Uninstall default apps

Using /e/OS Setup
16

If system apps are removed, unforeseeable risks are always to be expected. A combination of several changes increases the susceptibility to errors.

What does “and some other things” actually mean?

Have you ever tried how the system behaves if you just remove the e.light app alone?

17

Well after reflashing /e/ and re-setting up my phone without uninstalling any system app, it seems that was it.

18

Didn’t you think it was possible at all that it was due to “and set up some other things” ?

19

As far as I remember I just installed some apps. I can’t be 100% sure but I did the same setup since then and it works fine.
To be sure one would have to uninstall the torch app on a freshly installed /e/, reboot it and see what happens but I don’t have the time right now.

20

I’ve already tried step-by-step uninstalling …

foundation.e.blisslauncher
foundation.e.drive
com.android.apps.tag
org.lineageos.openweathermapprovider
foundation.e.weather
org.cyanogenmod.weatherservice
org.cyanogenmod.weather.provider
[org.microg] GmsCore.apk
org.microg.nlp.backend.ichnaea
org.microg.nlp.backend.nominatim
org.microg.gms.droidguard

… without any negative effects on the /e/ OS system. Isn’t that crazy, right?

7 Likes
21

But you have to ensure that another launcher is installed BEFORE you remove Bliss. Otherwiese your device will not boot :wink:

4 Likes
22

I didn’t see you removed bliss. My loading issue happened on Bliss so of course we can’t tell whether any of the other apps you uninstalled would’ve messed with it.

23

Good thing you said mention it. I like the blisslauncher and I use it too. Nevertheless, I always have two alternatives on the device: Senior Launcher and Rootless Pixel Launcher .

@ChameleonScales and @harvey186 please consider, it was a test of curiosity and to gain experience. My deinstallation test is by no means representative. I also don’t know if it would give the same results on another device. I am already looking forward to a stable /e/ version 1.0 with the possibility of uninstalling the pre-installed apps.

1 Like
24

What is the difference in adb commands between the following?

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0
vs
adb uninstall --user 0

Are both commands the same? does adb shell pm uninstall actually remove the apk from the phone or just the user profile?

thanks in advance.

25

Yes @zypper, this is the better place to answer your question than here.

"Are both commands the same? "More or less yes. Maybe I misspelled it for a beginner. But this is not ill-will. It’s just routine. It must be direction and completeness

C:>adb devices
List of devices attached
1234eeee56789 device

C:>adb shell
a5y17lte:/ $

a5y17lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 0

For example: a5y17lte:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 foundation.e.weather

“adb uninstall --user 0” requires that “adb shell” has already been executed. Without having executed “adb shell” at least once, the following commands “adb-commandos” will not work.

adb shell - run remote shell interactively
adb shell <command> - run remote shell command

The command “adb shell” allows to enter the interactive shell.

The (system) apps are not completely removed from the system, but only for the current user via parameter –user 0.

See also → Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator or connected Android device.

26

Official pm documentation : https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/adb#pm

As for uninstalling and delete system apps, you may also delete the apk from system partition (remounting it rw from TWRP).

27

I uninstalled those apps but in the bliss launcher there still are the icons!
How solve?

Solved deleting bliss data

29

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

37 Likes
30

To get rid of a system app it does’t has to be uninstalled.
The app only needs to be diabled with: pm disable-user --user 0 packagename
To bring it back just use: pm enable packagename

3 Likes
31

Can Apps which got disabled this way get re-enabled by an OS update?

1 Like
32

The apps i disabled stayed untouched after the last update

1 Like
33

Thanks for the informathion, I have disabled the system apps I don’t like, for purely aesthetic reason I would rather unistal them but until /e/ allows this to be done easily, I think it might be best not to.

34

Well, why not uninstall dialer and camera? On my phone I have disabled those two and installed some with similar functionality that like better. My attitude is there should be some level of access to the phone that allows you more or less to do anything. It doesn’t have to be easy to get there but it should be there. There could be a warning that you need to know what you are doing before entering this level. However at this level it should be entirely up the user what they do or don’t uninstall. After all if you have no idea what you are doing why are you uninstalling system apps in the first place?

1 Like
35

I hope it doesn’t take too long, but I suppose I had better stick to disabling the ones I don’t want until this arrives.

36