How Do I Uninstall Built In Apps On Android?

Android phones from manufacturers like Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, etc. come loaded with a bunch of system apps that you may not wish to use. Yet, they're unnecessarily eating resources on your device. Now, if you want to delete these pre-installed apps, do not worry, we've got you covered. Here are some easy ways to remove pre-installed apps that phone won't let you uninstall.

Remove Apps That Phone Won't Let You Uninstall

I. Disable Apps in Settings

The easiest way to uninstall pre-installed apps or bloatware is to disable them altogether, as follows.

1] On your Android phone, open Settings.

2]Navigate to Apps or Manage Applicationsand select All Apps (may vary depending on your phone's make and model).

3]Now, look for the apps that you want to remove. Can't find it? You can type its name in the search bar at the top.

4]Tap the app name and click on Disable. Confirm when prompted.

That's it. Once disabled, the app will disappear from your homescreen and app drawer. Moreover, it will no longer run in the background or eat unnecessary space by collecting cache. Some bloatware can be easily uninstalled like regular apps, while some need to be disabled through the steps above.

II. Can't Uninstall an App set as Administrator?

Some apps have device admin permission and hence cannot be installed easily. This is usually the case with Antivirus, app lock, and other apps that have been granted device administrator permission by you.

To remove such apps, you need to revoke administrator permission, using the steps below.

1] Launch Settings on your Android.

2] Head to the Security section. Here, look for the Device administrators tab.

3] Tap the app name and press Deactivate. You can now uninstall the app regularly.

III. Remove Apps through ADB (No Root)

The other option is to connect your phone to your computer and manually remove each application. Note that it's a bit tiresome and requires a basic level of computer knowledge. But then again, using the method, you can remove apps that can't be disabled on Android.

1. Enable USB debugging on your phone

The first step requires you to enable USB debugging on your phone, to facilitate ADB connection between your phone and PC.

Remove Apps That Phone Won't Let You Uninstall

1] Open Settings on your phone and navigate to the About phone section.

2] Here, tap on Build Number or version continuously seven times until you see the toast message saying, "You are now in Developer Mode."

3] Go back to the Settings. Click on System and select Developer Options. For some phones, this option is given in the 'Additional Settings' section.

4] Flick the toggle and turn on Developer Options. Now scroll down and enable USB Debugging.

2. Connect your phone to PC

Once you've enabled USB debugging, you can connect your phone to PC or laptop using a compatible USB cable.

Make sure to select 'Transfer Files' mode from the notification pane. When prompted to "Allow USB Debugging," check the box next to 'Always allow from this computer' and tap OK.

3. Install ADB Drivers on your Computer

If you haven't done it before, install ADB drivers on your computer. You can download the package through these links- Windows, Mac, Linux.

Once ADB is installed, open its directory. Press Shift + Right Click and select Open PowerShell Window here. Now, type "ADB devices" and see if your device's code name appears with its serial number in the next line. Enter the same code again to be able to use commands to uninstall apps on your Android.

4. Use ADB Commands to Remove Apps that won't Uninstall

Remove Apps That Phone Won't Let You Uninstall

You can now use specific ADB commands to remove the bloatware of your choice from your phone. The general code is " pm uninstall –k ––user 0 <name of package>" without quotes.

To know the package name of applications on your phone, simply download and install the App Inspector app from Play Store. You can then search for the package name of the desired application, which can be used in the command line to delete the app.

For example, to remove Realme App Market on Realme phones, you need to type "pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.oppo.market." Similarly, to delete the default Oppo music app, you can use the command "pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.oppo.music."

This method neither requires root permissions nor voids your phone's warranty. However, we'd suggest you stay careful about what you uninstall as removing sensitive apps may break certain functions on your phone.

Wrapping Up

This was all about how to remove apps that won't uninstall easily on your Android phone. Anyway, which method did you use? Have any other tricks to add? Do let us know in the comments below. Also, feel free to reach out for any doubts or queries.

Also, read- 15 Popular Chinese Apps and Their Indian and US Alternatives

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