2y ago

Remove preinstalled apps - Universal Android Debloater

GitHub - 0x192/universal-android-debloater: Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device.

I just discovered this amazing app! It lets you remove (or just disable) preinstalled apps like Facebook, Netflix, etc. and system apps like samsung knox apps, diagnostic, bixby, and even One UI (but you must have installed other launcher). You can’t brick your device, worst case it falls into a boot loop and after 5 reboots it will factory reset.

Debloating your device will make it faster, more private and more secure (less atack surface).

DeGoogle Yourself @lemmy.ml

chevy9294 @monero.town

2y ago

Remove preinstalled apps - Universal Android Debloater

github.com /0x192/universal-android-debloater

Technology @beehaw.org

GadgeteerZA @beehaw.org

3y ago

Universal Android Debloater GUI - an open source low-level app for debloating Android phones

github.com /0x192/universal-android-debloater

AndroidApps @lemmy.ml

leanleft @lemmy.ml

4y ago

universal android debloater

github.com /0x192/universal-android-debloater

39 comments

This is awesome.
One of the best decisions Apple ever made was not letting carriers and other OEMs install bloatware on phones out of the box.
- The end result is a locked ecosystem though. The open source nature of Android makes this a bit harder to regulate for Google.
  Also money money money
- @navi @chevy9294
  Just all the apple bloatware lol
  
  Like what? Their office apps?
  I do find it annoying to delete them on new phones.
- Through recent EU decisions, this will apply to Androids soon too.
The gold standard is to flash a new ROM, but a lot of people dont't want to, or cannot because either the phone won't allow (Samsung etc) or it is too daunting. Next we had ADB commands via terminal (hello hours in the terminal). UAD in isolation might seem daunting, but compared to the alternatives, it it is a heaven sent gift, and I'm not even religious.
I've used this on my Samsung phone and I've seen better battery life with so much junk running in the background.
- Same.
I've always done it manually and never knew there was an app for it, that's so cool!
You can't brick your device
Still, always good to do your research before removing a package that looks unnecessary but is actually integral to your system
- I used it for the first time on my tablet. I went from LineageOS with unlocked bootloader to debloated Stock OS.
  I found it well documented. It has filters to mark apps for removal. You can be conservative or more aggressive. It tells you the purpose of each package and even if it unexpectedly affects functions that shouldn't be linked to them at all.
  Having a way to reinstall Stock android is a good precaution though.
- How is a novice to tell?
  
  Looking at the github page, the tool seems to come with certain lists telling you what is safe to delete based on what brand the phone is from or what carrier you're using.
Is this better, or just quicker, than going thru the apps in Settings>Apps one by one and hitting ~~"Uninstall"~~ "Uninstall" or "Disable" whenever the button is available?
- Not every app is graphical. Not all can be disabled.
  Using "package manager" from F-Droid you can list them and simply use adb uninstall --user 0 APP for all apps. Copy paste, appname, thats it.
  Just be sure to keep the logs to reinstall when needed?
- And some you cant even disable
  
  Yes yes I understand that. But is this ADB trick anything other than a time-saver? As you say, they cannot be uninstalled either way.
I would use Lineage os
- That would also work, except for unsupported devices.
  
  True, I suppose
Should be useful for phones with unlockable bootloader.
- You don’t need to unlock the boot loader for this
someone could make this a simple mobile app using shizuku so you don't even need another device.
- Seriously this would be sick
Always wondered how deeply these types of de-bloating systems affect the OS overall. I'd be keen to give it a go but phone stability is pretty paramount.
- Apps that are considered "bloat" are of course installed to the system partition. Which is something you don't have access to. The link to the app is created for your user account during device setup. It's still available to the system. Without root access they're not permanently removed. Removing them from your user means they don't run. If there is an OS update that updates apps for feature or security reasons, they have the potential to come back. You must remove them again. It does actually save battery once they're removed. You can verify this by using debug tools to look at all running services. You also don't need this app to remove bloat. It just makes it easier for those who don't want to use ADB command line.
  A majority of apps won't ruin your stability if removed. The only app I know I can't remove is My Verizon Services. If I do, I lose certain functionality. If you're unsure, look up what each app does.
Been using this for a long time. Great tool. Great idea.
If for some reason you cannot get this to work on your system, the database on this GitHub is still useful for doing it manually.
Nice
Ah that looks awesome. Definitely gonna try that out. Thanks for sharing
Can this clean up my Kindle fire tablet from 2017?
- If it runs Android and if you can enable usb debugging in developer settings than yes, otherwise no.
- For Kindles, the Fire Toolbox will get you sorted if you're below FireOS 7.3.2.2. https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/windows-linux-tool-fire-toolbox-v32-2.3889604/

39 comments