls built into our iPhones, iPads, and iPods are sometimes more effective on adults than kids. If we or someone we know accidentally enables these restrictions, it’s frustrating. If we forget the passcode we set, it’s even more frustrating. And that’s where I come in.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, here’s why the App Store, Safari, iTunes, Camera, or any other functionality that should be on your iPhone has gone missing:

Restrictions (Apple’s Parental Controls) have been enabled on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, and you (or someone you know) has disabled these apps from running on your device.

Let’s Get Back Your Missing Apps

Here’s how to fix it: Go to Settings -> Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions. Next, tap Allowed Apps. Make sure the switches next to Safari, iTunes Store, and Camera are turned on.

If you believe you deleted the App Store, go back to Settings -> Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions. Then, tap iTunes & App Store Purchases. Make sure it says Allow next to Install Apps, Deleting Apps, and In-app Purchases. If one of these options says Don’t Allow, tap on it, then tap Allow.

You can turn off Screen Time entirely if you want to prevent this problem from ever happening again. Open Settings and tap Screen Time -> Turn Off Screen Time.

If your iPhone is running a iOS 11 or earlier, the process is a little different. Go to Settings -> General -> Restrictions and enter the Restrictions passcode that was entered on your iPhone when you first enabled Restrictions. This may be different from the passcode lock you usually use to unlock your phone.

Unfortunately, if you don’t know this password, the only way to disable the password and reenable the App Store, Safari, iTunes, or Camera is to restore your iPhone back to factory settings using iTunes. Skip down to the next section if you have to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

Now that we’re looking at the Restrictions menu, tap Disable Restrictions at the top to fix the problem once and for all. As you gaze through the options, you might notice you accidentally had some functionality turned off.

If you thought you deleted the App Store on an iPhone running iOS 11 or earlier, you probably just had ‘Installing Apps’ turned off. Now that you’re a big boy or girl, you can handle the responsibility of choosing which apps you want to download or what you want to use the camera to take pictures of! I think it’s time to leave the nest.

If You Have To Restore Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod

If you can’t remember your Restrictions passcode for the life of you, here are some suggestions to make the restore process go nice and smooth:

  • Back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to iCloud, iTunes, or Finder before you restore your phone. That way, just in case something goes wonky, you’re 100% safe and sound.
  • Transfer all your photos and videos to your computer using the USB charger cable that came with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod. To learn more about how to import your photos and videos to your computer, check out Apple’s article called iOS: Importing personal photos and videos from iOS devices to your computer.
  • Double-check that all your contacts, calendars, notes, and other personal information is synchronized on iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, AOL, or any other cloud service. If your personal information is stored on the cloud, it won’t be deleted when you restore your iPhone, and it will be immediately come back to your device when you set up those accounts again. To learn more about syncing contacts, calendars, and other personal information on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, check out my article, Why Are Some Of My Contacts Missing From My iPhone, iPad, or iPod? Here’s The Real Fix!

Putting Humpty-Dumpty Back Together Again

When you’re ready to restore your phone, check out Apple’s article, “Use iTunes to restore your iOS device to factory settings” for step by step instructions. After the restore has finished, you can restore from a backup that was created before the restrictions were accidentally put in place or set your device up as a new iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

Setting your iPhone, iPad, or iPod up again is relatively easy, and I’m here to help if you have questions. If you’ve chosen to set your phone up again from scratch, head to Settings -> Mail -> Accounts and add your email accounts. You’ll be able to synchronize your contacts, calendars, and other personal information from iCloud or whichever account you use.

Transfer the photos and videos you imported to your computer back to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod using iTunes or Finder. Lastly, re-download your apps from the App Store. Remember that once you buy something from the App Store, iTunes Store, or iBooks, it’s linked forever to your Apple ID, so you never have to re-buy anything.

Your Apps Are Back!

I wrote this post after being inspired by an email I received from Mara K., who reached out for help after her husband had been on the phone with AT&T and visited their local Apple Store. My heart goes out to those of you who have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how you possibly could have deleted the App Store, Safari, iTunes, Camera, or disabled any of the other built-in functionality that comes with the iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

View Comments (139)

  • My parents deleted my App Store, I don’t know how to download it. I can’t change restrictions and everything else. What do I do?

  • guys try to add a widget of app store then delete it, and then app store app will show in your home screen again

  • I tried your suggestion several times on my SE 2022 to no avail but then went to Settings >General>Reset> Reset Home Layout Screen and that worked for me.

  • I’ve tried following your direction to pulling my App Store app symbol back to my Home Screen, to no avail.
    I have a 13 pro, iOS 12. Initially organizing my app symbols I touched a delete statement and the dang thing is no where to be found.
    many suggestions other than starting all over…yet again.
    thank you.
    David

  • Thank you for this !!! After visiting AT&T store and having no clue how to fix or even ever heard of such problem I was able to fix from your steps ! You saved me hours going to Apple store !!

