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Removing Stock Apps?

Ok, I've been on this site all day, finally got my MT3GS rooted. Now all I want to do is get rid of all the extra crap on my phone, IE all the bloatware. I've tried using Root Explorer to remove the Amazon MP3 store, just to test it out. Doesn't work. When I go through Terminal and try ./adb shell rm /system/app/* it just tells me "rm failed for /system/app/*, Read-only file system". What gives? I could just get a whole new ROM, but I kinda wanna just get rid of a lot of the junk on myself.

adb remount
adb shell rm XXX
adb uninstall XXX.XXX

Brut.all said:
adb remount
adb shell rm XXX
adb uninstall XXX.XXX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get a 'failure' whenever I try remount or uninstall and shell rm just tells me it is a read-only file system.

jonulf said:
I get a 'failure' whenever I try remount or uninstall and shell rm just tells me it is a read-only file system.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, it's read-only, so you have to remount it first. But I don't know, why remounting doesn't work for you.

jonulf said:
Ok, I've been on this site all day, finally got my MT3GS rooted. Now all I want to do is get rid of all the extra crap on my phone, IE all the bloatware. I've tried using Root Explorer to remove the Amazon MP3 store, just to test it out. Doesn't work. When I go through Terminal and try ./adb shell rm /system/app/* it just tells me "rm failed for /system/app/*, Read-only file system". What gives? I could just get a whole new ROM, but I kinda wanna just get rid of a lot of the junk on myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've written a quick guide here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=715282
However, look a few posts down on there and someone else has advised a decent app that will remove system apps as long as your phone is rooted called 'Titanium Backup'
However, if you still want to go through terminal emulator on the phone then the instructions are there anyways.

I really wish there was a way to do this without Rooting my HTC Desire, lol...

Thanks for all your help guys!!

Well, Titanium isn't working, whenever I try to uninstall the phone just reboots.
And cmd lining it is still giving me tons of issues. It says su not found and denies me permission for just about anything.

I need help, My news widget after reinstall with Titanium backup disappear and can't find it again in widget menus. even after reboot still not showing up.
at first, news app/widget not working even after several restart so i tried to back up the apps/widget and uninstall them. and reinstall with back up through terminal emulator. The app is working but the widget is gone so i cant add the widget to my home screen.
Appreciated for the help
thx

How to verify Rooting worked?

I rooted my Captivate. No errors, I have the Superuser listed in my Applications now.
But how do I verify this worked? How on earth do I nix the ATT Navigator and such?

Go to the market and download an app that requires root. If it works, then you have root.

Dave2582 said:
Go to the market and download an app that requires root. If it works, then you have root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like, any examples?

If you have a custom recovery installed for your captivate, go to the market and download quick boot. Once installed, go into quick boot and select recovery. That should boot your phone into your custom recovery. If that works, then you are rooted.

Dave2582 said:
If you have a custom recovery installed for your captivate, go to the market and download quick boot. Once installed, go into quick boot and select recovery. That should boot your phone into your custom recovery. If that works, then you are rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It came up with a "Superuser Request" and booted into recover mode
SWEET!

Question...
How can I figure out what an Application's package name is so that I can uninstall it (IE, the ATT preinstalled crap like Family Maps).

Follow this thread on how to remove preinstalled apks. Good stuff.

Dave2582 said:
Follow this thread on how to remove preinstalled apks. Good stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's what I did:
cd c:\android-sdk-windows\tools
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
cd /system/app
ls (This displays all apps on the phone.)
To delete ATT Maps:
rm attmaps20-1094.apk
Now when I try to run the RM I get a permission denied error??????
I was thinking of removing these:
attmaps20-1094.apk <<-- ATT Maps
MediaHub.apk <<-- Samsung Media Hub
MobiTV_800x480_320_20100610_1.0.0.15-118829.apk <<--ATT MobiTV
ATT_Radio_2.1.07.apk <<--ATT Radio
ATTNav-Samsung-Vega-1488.apk <<-- ATT Navigation
Didn't see ATT Music or anything like that but that would've given me a good start.

[Q] Root Gained - Applications to remove bloatware that are free?

Now that we have root - what programs do you recommend to remove the bloatware thats free?

You can do it with Titanium Backup - that's what I use

ADB.
mount -o rw,remount /system
rm /system/app/name.apk

raduque said:
ADB.
mount -o rw,remount /system
rm /system/app/name.apk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just a note, you can accomplish this phone-side with terminal emulator as well (the first command you'll type will be "su" [minus quotes] in that case though)

Kaczman said:
Now that we have root - what programs do you recommend to remove the bloatware thats free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
root uninstaller does well too. there is a free version that lets you uninstall and freeze. I think the paid version allows you to unfreeze frozen apps.

Absolute System will not only allow this but it will also give you the APK name.

Titanium backup seems to be the best solution.

If you're looking for a what to remove after the app, I made a thread about it in "themes and apps" - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=16739548#post16739548
I describe the how to with free tools, so might be of interest.
In any event, thanks for the adb/terminal commands here and other app suggestions.

