How to disable android applications. How to disable applications on Android

When you turn on any tablet or smartphone on Android, many widgets and system background processes are launched along with the desktop. Over time, the phone, crammed with many simultaneously enabled processes, begins to slow down and even reboot spontaneously. Let's look at how to disable unnecessary applications on Android, as well as in what cases this is necessary.

Have you bought a new smartphone, but in addition to background processes, it also contains some unnecessary programs or games pre-installed by the developer? In this case, they can be removed quite simply by going to the main Android settings menu and selecting the “applications” tab. But what about those system programs that cause you inconvenience and cannot be removed in the usual way, without rooting your mobile phone? Such utilities mainly include various applications for optimizing the system and preserving battery charge. Also, some programs may be needed only in certain cases, and their constant use loads the processor, RAM and drains the battery.

A striking example of how a program pre-installed by the developer affects the performance of a mobile device is the Google media service on the Nexus 7. After updating to Android OS version 4.2, many tablet PC owners encountered lags in operation. And all this is not on a Chinese dual-core chip, but on a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 with a Gigabyte of RAM. By disabling the Google media service in the settings, the tablet's performance returned to its previous level.

Applications infected with a virus, whether it is a worm or a Trojan, can become a big problem. At first glance, they work the same as before infection, but in fact, their presence in the background can block the functionality of other programs. In some cases, the virus even blocks the button to disable the application from processes, and therefore it must be safely removed.

What processes can be disabled on Android

Among the factory applications and processes, there are many that are rarely used, but consume a large amount of system resources. Background processes such as Launcher, Home screen, the Android platform and various auxiliary services cannot be disabled, since they are necessary for the operation of the OS. The following applications may be considered prime candidates for disabling:

Google drive.
Google maps.
Weather and news.
Calendar synchronization.
Various Google play services.
Postal services, etc.

Almost all of them either start when the OS boots, or while using the mobile phone. Their presence in the background takes up from 100 to 500 MB of RAM, which can be spent on opening several applications or browser pages.

Algorithm of actions

It is worth noting that you may need superuser rights to disable some applications. This applies to a greater extent to system processes, however, it is also not possible to disable “some services unnecessary for the operation of the OS” in the standard way.

For all other applications you need to do the following:

Go to the main settings menu of your mobile phone or tablet. To do this, click on the icon with the gear icon on the desktop or release the information curtain by swiping across the screen.
Select the applications tab, which is located in the “device” section.
In it we find the “all” item. To do this, click on the corresponding section or go to it with a side swipe across the screen.
The list presented will display absolutely all services, processes and applications. Just select the required one and click on the “Disable” button at the top of the screen. If instead of disabling there is a delete button, then this is not a system application and can simply be deleted in the usual way.
Confirm the selected action.
Reboot your mobile phone in any way.

In addition to disabling some applications and online services, it is also advisable to disable the ability to search for updates for them. This can be done in the same menu with settings, or by going to the Playmarket brand store, if we are talking about Google services.

For more details about this, see the video below.

Please note that some services and applications may be in demand only in certain situations. In this case, you can turn them off and, after performing a similar operation, turn them back on if necessary. Also, before disabling, it is worth understanding what this or that program is intended for and what functions it performs. If you stop a background process that is necessary for the operating system to function, the phone may stop responding to touches or display a blank home screen. In this case, you need to restart your mobile phone.

Device manufacturers build programs into their devices. Sometimes comfortable, sometimes not. Alas, it is impossible to remove unnecessary pre-installed applications. Therefore, they needlessly take up invaluable space on the hard drive, sometimes making it difficult for the processor and RAM to work. However, this problem also has a solution. How to remove useless programs?

Is it possible to remove system applications on Android

Firstly, it is indeed possible to remove built-in programs. Secondly, this doesn’t even require special skills. You will only need to install root rights on the device. In other words, bypass the system’s internal protection and gain access to all Android functions.

Why you may need to remove pre-installed programs

In addition to the obvious - freeing up disk space - there are more important reasons: sometimes an error appears in system applications, an unpleasant bug due to which the Android cannot work normally. To the point where the device cannot be turned on. In such cases, a notification appears about problems in a specific standard program. One option is to remove it.

It is worth considering that not all applications can be removed without harm to the operating system. Root access allows you to use anything you want, but it can also do a lot of damage.

Important and useless stock apps

Without consequences, you can remove programs built not into Google Android itself, but into the shell of a specific manufacturer.

For example, Meizu smartphones with their proprietary Flyme OS shell have a “Tools” application, which has a ruler, compass, level, etc. Similar programs can be found in many shells like TouchWiz from Samsung or Xperia from Sony.

