Database Info

[Q] How To Remove Unwanted Apps? (Root)

Unlocked, Rooted, Factory Image. Until the custom ROM scene get's built up, can unused apps be removed from the phone? I don't use 98% of the Google stuff. Can I just delete the apk's from /system/app and reboot? Any other locations for apps? I've disabled what I could, but I just want remove stuff and slim it down. Thx!

titanium my friend

Have it, but have only used it for backups. Care to do a quick tutorial? I'll search in the mean time, thanks!
NM, found it. Thanks mate.

Yup, just freeze or uninstall... freeze if you purchased the key.

As you said in your first post, you can just use something like root explorer or solid explorer to manually delete the apps you don't want from /system/app
That's what I've done

If yours is unlocked after rooing, please do a backup if custom recovery has been installed first - extra steps for good measures, even when we can easily restore factory image, etc.
AntTek App is my favorite, download from Play Store - when in doubt, just freeze it first so it will no longer show or display as APP in the listing. Reboot & profit, and run with a leaner factory rom - probably good for extending battery life with a few tweaks on all those unneeded background apps (i.e. Cell Broadcast Alert ... that's a good one, especially for our xda-members overseas - NOT !!)

[Q] Why Are Apps Being Restored?

Have a Samsung L720T S4. Rooted. Stock ROM. Sprint. I have deleted several APK's that are considered bloatware and after reading a description of the app, I decided I would possibly never use it, so I deleted it. (Of course beforehand, I did a full system and user data backup with Titanium, so I have no fear!) However, I found that the app is somehow being restored. I found this out when I go in to 'trim' my system of carp I don't use and will possibly never use. What is restoring these apps? Some appear before rebooting the phone, others appear after rebooting the phone. When it happens is irrelevant. What I want to know is what file do I need to delete to stop it from restoring apps?

I rooted my S6. What options do I have to debloat my phone?

Interested in remaining stock for the time being. What can I delete from my phone? What app can I use to force delete these files? Titanium Backup seems to not be able to do this.

Titanium will absolutely do that, however I would recommend just freezin apps you don't want vs deleting them. In the event that you do something that acts screwy you can always unfreeze the app, if it's deleted you're going to have to flash back to stock. Also, deleting apps from /system isn't going to make that space usable to regular user apps.

