Hey guys, Dallas Thomas here with Gadget Hacks.
Today I'm gonna show you how to remove any bloatware app
without using root OR a computer.
Now to me, if an app came preinstalled on your phone
and you can't remove it, that's bloatware.
Usually, though, that means busting out a PC
so you can use ADB commands to remove it.
One exception has been the Package Disabler Pro app for Samsung,
but for one that's a paid app that Samsung does their best to block,
and for two it doesn't work on non-Samsung phones.
So we need a new way.
One that doesn't require an external device.
Well, thanks to a feature introduced in Android 9 and upgraded in Android 11,
it is now possible to remove any preinstalled app entirely on-phone and without root.
The feature is tucked away in the hidden Developer Options menu,
and on Android 11, it now involves a pairing process between your phone and itself.
You'll see what I mean in just a minute.
So to get started, head to Settings, then "About Phone,"
and then on some phones you may have to tap "Software Information" here,
but once you see the "Build number" entry,
go ahead and tap it seven times in quick succession to unlock Developer Options.
You'll be asked to enter your lock screen passcode ...
... and once you do, you'll find Developer Options either in Settings –> System –> Advanced,
or just at the very bottom of the main Settings menu.
So head in there and scroll down to the Debugging section that isn't too far down.
Now first, if you don't see a switch for
"Wireless Debugging," "Wireless ADB," or "Wireless ADB Debugging,"
I'm sorry to tell you, but you're out of luck.
This method won't work for you.
Even though this feature is part of Android's open source code base,
a few manufacturers have actually hidden it away in their OEM skins for Android 9 and
10.
The brands that I was able to test here in the US all had it enabled,
but I think Xiaomi, and potentially some others, have it disabled.
That seems to have changed on Android 11 now that the feature has been finalized,
and it looks like all phones have it now if they're updated.
But for everybody else who's still here, go ahead and turn on the switch next to "Wireless
Debugging."
Again, it may have a slightly different name from phone to phone,
so just make sure to turn on the "Wireless" option, whatever it's called.
Now, what you'll need to do is create a local ADB server on your phone and connect it TO
this feature.
There are a few different apps that can do this, like Remote ADB Shell,
but those require you to manually trigger the connection, which can be a little hard.
So instead, I'd recommend LADB, as in Local ADB, which was purpose-built for exactly this.
It does cost $2.99 on the Play Store,
but if you're comfortable compiling an app from source,
you can get it for free from GitHub.
Still, I'd recommend the Play Store route for easier updates.
But once you've got it installed, go ahead and open it up.
Now if you're on Android 9 or 10, all you'll have to do here is tap "Allow" on a prompt.
But if you're on Android 11, there's now a passcode system for it.
And because the passcode regenerates as soon as you close the box that shows it,
you'll need to open your Settings app in split-screen view while you type it in.
So open the multitasking screen and tap the app's icon at the top of its card,
then choose "Split Screen" on the popup.
Now, most phones will show your other recent apps on half of the screen,
in which case you'd just have to choose the Settings app you just had open to jump right
back into Developer Options,
but on Samsung, you get this little app drawer where you'll have to reopen Settings,
and then you can jump right back into Developer Options from there.
Here, scroll down to the Debugging section again,
and this time tap the actual "Wireless Debugging" text, not the toggle, to open a submenu.
In here, scroll down and tap "Pair device with pairing code."
Here, you'll see your IP address, followed by a colon, and then another number.
That other number is your port number.
So type that into the Port field in LADB, and then type the pairing code into the other
box ...
... once you've done that, leave split-screen open until you get a "Wireless debugging connected"
notification.
Now you're ready to remove some bloatware.
But first, you'll need to know the bloatware app's package name,
which is essentially the name your operating system knows the app by.
The easiest way to do that is to grab an app called Package Name Viewer 2.0.
Once you've got that installed for free from the Google Play Store, open it up...
... and use the search field at the top of the screen to find the app you want to remove.
Tap it, then select "Copy" on the popup.
Now, open your favorite note taking app.
Something where you can edit text.
Go ahead and paste your clipboard's contents into a note...
...and you'll notice there's a lot more than just the package name copied.
So put your cursor right after the colon that follows the word "package" ...
... and then delete everything before that point.
Then, highlight the word "Launcher," which starts with a capital L,
and then also select everything after that and delete it.
Now you should be left with the plain package name — go ahead and copy it.
From there, head back to LADB and start entering the command that will disable the bloatware
app.
Type "pm" followed by a space,
then "uninstall" followed by a space,
then two hyphens,
then the word "user" followed by a space,
then a zero followed by a space,
THEN paste in the package name.
Go ahead and hit enter, then you should see a "Success" message.
The app is now disabled and all associated data has been deleted except for the initial
APK.
It will stay that way until you factory reset your phone or send another command.
That one would be "pm" space "install" hyphen "existing" ...
then two hyphens and the word "user" followed by a space,
then the number zero followed by a space, then the package name.
But for more help with this whole thing, be sure to check out the full written guide over
on gadgethacks.com
And as always, we'd appreciate it if you would like and comment on this video
and subscribe to our channel.
So we'll see you again next time folks, but until then ...
Happy Gadget Hacking!