  • I googled "App store". It came up. I then googled "App store app" and got Apple's app icon with apple symbol in a blue briefcase and installed it. But when I hit the app store app that looks like letter "A" made out of popsicle sticks I only get the app for developers which is not what I want and isn't accessible to me anyway. If you keep swiping to the left on your phone you will get to "App Library" and it is in there and is usable there.

  • Hi David! I was watching you and David on iTunes. I restored my phone because it kept turning off and on. Anyhoo, lost App Store after latest update. There’s ALWAYS something isn’t there?! Can’t get it back!

  • The App Store can’t be deleted, but it can be disabled. Go to Settings -> Screen Time -> Content and Privacy Restrictions -> iTunes and App Store Purchases. Make sure Installing Apps, Deleting Apps, and In-App Purchases are all set to “Allow”. All my settings are "Allow" but this doesn't help, I still don't have the App Store.

  • Hello,
    My App Store disappeared from my iPad. I have read in Youtube and the only scenario is when you have Don't Allow selected for all 3 App Store settings, but this doesn't help. Any idea?

  • I can not find Content & Privacy restrictions in my settings. My iPhone is an iPhone 12, maybe they don't have it on this model? I read through everything and even searched it in the Settings search bar. My App Store has been accidentally deleted by my parents and it's caused some issues with my phone I'm having trouble getting it back.

    • Hi Lauren! Do you know which iOS you're currently running. Some earlier versions of iOS have slightly different names for settings. You can check for an iOS update by going to Settings -> General -> Software Update. Hope this helps!

    • The App Store can't be deleted, but it can be disabled. Go to Settings -> Screen Time -> Content and Privacy Restrictions -> iTunes and App Store Purchases. Make sure Installing Apps, Deleting Apps, and In-app Purchases are all set to “Allow”.

  • Can you please help me? I’m trying to get the App Store since I haven’t had it for 3 years :( I cant download anything,I tried doing your method but it asked me for my screen time passcode and I don’t even use it,so can you please help me figure the password out? It would mean the world to me,I would be the happiest person if I get the App Store :( Thank you.

    • Go to Settings -> Screen Time -> Change Screen Time Passcode -> Forgot Passcode -> then enter your Apple ID when it asks. That should get you started on getting a new passcode set up!

  • I did all the steps listed above to try and restore my App Store app - looked through all the restrictions and screen time settings, etc. Completed them. But my App Store app didn't come back to my homescreen on my iphone X. Anything else that I can do here?

  • I found out how to get it back but I cant delete it because I some how acdavated relay smart agent and I cant git rid of it so can you help me

  • have tried all of the above and I still do not have the app store - safari has returned - ipad gen 5 - current software version 13.5.1 - had this happen before and I think we had to reset the ipad - have to say we have a lot of hassels managing these devices for the kids

  • Thank you so much! Last night I tried out Downtime on my 6, this morning I thought it was super weird that I couldn’t delete apps. Then I tried opening the App Store, but I realized it wasn’t there! I even asked Siri to open it, she said she couldn’t. So I googled it and I got this web result. Suuuper helpful! I can now delete my old apps and download new ones! Thank you soooo much!

  • Thank you so much! I knew there wasn't a way to actually delete it but we could not find the App Store to save our lives! I remember putting on the install app restrictions without realizing there's no access to the Store whatsoever afterwards.

  • I thought I deleted the safari app yearsss ago, and I've looked for ways to get it back ever since, and gave up trying multiple times. Today I found another roadblock that I needed Safari for again, and did a search for how to get it back. Keep in mind I prolly did this search about 100 times and 3 phones later over the years, and I finally found your solution to bring it back! Thanks for the post.

      • It's possible they used Chrome, but I'm pretty sure Chrome on iOS relies on Safari. Another reason why you didn't actually delete Safari lol

  • app store still missing after screen time turned off. None of the intermediate steps worked either. Itunes Store had also vanished but that was restored so that tells me, I think, that the missing app store app is linked somehow to the screen time option. But since turning it off doesn't seem to help, I'm out of answers.

  • I still cant find my App Store. I dont have restrictions on my iPad either which is one of the steps.....help me!

  • Thank you I have tried for months nothing worked till I came across you tonite, worked in seconds! Im so grateful to you

  • It is nice information, however how could we restore the hidden apps if I cant find the restriction in settings. I went through the step as it was shown above, but I cant find restriction in general setting. Need help! Yhanks

  • I've tried to restore the app store app but I no longer have the "Restrictions" option showing up on my phone. I've looked in every folder and still nothing. I remember turning on the restrictions to see what it would do, but after upgrading to IOS12, that option is gone. Can anyone help??!!??

  • Yeah so if I havent got a pc? My daughters phone erased even so store. Im not dumb the restrictions were my first check. No safari cant even search them in siri

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David Payette: I'm a former Apple employee and the founder of Payette Forward, and I'm here to help you with your iPhone.