If you need to free up the memory of your Android device, uninstalling the apps you no longer use is a great place to start. All the apps you have downloaded and installed from the Google Play Store can be removed quickly and easily. If, on the other hand, you want to remove one of the pre-installed apps on your device, the procedure is a little more complicated. You can also disable any applications that you do not intend to use further.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Uninstall Downloaded Applications
Step 1. Access the Settings application
In order to delete any app downloaded from the Google Play Store, you need to go to the "Settings" menu of the device. To do this, select the relevant icon in the Applications panel.
You cannot refer to this procedure to remove pre-installed apps on your device at the time of purchase. If you have this need and want to get more details about it, please refer to this link
Step 2. Tap the "Apps" or "Applications" menu item
The window for managing all applications installed on the device will be displayed.
Step 3. Go to the "Download" tab
Within this section you will find the list of all the applications you have installed through the Google Play Store or through other sources. The "Downloaded" tab is usually the first from the left.
Step 4. Locate and select the application you wish to remove
Scroll through the list of installed apps to select the one to uninstall. The detailed information page of the chosen app will be displayed.
Step 5. Press the "Uninstall" button
You will be asked to confirm your willingness to remove the selected application. To do this, press the "OK" button.
If the "Uninstall" button is not visible and there is only the "Uninstall updates" or "Deactivate" button, it means that the selected app is part of the group of those pre-installed on the device at the time of purchase. This type of application is also displayed in the "Downloaded" tab. In this case, the only way to proceed with deleting this program is to root the device and use the command prompt. For more details on this, refer to the next section of the article. If you just want to hide the apps you don't use, you can press the "Deactivate" button. Its icon will be removed from the Home screen and the Applications panel
Method 2 of 2: Uninstall the System or Phone Manager Apps
Step 1. Root your Android device
This is by far the most complex part of the whole process, as the precise procedure varies based on the smartphone model and the version of Android installed. Your carrier can also affect your ability to root your device. On some smartphone models, for example on Nexus products, rooting is a very simple operation; on the contrary, in other cases it is impossible. In order to uninstall the system apps pre-installed on the device, it is mandatory to root the smartphone.
Check out this guide for more information on how to root an Android device. To get detailed information based on your device model, you can search the web
Step 2. Install the Android SDK program on your computer
After you have rooted your device, you can use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool included in the Android SDK suite to uninstall system apps via the command line. You can download and install Android SDK for free from Other this link. It is not necessary to download the entire development environment, just install the "SDK Tools only" package. Download and run the installation file compatible with your computer's operating system.
Step 3. Connect the Android device to the computer via USB cable
To do this, use the USB cable that came with your device. Proceed to install any drivers that are required to use.
Step 4. Enable the "USB Debugging" mode of the device
To be able to root your smartphone, you need to activate the "USB Debugging" function. To do this, follow these instructions:
- Access the Settings application, then select the "About device" item.
- Tap "Build number" 7 times. This will make the hidden "Developer Options" menu item visible.
- Access the new "Developer Options" menu that appeared at the bottom of the "Settings" menu.
- Select the "USB Debugging" checkbox.
Step 5. Launch the ADB tool on your computer
The Android Debug Bridge is run via the command prompt. The best way to start it is to locate its icon using the "Explorer" or "File Explorer" window.
- Access the ABD software installation folder. By default it is C: / Users / username / AppData / Local / Android / android-sdk / platform-tools.
- Hold down the ⇧ Shift key, then select an empty spot in the folder with the right mouse button.
- Select the "Open command window here" option. This will open a Command Prompt window already configured to operate in the current folder.
Step 6. View the list of applications installed on the device
From the command prompt you are able to tell the ADB program to find the list of all the apps installed on the device. Within the Command Prompt window, execute the following instructions:
- Type adb shell, then press the Enter key. A Command Prompt window dedicated to your Android device will open.
- Type the command cd system / app, then press the Enter key. This command is used to access the app folder of your device.
- Type the command ls, then press the Enter key. This will display the list of all applications installed on the device.
Step 7. Find the app you want to remove
The list of installed programs may be quite large, scroll through it to locate the app you want to uninstall. Make a note of the full file name of the application to be deleted.
Step 8. Uninstall the selected app
To do this, type the command rm app_name.apk, then press the Enter key. You can repeat this step for any other applications you want to delete from the device.
At the end of the uninstallation type the reboot command and press the Enter key to restart the device and complete the procedure
Advice
If you have decided to delete an application that you have purchased, you can reinstall it at any time without incurring any additional costs. To do this, access the Google "Play Store" from your Android device, press the "Menu" button (☰), then select "My apps". The list of applications that you have purchased and that you can reinstall at any time will be displayed
Warnings
- When you uninstall an application from your Android device, all data associated with that program is also deleted. Before proceeding with the uninstallation, make sure that you have backed up any important information you wish to keep.
- Be very careful when uninstalling applications using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB). If you accidentally remove programs that are essential for the Android operating system, you could make the device unusable. Before uninstalling an application, always search the web for more details.
- Some Android devices may not allow the uninstallation of specific applications, especially if they are already pre-installed at the time of purchase. Additionally, some apps cannot be removed if they are critical to the proper functioning of the Android operating system.
