Shizuku — run powerful ADB commands directly on your phone
No PC neededShizuku is a free app that lets you run ADB-level commands directly on your Android phone without connecting it to a PC. Combined with a compatible app manager like "App Manager" (by Muntashir Al-Islam, available on F-Droid and Play Store), you get a graphical interface for uninstalling any system app — including ones that Settings won't let you touch. This is the best option if you don't have easy access to a PC or want a more user-friendly interface than typing ADB commands manually.
Not every system app is safe to remove — know the difference
ImportantBefore removing any app — especially system apps via ADB — understand that some system apps are genuinely necessary for your phone to function correctly. Removing the wrong app can cause your phone to crash, lose functionality, or require a factory reset. The rule is simple: if you don't know what it does, don't remove it — disable it instead. Disabling is reversible; ADB uninstallation for your user account is also reversible via factory reset, but that's more work.
| App type | Safe to remove? | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok pre-installs) | Yes — completely | Uninstall via Settings or ADB |
| Carrier apps (My Carrier, carrier TV, carrier games) | Yes — completely | Uninstall or Disable via Settings or ADB |
| Manufacturer extras (Bixby, S Voice, duplicate browsers) | Yes — safely | Disable via Settings or remove via ADB |
| Microsoft apps (pre-installed OneDrive, Teams on Samsung) | Yes — safely | Uninstall or Disable |
| Google apps you don't use (Google TV, Google Pay if unused) | Mostly — with care | Disable only — don't fully uninstall Google framework apps |
| Core Google Services (Play Services, Play Store, Android System) | Never | Leave completely untouched — essential for Android |
| Phone, Messages, Contacts apps | No | Keep — core communication functions |
| Manufacturer system UI, settings, and camera apps | No | Keep — removing breaks your phone's UI |
--user 0 method) is widely considered safe and doesn't void warranties on most devices. Rooting your phone, however, does void warranties on most manufacturers' devices — and rooting is not required for any method in this guide.--user 0 only removes the app for your user account (not from the system partition), you can restore any app with this ADB command: adb shell cmd package install-existing [package.name]. If that doesn't work, a factory reset will restore all system apps completely.--user 0 command even when Settings won't allow disabling. This is one of the primary reasons the ADB method is so valuable — it bypasses these manufacturer restrictions entirely.These apps are essential infrastructure for Android. Removing them will break your phone and require a factory reset to fix: Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms), Google Services Framework (com.google.android.gsf), Android System WebView (com.google.android.webview), Google Play Store (com.android.vending), your phone's System UI (com.android.systemui), the Settings app itself, and your manufacturer's core services. If you're ever unsure about a package name — Google it before removing it.
Step 1: Go through Settings → Apps and uninstall everything that has an active Uninstall button. Step 2: Enable "Show system apps" and Disable every app you don't use that shows a Disable button. Step 3: Clear cache and storage for every app you disable. Step 4: For apps that resist disabling — use ADB from PC or Shizuku on-device to uninstall them with the --user 0 command. Step 5: Restart your phone and enjoy noticeably better performance, battery life, and storage space.
- Uninstall all user-tier bloatware (Facebook, carrier apps, game trials) via Settings
- Enable "Show system apps" in Settings → Apps to see everything
- Disable all manufacturer extras you don't use (Bixby, duplicate browser, etc.)
- Clear cache and storage for every app before disabling
- Use ADB for apps Settings won't let you disable
- Never remove Google Play Services, System UI, or Settings app
- Google any unfamiliar package name before removing it
- Check after system updates — some manufacturers re-enable disabled apps
- Restart phone after bulk removal to free up RAM immediately
Pre-installed bloatware is one of the most universally annoying aspects of Android phones — but it's also one of the most fixable. Start with the Settings method and you'll eliminate the majority of it in under 20 minutes without any technical knowledge. Add the ADB method for the stubborn apps that resist the standard approach, and your phone becomes noticeably cleaner, faster, and more personal. The apps that manufacturers load onto your phone without your consent are not permanent. They're just default settings — and default settings exist to be changed. Take the 20 minutes, go through your app list, remove what you don't want, and reclaim the device you paid for.
Open Settings → Apps on your Android phone. Enable "Show system apps." Sort by size. Work from the top down — uninstall everything with an active Uninstall button, disable everything with an active Disable button, and skip anything you're unsure about. Do this for 15 minutes right now and you'll reclaim storage, speed, and battery life you didn't know you were missing.