How to Remove Unwanted Pre-Installed Apps on Android Without Root
Do you have a phone with a lot of pre-installed apps that you don’t want? Here are two simple methods for removing them without having to root your phone.
A lot of apps are pre-installed on every Android device. These are apps that Google or the maker of your smartphone wants you to use. Some of them may be necessary, but what about the pre-installed apps you never use?
Bloatware is a term used to describe undesirable Android apps that can’t be deleted using the standard uninstall method.
We’ll show you how to uninstall pre-installed apps on Android without rooting your device in this article. But first, try turning off the default apps.
Disable Pre-Installed Apps
Pre-installed apps can be disabled by some smartphone makers. The app will not be deleted from your phone, but it will cease running in the background and no longer appear in the app drawer.
Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps to disable an app on your Android device. Now select the program you wish to turn off and press the Disable button. Depending on the Android smartphone you’re using, this technique may differ.
You won’t be able to uninstall the app if you don’t see the Disable button or an option that says “Uninstall updates.” You can get rid of it by following the steps outlined below.
How to Remove Bloatware From Android
ADB must be installed on your Android device in order to delete pre-loaded apps. For more information, see our guide on how to use ADB and Fastboot on Android. For the convenience of use, you can download the minimum ADB setup from xda-developers.com if you’re running Windows.
You must enable USB debugging on your Android smartphone before proceeding. To access the Developer options, go to Android settings > About Phone and press the Build number several times. Now, go to Developer settings and enable USB debugging (which is normally found under System or Additional Settings).
When ADB is installed and USB debugging is allowed, you can remove bloatware from Android by following the instructions below:
1. Using a USB cord, connect your Android handset to your computer.
2. Open the command prompt on your computer.
3. In the command prompt, type adb devices and hit Enter.
4. On your smartphone, you’ll see a prompt asking you to allow a connection with the computer. Select OK.
5. Enter the command adb devices once more. Your device will now appear in the “List of devices attached” section.
6. Press Enter after typing adb shell.
7. To uninstall an undesired app, type pm uninstall -k –user 0 <package name>.
The name of the file that contains the app you’re uninstalling is referred to as the package name in this case. What makes you think you know what that is? Download App Inspector from the Play Store for free on your Android device. The package name of the app you want to remove can then be found using this method.
You can also use the command adb shell cmd package install-existing <name of package> to reinstall a default app.
Things You Should Know
This method allows you to delete all of your Android device’s default apps, including the system apps. If you’re planning to delete system apps, make sure that their absence won’t affect the device’s or other apps’ functionality.
This method can also only be used to uninstall pre-installed apps for the current user. In other words, if you reset your device, the removed apps will reappear. To uninstall unwanted apps for all users, you’ll need root access.
The silver lining is that if you remove an important system app by accident, you can easily restore your device. Try bloatware removal tools like Titanium Backup or NoBloat Free if you want to uninstall unwanted apps on a rooted device.
What Else Can You Do?
If configuring ADB becomes too difficult, you can attempt one of the alternative methods for removing bloatware from your Android handset.
A smart approach is to hide apps from the app drawer. The option is usually found in the Android Settings on most smartphones. This varies by smartphone manufacturer; for example, on my Xiaomi device, the option is found in the app lock settings.
However, if you want to customize and personalize your phone, you should learn some ADB methods.