Unfortunately, most system apps can only be disabled. This means they will still exist on your phone, but have been stripped of their reason to function. Their processes will end, their software version will be rolled back to what it was when the Android device was manufactured, and they will no longer bother you. There’s also a number of preinstalled junk that also runs in the background, apps considered “bloatware.” These apps, just like unneeded system apps, will eat away at your system’s resources, especially when you need it most. These often come in the form of apps that provide the same function as another app, usually stock apps. Do you really need two Phone apps?
System Apps That Are Safe to Disable or Uninstall
Your Android device is just full of apps that can be removed because their service is unnecessary, duplicated or just pointless.
How to Disable or Uninstall System Apps
Thankfully, disabling or uninstalling system apps isn’t any different from uninstalling any old application. So now that you know which system apps are safe to disable, or uninstall, you can go ahead and make that happen. Here’s how:
Locate and open the Settings app. Its app icon is a gear. You can find the Settings app by checking on one of your home screens, swiping back and forth to reveal more than one. If you can’t find the Settings app there, open your App Drawer. Any and all apps currently installed make their home in your App Drawer.
When you’re inside your Settings app, scroll down until you come to the menu option “Apps.” Go ahead and select it.
From your Apps menu, you’ll see your currently installed applications in alphabetical order, but this isn’t all of them. Look in the top right corner and you’ll see three vertical dots. That’s “More.” Go ahead and tap on More. In doing so, a drop down menu will open.
In the drop down menu, choose Show System. In doing so, all of your system apps will be revealed.
Scroll through your list of apps until you find a system app that can be disabled and select it.
On the app’s info page, first tap Force Stop. You will be warned, “If you force stop an app, it may misbehave.” Tap OK.
Now select Disable. When you do, you’ll be warned again that, “If you disable this app, other apps may no longer function as intended. Your data will also be deleted.” Go ahead and select Disable App.
[NOTE]: This is where it’s important to remember that if your Android device is affected–it shouldn’t be–then reenable that app that’s causing problems.
- Finally, you’ll get one last warning that states, “Do you want to replace this app with the factory version?” Select OK. This just means that it will roll back the version of the app to what it was when the Android device was manufactured. It’s still disabled.
