Uninstall default apps

You can uninstall pre-installed Apps. Whether “easily” applies is subjective.

To uninstall Apps permanently …

  • Note the package name of the App in Settings - Apps & notifications - (select the App) - Advanced - (the package name is given at the bottom of the page, e.g. foundation.e.calendar)

  • If not done already, make the Developer options visible by tapping on the Build number in Settings - About phone a few times until you are being declared a developer.

  • If not done already, enable Settings - System - Advanced - Developer options - Android debugging

  • Connect your phone to a computer via USB.

  • If not done already, download the current Android SDK platform tools to the computer and unzip the ZIP file to a folder you can navigate to easily.

  • Open a command line/ terminal and navigate to the folder to which you unzipped the tools. If you are unfamiliar with the command line/ terminal, here’s a really good and short 1 page introduction to everything you need for now … https://tutorial.djangogirls.org/en/intro_to_command_line/

  • Enter the adb devices command to display an ID of the phone to make sure that ADB works with the connected phone (upon first usage the phone should ask you to confirm this access from the computer, there you should also be able to select that the phone remembers that decision, if you want).

  • Uninstall the App with the command
    adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 packagename
    (instead of packagename enter the package name of the App you noted before)

  • If at some point you would want to bring an App back which was uninstalled in this way, use the command
    adb shell cmd package install-existing packagename

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