Debloating The SM-G360T1, SM-G360T & Others: An Easy Guide

There's not a lot of information out there for the Galaxy Core Prime on how we might debloat and save more space, so I decided to make a short tutorial that might help people with some easy steps in cleaning up their device. This guide is meant to be pretty basic and to just help point people in the right direction so that it speaks to a broader scope of Galaxy Core Prime Models, but is based specifically on the SM-G360T1. The SM-G360T is essentially the exact same phone though, so all of these steps should apply directly to that device too. Other Galaxy Core Prime models will be able to use this as well, but just be sure to read the special "NOTE" part of each step. Also, I'm sure it goes without saying, but inevitably I'll get the question, so obviously, root is required for this!
Anyhow, here we go:
1) Do a full backup in recovery before deleting system stuff. This is always a good idea just in case you delete something you're not supposed to and android stops working, then you can just go into recovery(TWRP, CWM, etc.) and restore your backup and your back to square one. It's good to do a new backup too a few days after when you're sure your deleted apps aren't causing any problems so you can restore to that slimmer version later if need be. Also, you should probably save your backup files to the external sd as you will likely have more free space there.
2) Install a debloated rom in recovery. SlimPickins is a great one for the SM-G360T1. It's basically the stock firmware for the MetroPCS Core Prime, but thanks to @Koognod we can now run Android without all the extra junk using his rom. It comes already debloated, deodexed and deknoxed, so you can just install it and not have to deal with finding all the junk to delete for yourself. It's already gone! It's also great for speeding up your bogged down phone or creating more space for your apps and media. Here is the link.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...rom-slimpickins-stock-rooted-bloated-t3250883
NOTE: YOU CAN NOT INSTALL THIS ROM IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE SM-G360T1. It should work fine on the SM-G360T too, but for anyone else just try googling or searching XDA for your "model #" and "debloat rom".
3) I recommend deleting the "PreloadInstaller" folder from "/system/app/" with a Play Store root browser. You should do this before deleting any system apps in my opinion, as this folder contains an apk that is programmed to put back a lot of the system stuff you delete(either immediately or after reboot). If you don't feel comfortable deleting this folder just yet though, then you can just move it to your external sd card for now with your browser to save space in case you ever want to move it back or just skip this step. Your choice!
NOTE: If you don't have the SM-G360T1 or SM-G360T, then your "PreloadInstaller" folder may be called something slightly different or you may not even have it at all. Just look for something similar in there. Be careful not to delete the package installer though as that's the program that allows you to install apps yourself.
4) You need an app that uninstalls system apps. I use "System App Remover(ROOT)" from the Play Store personally because all your deleted system apps actually go into a recycle bin first where they can be restored later if needed. It also tells you if the app in question is a "Key Module"(ie. proceed with serious caution).
5) Google search the internet for system stuff that's ok to delete for your device. It helps to search your model usually, but I don't think there's much info out there for the Galaxy Core Prime unfortunately, so just searching something like "Debloat Samsung Safe" can be a great resource as many Samsung phones have the same system junk.
6) Delete all the obvious stuff you don't want. This would be things like any of the MetroPCS stuff(or whatever carrier you have) or even the Galaxy app store if you don't want it. A lot of Google apps can be deleted too, though you want to be a little more careful with those as Android is pretty much based on the Google Services Framework and many Google apps are tied into the system. Generally, apps like Chrome, Docs, Drive, Hangouts, Maps(if you prefer another map application like Waze or whatever), etc. are good to go if you want. I wouldn't delete any of the core Google apps though that may handle major processes on your phone, like Calendar, possibly even Gmail or any of the ones that you don't know what they do. Deleting the stock camera, gallery, video or music player may sometimes give you problems down the line too, so I would probably keep those. You can also back all your apps up before deleting with Titanium Backup from the Play Store too in case you delete something that you need to put back later.
*NOTE: Some apps, like the Google ones for instance, may cause popup errors after you delete them. This is normal. Your phone's just looking for all those files that were just secretly running a few moments ago. All you have to do is reboot to get rid of those messages. If they still persist, then just reinstall the app.
7) Download an app to clean up that leftover mess. When you delete an app, especially with system stuff, it often leaves a bunch of folders and junk behind. Go to the Play Store and download an app that allows you to clean all that up. There's lots of good ones. I like to use one called "SD Maid" myself. It's good at cleaning up those leftover files and has a feature called "CorpseFinder" in fact that does just that. It also cleans up a lot of other things on your phone.
Anyhow, if you're a heavy power user like myself or you store a lot of music or other media on your phone in addition to 20 million apps or so and you need more space, then I hope this helps you out. Take care guys. Thanks!

Out of curiosity, how does this affect the "phone unlock" feature? In case I want to change providers?

2xMakina said:
Out of curiosity, how does this affect the "phone unlock" feature? In case I want to change providers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't affect it at all as long as you don't delete the "Device Unlock" app. More info on unlocking your device here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=63729887
Also, you can just install SlimPickins if you want an already debloated rom.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=63868639

Apps keep reappearing after deletion with "System App Remover"

Hi,
I was wondering if there was some way of preventing Microsoft and Google apps reinstalling themselves after I delete them? I've just rooted my phone and am new to the world of Android's furry innards but am a long term Linux user.
Sorry if this is a duplicate post, I've searched Google and XDA to no avail.
ps. does anyone know offhand why fdisk doesn't do anything? It's installed in BusyBox.
Thanks :silly:

I don't those apps are being reinstalled. They are probably not even deleted in the first place. Some apps are protected. I mention this because Titanium Backup has a "Chuck Norris" mode that specifically deals with that scenario.
I had a similar problem where Titanium Backup wasn't able to uninstall system apps. The workaround was to delete the apk from /system using a root capable file manager.
This was a root problem though. The root method I used at that time wasn't entirely compatible with Titanium Backup. So that may be another reason why your apps keep showing up.

It is because of adware you've been infected with. Download an antivirus and throughly scan and remove the viruses. Remove recently installed apps that you find suspicious.

I moved and disabled them at the same time using Apps2sd and they stayed dead.