Buy almost any Android phone and you'll find apps you never asked for: a second browser, a second app store, games, "cleaners", carrier tools, sometimes a news feed on the left of the home screen. That's bloatware. Some of it is harmless clutter; some of it runs in the background, sends notifications, and eats storage and battery.
You can get rid of most of it without rooting your phone. Here's how, from the gentle method to the developer-grade one.
Why phones ship with bloatware
- Revenue. App makers pay manufacturers to preinstall their apps.
- Carrier deals. Phones sold through carriers often come with carrier apps.
- Ecosystems. Brands push their own alternatives to Google apps (browser, gallery, store, assistant).
Not everything preinstalled is junk. The phone app, camera, settings, system UI and Google Play services are essential. The goal is to remove what you don't use without breaking what you do.
Method 1: Uninstall or disable from Settings (safe for everyone)
- Open Settings → Apps (or Apps & notifications).
- Tap the app.
- Choose Uninstall if available. Many third-party preinstalls can be fully removed.
- If you only see Disable, use it. Disabled apps stop running, disappear from the app drawer, and can't update or notify you.
Disabling is completely reversible: come back to the same screen and tap Enable.
Method 2: ADB, for apps Settings won't touch
For stubborn system apps, the Android Debug Bridge can uninstall packages for your user profile only. The app stays in the read-only system partition (so a factory reset brings it back), but for all practical purposes it's gone.
Set up ADB
- Enable Developer Options (tap Build number seven times in About phone).
- Turn on USB debugging.
- Install Google's platform-tools on your computer.
- Connect the phone and accept the RSA prompt.
adb devices
# should list your phone as "device"
Find the package name
# list all packages and filter by a keyword
adb shell pm list packages | grep -i facebook
# or show only third-party/system packages
adb shell pm list packages -s # system
adb shell pm list packages -3 # user-installed
You can also find a package name from the app's Play Store URL or from Settings → Apps → the app → App details.
Remove, disable or restore
# remove for the current user (reversible)
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.bloat
# or just disable it
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.example.bloat
# changed your mind? bring it back
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.example.bloat
adb shell pm enable com.example.bloat
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
What NOT to remove
Removing the wrong package can cause boot loops, crashes, or a missing keyboard or launcher. Avoid anything with these in the name unless you know exactly what it does:
-
com.android.systemui,com.android.settings,com.android.phone -
com.google.android.gms(Play services),com.android.vending(Play Store) - Your current launcher and keyboard
- Anything containing
provider,telephony,framework,permissioncontroller - Manufacturer core services (for example Samsung's
com.samsung.android.loolhandles device care)
Rule of thumb: remove one app at a time, reboot, and use the phone for a day before removing the next batch. Keep a text file of everything you removed so you can restore it.
Tools that make it easier
- Universal Android Debloater (open source, GUI over ADB) groups packages by risk level ("recommended", "advanced", "expert", "unsafe").
- Canta with Shizuku lets you debloat directly on the phone without a computer after a one-time setup.
Watch a walkthrough
Choosing a phone with less bloat
Bloatware levels vary a lot by brand and region. Pixels and some Motorola phones ship relatively clean, while others come with dozens of extras. If a clean experience matters to you, check what a model ships with before buying; infozme is handy for comparing current phones' specs and software versions side by side.
Cover photo by El Jundi on Pexels. This article was written with the help of AI.
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