How to remove stock Swype to install Beta

I love the newest beta of swype (3.25.something) and was irritated with the old stock version. Removing pre-installed swype from a Sense rom using a terminal emulator was nowhere to be found, so I pieced this together and it worked. Must be rooted first
I found this short walk through (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10655580&postcount=29277) to remove swype, but my spareparts didn't have those options and I haven't got root explorer. So this is the free way to clear out the installed swype so that you can use the much better beta.
I learned how to mount read and write to remove apps here: http://www.magicandroidapps.com/wiki//index.php?title=Removing_Sprint_Apps_From_Evo
1) Use a file explorer to find out and write down the exact filename of your /system/lib file. Mine was libSwypeCore.2.50.72.20895.so
2) Open up your Terminal Emulator app and type: su
The $ should turn into a #
3) Next enter: mount -o remount,rw /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system
4) Enter: rm /system/app/Swype.apk
5) Enter: rm /system/lib/filenamefromstep1
6) Then enter: sync
And: reboot
7) When the phone reboots use your email client to download the Swype installer fresh (I used an old copy and got force closes, but after using the manage apps to get rid of the old installer and the errorous new swype or failed install the freshly downloaded installer worked seamlessly)
8) Install the new installer and follow its prompts.
I hope this will help someone else and is easily found when they search for it.

The only way i could think of right now is to be rooted and then installing an app like "System App Remover". It can install any bloatwares.

Not to bury up an old topic, but don't forget about the all important Titanium Backup. Not only can you back up all of your apps easily, it will let you remove any app from your phone just as easily. It seems a lot of people overlook that powerful app. Plus, it's also free, unlike root explorer.

AndroidHobbyist said:
The only way i could think of right now is to be rooted and then installing an app like "System App Remover". It can install any bloatwares.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the way I did mine.

Removing system apps on Android 10 impossible?

Dear early adopters, I recently switched to Android 10 without any hassle. Root and TWRP have been contained after taking the necessary steps, already mentioned over and over.
The one thing I do not get however is why the app "System App Remover (root needed)" seems to be softbricking my device.
I am on the latest TWRP 3.3.1-65 by mauronofrio, Magisk beta 19.4. Everything is working fine, until I use the app mentioned above.
The apps I am deleting did not yet ever cause any problem at all getting deleted by this exact app so this seems to be app-specific.
Apps I am deleting e.g.:
Chrome
Netflix
Gmail
Google
Google Movies
Google Music
Google Books (or slightly different)
In general just some bloatware. Everything is working flawlessly until I reboot. I am then shown the typical safetynet screen for about 30 seconds and then taken to the fastboot screen, rendering the device useless-as-is. I did try deleting Netflix only as well with the same results.
The only thing reverting those steps is flashing the ROM in TWRP, flashing TWRP and magisk for obvious reasons and trying all over again.
I did try deleting the same apps in Titanium Backup. Deleting Netlix worked without any hickups it seemed. A reboot brought it back up again.
Google apps such as Chrome and Gmail are even getting me a nice "apk-file could not be found/located" message.
How do you guys get rid off those unwanted apps on Android 10 then? Am I missing something? I would appreciate a more technical explanation on the topic as to why things are the way they are if anyone of you guys experiences the same.

I had the same problem until I flashed Magisk Stable. Now no problem to remove system apps on android 10.

You can manually remove system apps using a file manager with root access. Go to system/app and delete the apks. If you mess up, just reflash the rom.

Yes with root file manager I was having the same problem with apps returning after reboot. Canary Magisk was the problem. After installing Magisk Stable all problems were gone. hope this helps someone.

I meanwhile flashed the 19.3 stable magisk. Seems like I had a broken instance of 19.3 on my device as well which caused the same bootloop as the beta. Thanks for the hint.
dtown808 said:
Yes with root file manager I was having the same problem with apps returning after reboot. Canary Magisk was the problem. After installing Magisk Stable all problems were gone. hope this helps someone.
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Click to collapse
tropical cactus said:
You can manually remove system apps using a file manager with root access. Go to system/app and delete the apks. If you mess up, just reflash the rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know that is possible. Still I would prefer some more technical insight on the topic. Status quo at magisk 19.4 is that the apps can be deleted in "root remover"-apps and else, but show up again after a reboot.
Titanium still tells me the apks could not be found. What has been changed by switching to Android Q causing this to happen? After all it was still working fine that way in Pie.

why not disable them ? all this hassle

RfBob said:
Titanium still tells me the apks could not be found. What has been changed by switching to Android Q causing this to happen? After all it was still working fine that way in Pie.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at this post

Toutatis_ said:
Take a look at this post
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you a lot. This clears the fog. Exactly what I was looking for.
Yandvoiris said:
why not disable them ? all this hassle
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Click to collapse
I don't like freezing/disabling apps instead of deleting them so this is a no-no. Probably more of a personal preference in attempt to keep the device relatively bloatware free.
It's the same with storage extension back in the days. Of course you could go for the 32gb version of the phone and expand by SD card. But I'd rather take the 64gb one and still be able to but not necessarily have to use the SD slot. You get the point, I guess.

Why not just use ADB to remove them? It works fine and is simple enough.