It is much more dangerous to get rid of Android programs itself. They all depend on each other. And even third-party applications use them for their own purposes. For example, if you delete Google Maps, you will not be able to play the popular Pokemon GO.

On the 4pda.ru forum, users have compiled an extensive list of built-in applications:

Visit this page.
Expand the spoiler “Description of stock programs.”
Make sure that the application you are planning to remove does not have functions important for the OS:
- if the name says “YES”, it means you can erase the program;
- If “NO”, then you perform all actions at your own peril and risk.

How to get rid of unnecessary factory programs

Disable

To disable some stock programs, you don't even need root access. You can turn them off, the effect will be the same (except that they will continue to take up disk space).

Demolish

Installing root access using a computer

Please note that obtaining administrative rights will void your warranty service. Root makes the system more vulnerable to viruses and internal errors.

Manufacturers do not want to take on unnecessary responsibility, so the terms of use strictly state that rooting is a reason to deny you warranty service.

Uninstalling a program

It is highly advisable to save copies of the deleted files somewhere. Because your actions may have unintended consequences. And if errors or failures subsequently arise, simply return the application to its place - the problems should disappear.

For backup, it is recommended to use the Titanium BackUP program. With its help, you can either make a full backup of the device and in the future restore the non-working device to its saved state, or freeze a separate application that you want to remove, so that you can later unfreeze it and put it back.

How to remove standard programs on Android - video

Possible problems

After removing system programs, system malfunctions may theoretically occur. Therefore, it is best to back up a copy of the files in a safe place in advance so that they can be reinstalled.

But if a backup was not made and problems arise, flashing the device will help.

Go to the official website of the manufacturer of your smartphone or tablet and download the required firmware version.
Each device has separate instructions for reinstalling the system. Find it and act according to the recommendations.

All applications you deleted will be installed with the firmware, so any problems caused by deleting system programs will be solved.

How to get back deleted stock apps

If you have disabled them

If you simply disabled the program, then just launch it again in the “Settings” -> “Applications” -> “All applications” menu. To do this, find the desired application in the list, highlight it and click “Run”.

You can also do a Hard Reset, that is, reset the settings to factory settings. This will delete all parameters and return the phone or tablet to its original state, and at the same time start the disabled standard processes. There are two ways to do this.

Hard Reset via Settings

Open “Settings” -> “About phone” -> “Storage” -> “Reset settings”.
Check the required boxes:
- “Deleting data” will destroy program settings, contacts, messages, etc.;
- “Formatting the built-in memory” will erase all data from the device’s hard drive, except for what was originally installed, that is, photos, videos, third-party applications.
Click the "Restore" button. After a few minutes, the device will reboot in its original form.

Recovery using Recovery Mod

How to reset your smartphone to factory settings on Android - video

If you deleted them

If you saved a duplicate of deleted files, then simply return them to their original location on the device. That is, place the .apk and .odex files in the /system/app folder, and the update files in /data/app (even if the updates are lost, the program itself will restore them).

If there is no backup, then there are two options:

or you find files from other users;
or reinstall the Android OS.
Look for missing files only in reliable sources, as it is very easy to get a virus. Ask friends who also use root rights to search for data, for example, or download information from trusted sites. Many Android forums have special threads where users share standard application files with each other. All materials are checked by forum moderators and the participants themselves, so the chance of infecting the device is minimal.

The last and always working method is to reflash the device. Download the official version of the system from the manufacturer’s website and install it via Recovery Mod.

Many built-in programs, especially from the device manufacturer and not from Google Android developers, are useless. At the same time, they take up a lot of space, interfere with the system, eat up battery power and slow down the OS. Getting rid of them is not difficult, but it will require root access. And it is highly advisable to save copies of the deleted files in order to protect yourself in case of failures and possible errors.

The number of companies producing Android devices is constantly increasing. A couple of years ago, no one had heard of such manufacturers as Xiaomi or Leco. And today they are beginning to compete with such giants as Samsung and Lenovo. There is also competition in developing applications for their devices so that users can take advantage of all the capabilities of their devices. That is why when you buy a new phone or tablet, it turns out to be almost completely filled with different programs, they are also called system or stock. Whether they are needed or just taking up free space is up to you to decide. But if you still decide to get rid of unnecessary programs, and at the same time clean it to speed up work, then we will tell you how to remove pre-installed applications on Android.

What applications can be deleted?

There is no single list of programs that can be safely removed without harming the system, so everyone must determine for themselves which of them are not needed. We offer a list of basic programs and those elements, the removal of which will not harm the operation of the Android device, for example, Google maps.

