Tech / AI

How to View Your App Download History on iOS and Android

Online Tech Tips is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Learn more.

Locating and viewing your app download history on your smartphone is handy in the following cases:

Follow these steps to learn how to view your app download history on iOS and Android.

Table of Contents
    How to View Your App Download History on iOS and Android image - android-phone

    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on Android

    By default, Android users get most of their apps from Google Play Store.

    You can view the app download history in Google Play Store from the Installed or Library sections of the Store.

    • The Installed section shows you all the apps currently installed on your Android device.
    • The Library contains all the apps that currently NOT installed on the device.

    Google Play Store remembers all your downloads and your purchase history. This record is helpful as you can reinstall an app later for free even if you accidentally removed it from your device.

    1. Open Google Play Store and tap your profile photo at the upper right side of the screen.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on Android image - 01-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-play-store-profile-photo
    1. Tap My apps & games in the menu.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on Android image 2 - 02-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-my-apps-and-games
    1. In the My apps & games screen, you’ll see four tabs: Updates, Installed, Library and Share.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on Android image 3 - 03-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-tabs
    1. Tap Installed to see all the apps that are currently installed on your Android device.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on Android image 4 - 04-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-installed
    1. If you want to see the free and paid apps you’ve downloaded from Google Play Store, tap Library. You can tap the X to the right of the Install button and remove the app permanently from your account, or tap Install to reinstall it on your device.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on Android image 5 - 05-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-library

    Note: The Library lists app downloads on any phone associated with your Google account, not just those currently installed on your device.

    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad

    If you forgot the name of an app you downloaded or accidentally deleted, you can check your download history in iOS through the App Store or use the 3D Touch Function.

    Use App Store to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad

    You can view all the apps you’ve downloaded since you started using your iPhone or iPad using the following steps.

    1. Open the App Store on your iPhone.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad image - app-store
    1. Tap the Profile icon at the top right side of the screen.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad image 2 - 06-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-app-store-profile-icon
    1. Tap Purchased.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad image 3 - 07-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-purchased
    1. Choose the All tab at the top to see all your apps or Not on this iPhone to see the apps that aren’t installed right now on your iPhone. If you are part of a family, you’ll either be able to tap My Purchases or tap the individual family member to see their specific purchases.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad image 4 - 08-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-all-tab-not-on-this-iphone
    1. You can tap the Cloud icon next to an app to re-download it, or swipe left and tap Hide to remove an app from the list.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad image 5 - 09-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-cloud-icon-hide
    1. To view apps purchased by family members, go to Family Purchases on the All Purchased page and tap on the person’s name to see all the apps they’ve purchased.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad image 6 - family-purchases
    1. You can also use the Search field in the App Store downloads history to type the name of the app you’re looking for.

    Note: If you change the country selection in the App Store on your iOS device, you can’t make your app download history appear in the App Store’s purchased tab. Only downloads or purchases you made in the new store will appear in the Purchased tab.

    Use 3D Touch to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad

    3D Touch is a feature on iOS devices that quickly allows you access options and commands for your apps.

    • The feature was introduced in 2015 for iPhone 6s but is available for the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, and XS Max.
    • Models like iPhone SE 2nd generation, iPhone XR, and newer models support Haptic Touch, which works like 3D Touch, but relies on a press and hold sensation instead of a forced gesture to activate.

    Access your app download history using 3D Touch by following the steps below:

    1. Hold and press the App Store icon till the menu shown below comes up.
    How to See What Apps You’ve Downloaded on iPhone and iPad image 7 - 10-how-to-view-your-app-download-history-on-ios-and-android-purchased
    1. Tap on the Purchased option to access your list of app downloads.

    Quick Tips

    Got something to add? Share it with us in a comment below.