You can also boot in twrp. In mount option put check mark on System. Then in the advanced option use the file manager and navigate to system/system/product/app OR /priv-app. There are the google and other apps. Delete what you wish. when done, unmount system and reboot

There's a magisk modules I used to use on pie that worked flawlessly. Its called debloater or debloat. It removes system apps by using a terminal app by typing the command 'debloat', and its self explanatory from there. Also if there's any issue, you can reinstall the app right back the same way you uninstalled. Haven't tried on Android 10 just yet tho. Worth a try.
One other thing, I'm the same way, if I'm never going to use certain apps, I want them gone. However, phones these days that are coming with base model of 128gb and 8gb( like the one plus 7 pro) I'm not as worried as I used to be with removing the bloat.
P.s. im guessing by the apps you named you also have a 7pro, but I might be wrong. If you a Samsung device, there is the Package disabler app on the play store. And now, I guess they have a version for all Android devices and you don't need root. Here it is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pdp.deviceowner
Good Luck

Debloat indeed does still work. I used it today on 10
Sheetzie03 said:
There's a magisk modules I used to use on pie that worked flawlessly. Its called debloater or debloat. It removes system apps by using a terminal app by typing the command 'debloat', and its self explanatory from there. Also if there's any issue, you can reinstall the app right back the same way you uninstalled. Haven't tried on Android 10 just yet tho. Worth a try.
One other thing, I'm the same way, if I'm never going to use certain apps, I want them gone. However, phones these days that are coming with base model of 128gb and 8gb( like the one plus 7 pro) I'm not as worried as I used to be with removing the bloat.
P.s. im guessing by the apps you named you also have a 7pro, but I might be wrong. If you a Samsung device, there is the Package disabler app on the play store. And now, I guess they have a version for all Android devices and you don't need root. Here it is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pdp.deviceowner
Good Luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Well I don't know what happened me, but youtube (system app) was gone from my phone this morning for no apparent reason. Had to reinstall it from the store as just a normal user apk. Very strange

equlizer said:
Debloat indeed does still work. I used it today on 10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well here you go @RfBob confirmation from @equlizer that Debloat works on 10.
Good to know equlizer, I appreciate you jumping in and confirming this.
On pie, it was my go to, because it worked so well.
Neat little mod. And if you run into issues by uninstalling an app and the system goes haywire, because it has happen to me before where I was sure removing a certain system app would be fine, but it found out it was not, so you can easily reinstall the app the same you uninstalled it.
Take care.

Meanwhile I found some time to play around with the debloater terminal module.
Unfortunately most of the apps good to go are nowhere to be found. E.g. chrome, duo and else. I guess they should be located in vendor apps but they're not. Any suggestions?
I have not yet tried the adb method but guess it should work. For sake of simplicity I'd prefer the debloater module though as my devices are rooted anyway and reverting back to stock apps is no hassle.

RfBob said:
Meanwhile I found some time to play around with the debloater terminal module.
Unfortunately most of the apps good to go are nowhere to be found. E.g. chrome, duo and else. I guess they should be located in vendor apps but they're not. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Three of the first four choices you can search for apps you want to uninstall. The fourth choice you can insert yourself ie., /system/product/app or priv-app. That will give you more choices also.

jcsww said:
Why not just use ADB to remove them? It works fine and is simple enough.
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Click to collapse
Indeed, if you are rooted, then a couple of basic linux commands will do.
You just have to remount the /system partition as writeable.
Code:
> adb shell
$ su
# mount -o rw,remount /system
# cd /system/app/
# rm -rf Netflix_Stub
# rm -rf xxx
# rm -rf yyy
# ...
# sync
# reboot
Above is example to remove the Netflix_Stub ...
If the above is like Chinese for you ... then stay away from it.

Yep, also usually prefer ADB...

foobar66 said:
Indeed, if you are rooted, then a couple of basic linux commands will do.
You just have to remount the /system partition as writeable.
Code:
> adb shell
$ su
# mount -o rw,remount /system
# cd /system/app/
# rm -rf Netflix_Stub
# rm -rf xxx
# rm -rf yyy
# ...
# sync
# reboot
Above is example to remove the Netflix_Stub ...
If the above is like Chinese for you ... then stay away from it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot mount system as rw anymore on android 10, even if rooted.
Code:
flame:/ # mount -o rw,remount /system
mount: '/system' not in /proc/mounts
Code:
flame:/ # mount -o rw,remount /
'/dev/block/dm-4' is read-only

Worked using debloater, but...
Sheetzie03 said:
Well here you go @RfBob confirmation from @equlizer that Debloat works on 10.
Good to know equlizer, I appreciate you jumping in and confirming this.
On pie, it was my go to, because it worked so well.
Neat little mod. And if you run into issues by uninstalling an app and the system goes haywire, because it has happen to me before where I was sure removing a certain system app would be fine, but it found out it was not, so you can easily reinstall the app the same you uninstalled it.
Take care.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did follow the steps to remove youtube app from OOS 10 on One plus 6 and rebooted but it didn't completely remove it, instead it converted it to user app. I simply uninstalled it like a user app, did a reboot and then installed youtube vanced from Magisk. So far everything is working fine.