List of programs:

Voice search or dialing;
Help and support from the manufacturer;
Standard email client or browser (Internet);
Unused video, audio players;
Unnecessary Google services (Maps, Gmail, Gtalk, etc.);
All kinds of games, books, etc.

Under no circumstances should you randomly delete applications or files you don’t like, this can lead to a crash of the entire system! Any application is a file with the apk extension. It is this file that should be deleted. If available, you also need to delete files with the .odex extension. Then this procedure can be considered completed correctly.

This is what the program system file itself looks like:

Here is a list of possible system applications to remove:

AccuweatherWidget.apk - weather informer;
AnalogClock.apk - analog clock widget;
BlueSea.apk, Aurora.apk, etc. – all types of live wallpapers;
ChatON_MARKET.apk - chat from Samsung;
Encrypt.apk - memory card encryption;
Geniewidget.apk – news widget;
GooglePartnerSetup.apk is another Google social program;
Kobo.apk – magazines;
Layar-samsung.apk - augmented reality browser;
MobilePrint.apk - remote printing of documents;
PlusOne.apk is another social service from Google;
SamsungWidget* - different types of widgets from developers from Samsung;
VideoEditor.apk - video editor;
Voice*.apk – programs for working with voice;
Zinio.apk – Internet magazines.

How to remove unwanted pre-installed applications?

Removing standard programs without root rights, that is, manually, is carried out in the usual way. Choose "settings", Further "applications". We activate the required one and click delete.

There's nothing complicated here. Difficulties usually arise when deletion is not possible, or an error occurs when performing the operation. Then you need to use special programs or simply disable it (see our video for more details).

We use ES conductor.

We have already written about where to download and how to use it. Within the framework of this material, we will talk specifically about deletion on Android.

After launching Explorer, scroll to the right or click at the top of the window, depending on the version, to open the menu. In it you need to find and activate the “Root Explorer” to obtain rights to remove pre-installed programs. It is usually located in the “tools” section.

Now you can proceed to the removal procedure itself. On the Android system, pre-installed applications are located on the internal memory in the “system/app” folder. Select the desired file by touch and click delete.

Some of them additionally download their updated version to the “data/app” folder. We recommend checking there for the presence of the program to be removed.

A faster way is to uninstall the files from the “system” menu section. It is located in the initial menu, “APPS” tab.

We use CCleaner.

We have already published instructions for installation and operation. To remove pre-installed programs, run cleaner and enter the main menu. We are interested in the “system” tab. Let's select it.

The window that opens will display a list of all programs available for removal. You don't have to search for exactly where the applications are located. Removal is carried out automatically, literally in a couple of clicks (before deleting, the cleaner will ask). And then it will reboot your device to shut down correctly.

We remove pre-installed programs using titanium backup.

In this video, we offer you visual instructions on another way to remove system applications on Android.

Let us note once again that if you are not sure of the purpose of a particular program, it is better not to delete it. We hope that this material was useful to you. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments. We will try to help.

In this practical guide, I will tell you how to delete an application on Android in various ways. This can be done without damaging the OS. You will also learn how to remove system (standard) and . How to uninstall them from internal memory or SD card.

The best programs for uninstallation

Video instruction:

Why remove applications from Android?

The phone slows down and responds slowly to user actions. As a result, working with the phone is inconvenient and access to important functions is slower.
There is not enough memory on your mobile device. This does not always happen because of the small amount of RAM, but because unnecessary applications are installed on the phone. Because of this, side and unnecessary functions run in the background.
By deleting unnecessary applications, you will focus on the most useful ones (of the remaining ones) and will not be distracted by unnecessary ones.
Some developers introduce advertising into their products - a popup screen is displayed on the phone screen or lockscreen (lock screen), which cannot be gotten rid of in any way except by uninstalling the “culprit”.

Reference. Uninstallation – removal of a mobile application (or computer program) from the operating system and from the storage device.

How to remove unnecessary apps from your phone

Through the standard Application Manager

You can find a section with a list of installed programs on Android at: Settings - Applications.

Standard Android Application Manager Toolkit

In the “Applications” section you can find out how much space a particular application takes up and where it is installed – in the internal memory or on the SD card. The bottom of the screen shows how much phone memory is free and occupied. By clicking on the line with the name, you will find out the cache size and data consumption in the OS.

Applications installed by the user can be stopped (that is, unloaded from memory), deleted, or transferred from the phone memory to an SD card (which is useful if you need to free up phone memory).

In the SD Memory Card tab – a list of applications installed on the phone’s SD card.

