Which system apps can I delete? Some Android users have already asked themselves this question. The answer: Deleting them is not that easy
Which system apps can I delete? Deactivate Android apps instead of deleting them
If you use an Android phone, the manufacturer has pre-installed many apps. These include so-called system apps. These system apps cannot simply be uninstalled via the settings menu or the Play Store – but at least they can be deactivated. The data remains on your memory, but is no longer displayed anywhere and no longer loads RAM memory and background processes:
- To deactivate, display all applications including system apps in the settings:
- If the “Deactivate” button is grayed out, first uninstall all updates for the app. You can then deactivate the program
- In general, all apps that can be deactivated can also be uninstalled without any problems. However, root access is required for this. But beware: It is not always recommended to uninstall system apps. This can lead to usage restrictions on your smartphone.
- To root an Android smartphone, you need a PC and a USB cable. You will also need a program, for example Odin, which you download to the PC.
- After downloading the program, start it on your PC. To do this, click the right mouse button and select “Run as administrator”. The program opens, check the boxes “Auto Reboot” and “F. Reset Time”
- Now switch off the smartphone and restart it in download mode. To do this, press the Home button, the Volume Down button and Power at the same time. When the display lights up, the phone restarts
- You will see a message that the operating system does not come from the manufacturer. Confirm the message with the volume up button.
- In the next step, connect the smartphone to the PC via USB cable. The model number of your smartphone will now appear in the window of the program that you downloaded to the PC at the beginning. Select the AP button and open the CF Auto Root file that you downloaded earlier. This file also appears in the program window:
- Now click on Start and activate the toolkit for the root. This restarts the smartphone. You will receive a message that the SuperSU app has been installed. Click on “Next” and then on “Normal”. After a few minutes, click on “Okay”. You can now use the SuperSU app to manage (and delete) all apps that require root rights
- Important: Rooting can cause damage to your devices. We accept no liability for this.
Bloatware: Unnecessary apps can be removed immediately
There are also pre-installed apps that are useless and do not belong to the system apps. In this case, we speak of bloatware.
- Bloatware includes advertising apps, but also apps that are pre-installed by the smartphone manufacturer but do not play a decisive role in the operation of the smartphone.
- Often, however, such apps cannot be deleted, but only deactivated. However, there is also bloatware that can be uninstalled. If in doubt, the following applies here: try it out
- The question remains: What can be removed? Goodbye test versions: Android apps from recognizable third-party providers are never system-relevant. For example, versions of “Office Suite” and the like can be removed without any problems
- Samsung smartphones sometimes have the “Bild” app or provider-specific apps pre-installed. This can all be removed. There is usually even a better alternative app in the Play Store
Caution, system intervention – these Android manufacturer apps should stay
Smartphone manufacturers are covering pure Android with their own user interfaces such as Samsung’s “Touchwiz”. This can also be seen in the system apps, which can be thoroughly cleaned out:
- SPlanner, Music Hub, sCloud – as long as you do not create a Samsung account, these apps remain unused. However, uninstalling them does not affect the system in any way – get rid of them
- Caution is advised with core apps such as the camera application. These are usually developed by the manufacturers themselves. However, they are so essential that they are used by alternative camera apps for operation.
