How to remove all the preinstalled apps from any Android device. Get rid of bloatware. Step-by-step guide

Shouldn’t we have the liberty to choose the apps we want on our smartphones! However, most manufacturers install several apps we will never use in our life, killing precious space that can be used to store photos, videos, music, app data, or simply useful apps, and fun games. Several Android manufacturers, except those offering stock Android, are guilty of doing this. 

However, you might want to find out how to remove preinstalled apps without root access! I will talk about that today on InkedFreedom. Rooting a smartphone has its own set of advantages, however, the risk involved far outweighs its advantages, and thus, will not recommend doing that.

So, without any further delay, let’s get started with how to remove preinstalled apps without root on Android.

You can either use Android Debug Bridge aka. ADB or the Universal Android Debloater, which also uses ADB under the hood to remove pre-installed apps on your Android. No matter whether you use Univeral Android Debloater or not, you will always need the package name to get started. The name of the app that you find on the app drawer isn’t its package name. Here’s how to find it out.

Step 1: How to find the package name on Android?

There are several ways you can find the package name of the installed apps on Android. I personally use Solid Explorer, which is a paid app, however, you can use free apps like Package Name Viewer 2.0, intended only for this purpose.

Step 1.1: To get started, simply open the app, and use the search button to search for the app to see its package name. 

Step1.2: Note down the package name to proceed with the uninstallation process. If you want to do some other task with the package name, you can do that too.

Procedure 1: Using Universal Android Debloater to uninstall preinstalled apps

Let’s first talk about the Universal Android Debloater method. 

Step 2.1: Here’s the GitHub link to download Universal Android Debloater. Depending upon your platform, download the appropriate package on your computer by scrolling down.

As I am on Windows, I am going with the ‘.exe’ file as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 2.2: After you have downloaded UAD, connect your Android device to your computer and enable USB debugging. If you do not know what USB debugging is, and how to set it up, follow this link for a complete guide on how to set up USB debugging.

Step 2.3: Now, open Universal Android Debloater from the Downloads folder on your PC. If everything is alright, and USB debugging is properly set up, your Android device should be recognized by UAD. If you have connected multiple devices, you can switch between them, using the drop-down menu. 

Step 2.4: By default, Universal Android Debloater will display a list of recommended packages for removal. Use the drop-down menu corresponding to 'Recommended' to switch to 'All' to see a list of all the packages installed on your Android.

Here's a screenshot for your reference.

Step 2.5: You can use the search button to search for the package that you want to uninstall.

Step 2.6: Once you narrow the search down to the package that you want to uninstall, click on the 'Uninstall' button, and the app will be uninstalled from your Android instantly.

Procedure 2: How to use ADB shell to uninstall preinstalled junkware

If you aren’t comfortable with Universal Android Debloater, because of its user interface, or for any other reason, you can uninstall preinstalled apps using the ADB shell, as well. The process is a little complex, as you will have to type in some commands, but can be the best solution if you have ADB set up properly on your computer.

Step 3.1: Simply connect your Android device to your computer, enable USB debugging on your Android, and open the PowerShell or Command Prompt in the case of Windows, or the Terminal on your Linux PC.

Step 3.2: Before you proceed with the steps, you should first ensure, that ADB recognizes your Android device. To do that, type in ‘adb devices’. If the name of the device appears on the shell, you can proceed with the subsequent steps.

Step 3.3: Now, type in the command, as per the following format.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 package.name

Here, you have to type in the exact package name. I already discussed how to find the package name of an Android app at the beginning. See Step 1 for more.

For example, I have to uninstall ‘Duo’ on my phone, whose package name is ‘com.google.android.apps.tachyon’. So my command will go as shown below.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tachyon

If the package name is correct, and the command is successfully executed, you will see the ‘Success’ message on the shell.

If you find a different message, there must be something wrong with the command. The package name might be incorrect, it doesn’t exist, or the command syntax can be incorrect too.

Unlike a laptop or a desktop, it is not possible to simply do a factory reset to get rid of all the preinstalled junkware. This process is going to save you space and can help you get rid of the unwanted notifications these unnecessary apps deliver.

So, that was all about, how to remove or uninstall preinstalled apps on your Android. Do you have any questions? Feel free to comment on the same below.