In the Running section - useful information about how long a particular program has been running and how much RAM is consumed. Thus, if an application is wasting resources, it can and should be removed.

It should be noted that the standard Android tools are not suitable for mass removal of Android applications, although they are useful for single removal of a particular package.

Uninstalling applications using CCleaner

CCleaner is a simple but effective utility for uninstalling applications on Android. An intuitive interface allows you to remove everything unnecessary in a few clicks: applications and cache (sometimes occupying hundreds of megabytes), apk installers and temporary files, and other “garbage”. The full version of the application is free, but contains advertising.

Sequence of steps to remove applications using CCleaner:

Download and install the utility
Through the main menu, go to the “Application Management” section.
Installed, system and disabled applications are distributed among the tabs. Select the desired section.
By clicking on the line with the application, information is available: name, program and cache size, installation date, version, etc.
Select the items and click on the Trash icon to remove programs from Android.
Click “Delete” again and confirm the operation.

Uninstalling applications using CCleaner for Android

Through CCleaner, you can remove applications in batches, and not individually, as the standard manager offers.

CCleaner is suitable for regularly cleaning Android and uninstalling applications from your phone. It is not possible to remove standard Android applications (such as Google Drive, Gmail) in CCleaner - neither with root access nor without it.

Clean Master – removal of standard and custom applications

Clean Master is another program for comprehensively cleaning your phone from garbage: temporary files, duplicates and remaining data that one or another application was “too lazy” to clean up. Clean Master does not specialize in uninstalling programs, but it does include a module called Application Manager.

A batch mode for uninstalling applications on your phone is available here. You can also manage apk packages and move apps from your memory card. This will help redistribute space and clear the phone's internal memory.

Removing Android system applications is not available in Clean Master; you can only uninstall user programs - those you installed yourself.

Removing system applications using System App Remover Pro

Removing Android system applications will help speed up the OS. However, it only makes sense to undertake this if you clearly know what can be deleted. To do this you will need root rights and System App Remover.

Remove unnecessary applications from your phone

Through the System Applications section, you can remove things that regular managers do not allow you to do. However, we advise you to follow the uninstaller’s recommendations and deactivate only applications that are marked “Can be removed.” Otherwise, you can disable the Android OS or cause system errors.

To remove Android system components:

In the System App Remover menu, go to the "System Applications" section;
In the list, tick the items to be deleted;
Click the "Delete" button.

By the way, this method will help you remove uninstallable applications hidden in the standard Android manager, accessible only in safe mode. As an example, advertising viruses and spyware.

Advice. If your goal is to free up space in your phone's memory, we strongly advise against deleting system applications. It’s better to buy a large memory card and install all applications on it.

System App Remover requires payment for its full-featured work in the pro version (the free version displays advertising at the bottom of the window). A symbolic $1.88 gives you access to the following features:

Management of system and user applications;
Moving any installed application to an SD memory card or internal phone memory;
Use as a phone basket;
Allows you to remove Android system applications;
Batch uninstallation mode: you can select only the necessary applications with checkboxes and remove them in a few clicks.
Flexible management of standard and custom applications: sorting, filtering by name, package name and path, searching for applications, etc.

Which apps can be safely removed on Android?

Let's note applications that make sense to remove in order to improve the performance of the mobile device.

Uninstall social network clients. In particular, the Facebook/Messenger app consumes a lot of memory on Android, and you're constantly distracted by notifications.
Feel free to remove unnecessary user programs - those that you installed yourself via Google Play or by downloading an apk file from an unverified source.
Uninstall antiviruses. It would seem a controversial decision, but if you are confident in the security of your mobile device or you do not have a particular need for constant protection, remove the antivirus.
You can remove optimizers and cleaners. Programs like CleanMaster and DU Battery Saver are useful on an occasional basis. Over time, they begin to get boring and hang like a dead weight in the Android RAM.
Games are not only the main time killers: they take up a significant amount of megabytes in the memory of a mobile device.

Final tip: install only necessary applications on your phone

Keep only the apps you need on your phone. Try alternatives, experiment, but always control what is installed.

If you install any program through the Google Play application, be sure to test it and make a conclusion: keep the program or delete it. On the one hand, this approach requires time and patience, on the other hand, it saves your nerves. A phone loaded with dozens of applications will not work as quickly as after purchase.

Answers to readers' questions

I can’t update applications on my phone, they write that there is not enough memory. But I deleted some of them, except the standard ones, and still I can’t download or install anything. There are very few programs on the phone, and it is impossible to do anything. What should I do, why can’t I install applications on my phone?

