We download all kinds of apps on our smartphones for different reasons.
Sometimes, we don’t need a certain app anymore (bye-bye, Pokemon Go!) and delete it from our phones.
Despite this, the app continues to send notifications as it did before.
Is it alerting us from beyond the virtual grave?
It seems strange that an app that is no longer on the phone can still send notifications.
However, it is possible! Here’s how:
First of all, it depends on how you deleted the app.
Did you merely delete the icon from the home screen, or did you uninstall the app? (Yes, there actually is a difference).
Did you clear the app data before deleting it?
If not, this is also a potential reason. The app still has your data and as a result, thinks it needs to send you notifications!
This is more common for apps that have permissions for push notifications. Luckily, you can solve the problem without much trouble. Phew!
Why Do I Get Notifications From An App I Don’t Have?
Mobile apps are convenient to use, but can certainly be annoyingly persistent at times.
It doesn’t matter if you are using an Apple device or an Android smartphone; there can be times where an app doesn’t seem to want to leave us alone even after we’ve deleted it from the system!
There can be several reasons for this:
Delete Icon Only Vs. Uninstall Completely
If the app has created a shortcut icon on the home screen, deleting the icon will not get rid of the app.
An app has to be uninstalled from the phone in order for it to be totally removed from a device and its internal memory.
Getting rid of only the icon will not make any difference, unfortunately; this is a common mistake many beginner users tend to make.
In order to fully uninstall the app you have to do as follows:
Go to Settings and open Apps.
Scroll through the list of apps downloaded on your phone.
If the deleted app is still showing up on the list, it means that you only deleted the icon but did not uninstall the app!
To get rid of it once and for all, you will need to open the app on the list and press the Uninstall button.
Default Apps And Disabling
So you are sure you have uninstalled an app- but it still sends notifications!
If this happens, it could be because there are some parts of the app still present in the phone’s memory.
Uninstalling an app doesn’t always remove all the app data from the device.
It could also be due to the type of the app.
For example, default apps will remain a part of the phone no matter how many times you uninstall or disable them.
In fact, default apps cannot be uninstalled!
They can only be disabled (prevented from running). This erases the ability of the app to receive updates but retains the app.
And though you may have disabled the default app, it can continue to send notifications at random times.
Let’s take the Facebook Messenger app on Samsung devices as an example.
You may have used the app for a while, but then decided to disable/delete it. Yet, Facebook may still send you notifications from time to time!
And when you tap on this notification, it will enable the app and download available updates.
Moreover, some apps are automatically updated when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi. You can’t do much about this except to turn off notifications for the disabled apps.
Feedback Service
Feedback Service is an Apple push notification feature that collects information about devices that no longer have a particular app.
However, this information is not automatically sent to the app server.
The servers instead have to query to update the list of devices and streamline notification settings.
So, if an app server doesn’t support query/poll for this information, it will continue to send you notifications because it doesn’t yet know that your device is no longer on the list!
How Do I Stop Getting Uninstalled App Notifications?
It is usually easy to stop notifications once you understand the reason behind them occurring.
In most instances, deleting the app data and clearing the cache should be enough. In rare cases, you may have to root the device.
Clear App Data
If the app is still visible in the phone settings, delete the app data and profile before uninstalling it from the device.
What if you already uninstalled the app?
Don’t fret! Go to the App Store and download the app again. Reinstall it on the device. Then go to Settings -> Apps and open the app.
Delete cache and clear app data. Then, Force Stop the app. Finally, uninstall it once more!
You can also clear the phone’s cache and restart the device to wipe out the app’s information from RAM.
This should eliminate the connection between your device and the app and stop push notifications. Keep in mind that this method works only for Android smartphones!
Delete The App On iPhone
You can delete the app and the configuration profile to stop the app from sending push notifications on iPhones as well.
Uninstall the app by pressing on the icon until it vibrates.
Use the cross mark at the top corner to uninstall the app.
You’ll get a message saying that the app data will also be deleted. Press Ok and complete the process.
After this, go to Settings. Tap General and open Profiles.
(It could also be called VPN & Device Management, depending on the model you use.)
Press on the app’s configuration profile and delete it. You might have to enter the passcode to confirm the request.
Restart the iPhone to remove the temporary files in RAM. The app should no longer send you any notifications!
Related Questions
What happens when I delete app data on my phone?
Don’t worry, the other files and information on your phone memory will not be touched!
However, do keep in mind that you will lose bookmarks and search history if you delete the app data for Google.
How does deleting an app affect my data?
The app’s server will have your account information. You need to delete your account/profile with the app to remove your data from the app servers.
Even then, there is no proof that the app has actually deleted your information from its database. You will need to carefully read the app’s T&C’s and privacy policy to confirm this!
In Summary
You’ve deleted an app, but are still getting notifications for it.
As you’ve seen in this article, it’s actually not uncommon!
There is nothing wrong with your phone; it’s just that apps can have a tendency to continue to send push notifications because the entry point/connection link between your device and the app server has not yet been terminated.
It also happens when the app data is still on your phone memory, or if the app’s server has not queried for the list of devices that no longer have the app. Deleting the app’s data, profile, and the phone’s cache should solve the problem.
Finally, though it’s a basic one- check that you’ve actually deleted the app from your phone and not just a shortcut icon!