iOS 16.7.4 Update Fixes Issue That Prevented Built-In Apps From Being Reinstalled

Alongside iOS 17.2.1, Apple today released iOS 16.7.4 and iPadOS 16.7.4 updates that fix an issue with built-in apps. In some cases, if a user deleted a built-in Apple app on a device running iOS or iPadOS 16.7.3 or earlier, the app would not be able to be reinstalled.

General iOS 16 Feature Yellow
From Apple's release notes for the update:

This update fixes an issue where built-in Apple apps that may have been deleted may not reinstall.

While we haven't heard many complaints about the issue, that is likely because the majority of users have transitioned over to iOS 17. For those who are having a problem with reinstalling a deleted app in iOS 16 or iPadOS 16, the new update will address the problem.

Apple's iOS 17.2.1 update also included bug fixes, but Apple did not provide specific details.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Expected to Announce These Two to Three Products 'This Week'

Sunday October 12, 2025 7:05 am PDT by
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip. Gurman...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Preparing iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones

Saturday October 11, 2025 6:59 pm PDT by
Apple's software engineers are internally testing iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will likely be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released within the next few weeks. Last month, Apple released iOS...
Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Being Rebranded as Apple TV

Monday October 13, 2025 8:25 am PDT by
Buried in its announcement about "F1: The Movie" making its streaming debut on December 12, Apple has also announced that Apple TV+ is being rebranded as simply Apple TV. A single line near the end of the press release states "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity," though Apple's website has yet to be updated with any changes, so we're unsure on the details of the...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 18 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 6 New Features

Saturday October 11, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly a year away, a handful of new features and changes have already been rumored for the devices. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. Smaller Dynamic Island The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island, but the devices will...
10

Apple to Launch New Products Starting Next Week, Claims Dubious Leak [Updated]

Friday October 10, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Update: the Naver account appears to be referencing a speculative post on X by Vadim Yuryev, dated October 6. The original article follows. Apple will announce new products through a series of press releases beginning as soon as next week, according to a dubious claim posted on the Korean blog Naver. The Naver blog account yeux1122, which aggregates rather than originates Apple...
All AirPods 2025

Apple Reportedly Working on New AirPods Pro, AirPods 5, and H3 Chip

Sunday October 12, 2025 9:24 am PDT by
After releasing AirPods Pro 3 last month, Apple is already working on the next AirPods Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It is unclear if the new AirPods Pro would be branded as AirPods Pro 4, or if they would be considered an updated version of AirPods Pro 3. Gurman did not take a position, opting to describe them as a "new version" of the "high-end in-ear buds." AirPods Pro 2...
Meta Ray Ban Glasses

Apple's Smart Glasses With In-Lens Display May Feature Two Modes

Sunday October 12, 2025 9:43 am PDT by
Apple's second-generation smart glasses with an in-lens display may have two modes, depending on which device they are connected to. Meta Ray-Bans without an in-lens display In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he was told a future version of Apple's smart glasses may be able to run a full version of the visionOS operating system when they are paired with a Mac, and...
clips app hands on thumb

Apple's Clips App Discontinued

Saturday October 11, 2025 9:06 am PDT by
Apple has essentially discontinued Clips, its video-editing app designed to allow users to combine video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create enhanced videos that can be shared on social media sites. The app has been removed from the App Store, and a support document on Apple's site says that the app is no longer being updated and would no ...
apple vision pro orange

Vision Pro Future Uncertain as All Headset Development Is Seemingly Paused

Saturday October 11, 2025 1:00 am PDT by
Recent reports suggest that there are now no redesigned Apple Vision headsets in active development, with the company's focus pivoting decisively to smart glasses. When Apple announced the Vision Pro in mid-2023, it described the device as the dawn of "spatial computing," a new paradigm that would eventually rival the iPhone in importance. With a $3,499 starting price, intricate design and...

Top Rated Comments

Populus Avatar
24 months ago
The fact that you couldn’t install a native app once you delete it for more than one year that iOS 16 has been around, and it only got fixed almost in 2024 is, in my humble opinion, something they should think about on Apple Park.

Also, this and the battery drain problem when you deleted a native iOS app, are a couple of reasons why I’ve never deleted one, hiding them on a folder instead.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JOLoughlin Avatar
24 months ago
Oh my god, glad there’s a fix. Essentially had to start over on two iPad Pros (not eligible for iPadOS17) to resolve the issue.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tgdbowler Avatar
24 months ago
Update limited to iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JonYo Avatar
24 months ago

This is the exact issue I'm having right now with an iPhone 8 Plus that I restored from an iPhone 6s Plus, and afterwards the iPhone 8's native apps all went black and won't run/install, while 3rd party apps are all ok. I was at my wits end after lots of dead end googling. Installing 16.7.4 now, we'll see how it goes.
Nice, all issues appear resolved after the firmware update completed.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zany.ninja Avatar
24 months ago
I’m taking credit for this one. Just yesterday I was unable to install the default apps on my iPad (5th gen) after a device reset. Phoned Apple support, they did a screen share of my device, spent 10 minutes trying everything, then said the problem is from their end and a fix would be issued soon - this year they assured me. So I wake up this morning and wow! Never thought it would be this soon! I’m flipping impressed Apple!…

And say what you want about this being a long-standing problem, I’m still going to take credit for this getting fixed :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LoveToMacRumors Avatar
24 months ago
Only for those ios 16 is the last supported ios for the iPhone. Kinda stupid haha
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)