Answer. The first tip is to buy a high-capacity SD card. This is the easiest and fastest way to solve the problem with missing memory on your phone. There is no need to delete applications and constantly clear memory in order to “carve out” space in the internal storage.

We also advise you to carefully read the guide on how to remove applications on Android. Perhaps you need not only an Android application manager, but something more flexible, like the uninstaller from the developer Jumobile (see above). It will allow you to remove even hidden applications on your phone, as well as Chinese or system ones.

The phone (Sony Xperia M4 Aqua) receives notifications that the memory on the phone is low. I decided to transfer some applications to the SD card and leave only the necessary applications for Android in the internal memory. A little time passed and notifications began to arrive again, there was no more space on the SD card and I decided to clear it out of my mind, forgetting that I had once transferred applications there, and now the icons of these applications are lit on my screen, but I can’t go into them , and on top of these icons the SD card icon is lit. And most importantly, I can’t download the programs again and I can’t delete the application from my phone.

Answer. All applications transferred to the SD card (or even deleted user applications) can be easily returned - just go to Google Play and use the search to find this or that program for Android, then click on the Install button.

You can transfer applications to an SD card as follows:

Go to Settings - Applications (Application Manager).
Go to SD Card or USB Drive Section
Find in the list the application that you want to transfer to the SD card
Confirm the action

By the way, it is impossible to remove unnecessary or transfer Android system applications in this way; this will require third-party programs such as Jumobile.

I installed a memory card on my smartphone, I want to download the application. It does not install, it says: remove applications, there is not enough memory. The phone's memory is full. How to remove unnecessary applications from Android?

Answer. If you wish, you can remove unnecessary applications using CCleaner, CleanMaster or the application manager from Jumobile. These same utilities, by the way, will allow you to clear up free space by deleting cache, temporary files and other unnecessary data on your phone.

If the system memory is full of applications, it is better to transfer them to an SD card (I wrote about how to do this above in the text).

I uninstalled some program on my phone. The message “Safe Mode” appeared on the screen (in the lower left corner). Some applications are no longer visible. I downloaded the Undelete recovery program, but I can’t log in, but this program is installed in the Play Store. What kind of program could it be that is causing problems after uninstalling it?

Answer. You may have uninstalled the system application on Android, or the installed program conflicts with the phone. Rebooting the device helps exit safe mode. If after rebooting you still enter this mode, try turning off the phone and turning it on using the power and volume down buttons held down at the same time.

Tip: do not delete system or user applications on Android without knowing their purpose. Deleting it can lead to serious consequences: at best, you will have to reflash the phone.

Android OS (version 4.0 and higher) has a very convenient function - disabling applications. Not everyone knows about it, although this feature allows you to get rid of a bunch of unclaimed and unwanted programs. By the way, you can even disable system applications, except those vital for the OS, for example: ConfigUpdater. It is impossible to remove the necessary system applications if the user does not have root rights.

Step-by-step instructions for disabling unnecessary system programs and viruses on Android

Required condition: the Android version on your tablet or phone must be 4.0 or higher.
Clarifications:
- the names of some menu items may differ slightly, depending on the manufacturer of your device and the installed firmware. But understanding the menu and disabling applications is not difficult; the principle of performing the actions does not change.
- if unwanted programs (viruses) do not have a disable option in the settings, then it is better to get rid of them by removing updates.

1. Go to the settings menu of your phone or tablet.
2. Find and open “Applications”, select the “All” tab.
3. From the list of installed applications that appears, select the one you want to disable and click on it.
4. In the top right corner, find the disable option. If the application is not a system application, then the button will say “Delete” (it is better to delete it immediately), for system applications it will say “Disable”.
5. Click "Disable".
6. The system will ask you to confirm the shutdown, click “Ok” in the pop-up window that appears.
7. Disconnection is complete, you can exit the settings menu. It is not necessary, but it is advisable to reboot the device.

With these simple steps, you can easily unload the system, getting rid of unused applications and viruses, and thereby significantly increase the performance of your Android device. One of the illustrative examples of the effectiveness of this technique was the disabling (as a result of updating the Android version to 4.2) of the Google Media application, which was the reason for the tablets to slow down.

The function of disabling unnecessary applications once again demonstrates the flexibility of the Android operating system and the ease of working with it.

There are also system applications that cannot be disabled. For example, the application Common Data Service cannot be disabled; without it, your device simply physically cannot function:

If you have malware, then the disable button may be hidden. For this option, you need to click “uninstall updates”.

Perhaps each device has its own little subtleties, but in most cases this method works.

It might be useful to read: