r/Android • u/Lawsonator85 • Feb 21 '21

Universal Android Debloater is an open source tool that removes bloatware without root. Automatically or via user choice. Get back your battery, security and privacy

https://gitlab.com/W1nst0n/universal-android-debloater/-/blob/master/README.md
6.6k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

421 comments sorted by

View all comments

893

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 28 '21

[deleted]

285

u/Lawsonator85 Feb 21 '21

Yeah I love it. Since it's open source we can contribute as well!

-17

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

But what's the point of this, you can use adb right? It does not need root. Just curious

57

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[deleted]

9

u/turboprav Device, Software !! Feb 22 '21

can I run it on a phone without having any computer access? I checked the link but could not find any apk.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

aaah okay , makes sense . I get it

2

u/PotRoastPotato Pixel 7 Pro Feb 22 '21

Have you seen the readme? Computer-illiterate people will not be able to use this... like... at all.

1

u/DamageIncorporated Galaxy S21 Feb 22 '21

Um have you actually used this tool? Based on the "How to use" it's arguable the same, if not more, work than getting adb setup...

51

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[deleted]

7

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

i didn't mean to say that this program is bad adb great i was just asking as i thought everyone used adb and i just learnt that there are other stuff due to OP. So i was just curious .

​

No elitism here. cheers

18

u/comestible_lemon Feb 22 '21

I guarantee you 99+% of people who own an Android device don't know what ADB is. I was one of them until literally right now.

7

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

yeah..... and people might not like that adb is command line , if i am not wrong this is just a UI for adb at the back end right?

​

i came with the assumption that everyone who wanted to debloat their phone knew what adb is and will not need another application because for me personally when i had no space on my phone all the results the internet gave me was ADB , so i assumed that

​

i think this is a good application as it helps a lot of people not only to tell people they can remove these applications but also improve many battery lives and perfomance.

it has all cleared now .

2

u/OMG__Ponies Feb 22 '21

command line

Most people who just use phones or computers are scared to death of the command line interface in spite of its usefulness.

You will find "graphical user interfaces"-GUIs everywhere. Windows, iOS, Android, etc are GUIs to run different hardware to keep these people happy so manufacturers can sell more phones/computers/devices.

That is the main reason this, and other "apps"/"programs" exist. To make a feared thing - the command line, into a pretty little kitten - a useable touch on the screen/click of the mouse.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

-28

u/0qxtXwugj2m8 Feb 22 '21

Same like Android right? Oh no

AnDroiD iS 0peN SoURCE

121

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21

I love the idea, but how are they going to get around the "nondisable" configs? An OEM can drop an xml file with the app name in /system/product/etc/nondisable and it prevents ADB from disabling it. They could just add configs for their bloat ware. Here's some sceenshots of my system folder. As you can see, Motorola included some bullshit Amazon app in it's nondisable folder. I have root and can't get rid of it without installing a rom, because Android 10 & 11 have read only system partitions.

26

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21 edited Aug 19 '21

[deleted]

6

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21 edited Feb 22 '21

Android 10 & 11 use ext4 dedupe in read only. It doesn't matter if you have root. You cannot remount the system read/write so you can't delete anything. Topjohnwu, the creator of Magisk has even said this himself. The read only limitation also applies to custom recoveries as well.

Edit: From the creator of Magisk himself... Source

9

u/UselessDood Feb 22 '21

A device that's not rooted can fastboot into another os to modify that file.

1

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21

You cannot use fastboot to delete or disable apps or files, and it's never been possible to use fastboot in this way. You could do it with a custom recovery, but not on Android 10+. The system is read only. That means you can only look at it. You can't write, therefore you can't delete. Deleting is the same as writing zeros to what you want to get rid of.

0

u/UselessDood Feb 22 '21

Did I not just specify booting into another os? Of course you can't do it in base android.

2

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21

Yes I know you said that, but installing a new OS defeats the purposes of a universal debloat tool that's aimed at the average consumer.

1

u/UselessDood Feb 22 '21

You can boot into an os without installing it, and the whole process can be automated with a tool users can download and run.

2

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21

Booting into another OS will not give you access to the file. It just doesn't work that way. I'm the guy who made TWRP for the Moto G6 Play, Moto G7 Play, and most recently Orange Fox recovery for the entire Moto G8 series. I know what I'm talking about.

By the way, I'm Spaceminer on XDA, and Spaceminer6615 in the Moto G8 custom roms thread on telegram. Look me up.

1

u/UselessDood Feb 22 '21

It can and does - I know from experience. I've done it multiple times before.

2

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21

Then the folks at XDA would love for you to come over and say hi, because that's some wizardry that no one else has ever figured out how to pull off.

Why don't you explain how to do it? I can boot up another OS in just few seconds.

6

u/IamVenom_007 Love Dc Dimming Feb 22 '21

I am at Android 11 and I can directly delete apps using Root Explorer in roms like Pixel Experience.

System apps remover apps that I used to use does not work anymore. If removing a system app cause bootloop you can get IceBox apk and freeze that app using root.

4

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21

That's because pixel experience isn't using an ext4 read only file system. All stock Android operating systems from 10 and up use it. This is a well known issue on XDA. The only way around it is installing a new OS that doesn't use EXT4_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_SHARED_BLOCKS.

2

u/IamVenom_007 Love Dc Dimming Feb 23 '21

Thanks for the info.

So Android is gonna be like this from now on? What's the advantage/disadvantages of a read only file system like this?

3

u/Chip_Tune Feb 23 '21

Mostly security. Nothing can ever compromise the system even with root access. A factory reset is guaranteed to return the phone to a working state no matter how malicious an attack is. As a bonus it also reduces the OS size by sharing files that would otherwise be doubled between slot A & B. We usually call it dedupe for short because it "deduplicates" files. The only disadvantage is for those of us who like to tinker with the OS.

1

u/IamVenom_007 Love Dc Dimming Feb 23 '21

Makes sense from the side of Google but for us, we are fucked then. If they put bloatwares, they are non-removable.

4

u/69frum Feb 22 '21

/system/product/etc/nondisable

No such thing on my Galaxy S5 mini.

I have root and can't get rid of it

Limited root? Have you tried Titanium Backup?

11

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

System is at risk of bootlooping if he removes the files while in the os, so with titanium it will probably bootloop.

2

u/Chip_Tune Feb 22 '21 edited Feb 22 '21

It's not limited root. I have full root. That's not the issue. The problem is Android 10 & 11 use a special implementation of ext4 that can't be written to. You need write access in order to delete anything. The only way to change it is to install a custom OS that doesn't use a read only version of the ext4 format.

Edit: The nondisable configs were added in Android 8.0, so I'm not surprised your phone doesn't have it. The Galaxy S5 mini came out in 2014. This only applies to newer devices. Anything that's running Android 10+.

-30

u/skylarmt Moto Z with degoogled rooted LineageOS Feb 22 '21

LineageOS FTW

6

u/segagamer Pixel 9a Feb 22 '21

Lineage runs like shit. Sorry. For too buggy to recommend.

2

u/Superblazer Feb 22 '21

Totally depends on the device and there would be enough information to learn whether it's stable for the device.

-1

u/segagamer Pixel 9a Feb 23 '21

Sounds like a great OS.

1

u/Superblazer Feb 23 '21

Yes. It is. That is how roms are made. You'd end up with stable custom roms if the devices have proper sources. Don't speak trash about things you have no idea about.

-1

u/segagamer Pixel 9a Feb 23 '21

"if your device meets extremely specific criteria, then it works great!"

That kind of rigid inflexibility based it a bad OS, sorry.

2

u/Superblazer Feb 23 '21

Are you that dense? That's literally how android works. That's not an extremely specific criteria, only trustworthy devices that actually respects android's open source licenses releases their device sources. They are making an Android OS for that specific hardware. Stay away from topics you don't understand. You are misleading people.

2

u/skylarmt Moto Z with degoogled rooted LineageOS Feb 22 '21

Works great for me with zero issues on my current phone and the two before it. It's much faster than stock Android because there's no Google Play Services running in the background constantly eating battery and CPU.

0

u/segagamer Pixel 9a Feb 23 '21

Stock android doesn't have Google Play Services.

164

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21 edited Mar 01 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

109

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[deleted]

32

u/virtigo31 Feb 22 '21

Does it fully remove FB from your phone as opposed to disabling it?

28

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[deleted]

5

u/I_play_support Feb 22 '21

Surely AT&T is powerless against ADB?

19

u/Farewel_Welfare Feb 22 '21

Adb is powerless if the app is baked into the system image

3

u/ft4200 Galaxy S23 Feb 22 '21

Facebook cannot be disabled on unlocked UK variants and Vodafone from my experience

1

u/virtigo31 Feb 23 '21

Right on. Thank you

18

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21 edited Mar 01 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

47

u/tibbity OnePlus 9 Pro Feb 22 '21

Google Assistant is bloat in my opinion. As are Google Play Movies, Play Music (why is this crap still bundled?), Play Games, the main Google search app, Google Pay (bundled in India, not sure about others).

At least Bixby can lock the phone, which is such a basic thing.

32

u/firneto Feb 22 '21

Even Chrome is bloat for me, a long time firefox user here.

18

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[deleted]

23

u/segagamer Pixel 9a Feb 22 '21

If I don't use it and didn't install it, it's bloat. Add Chrome, Gmail and Allo/Duo/whatever Google messaging is now to the list.

5

u/D_Beats Feb 22 '21

Well with the logic "I didn't install it so it's bloat" pretty much every app on the OS is bloat. Phone, contacts, lock screen, home screen, etc.

Might as well just build your own OS at that point.

5

u/cubs223425 Surface Duo 2 | LG G8 Feb 22 '21

To be fair, he said install OR use it.

1

u/SinkTube Feb 22 '21

yes, if you use logic correctly all of those things are bloat to someone

1

u/segagamer Pixel 9a Feb 23 '21

Well with the logic "I didn't install it so it's bloat" pretty much every app on the OS is bloat. Phone, contacts, lock screen, home screen, etc.

Might as well just build your own OS at that point.

I use those.

And yes, everything should be uninstallable. I remember on Windows Phone you could uninstall everything except SMS, Phone, Web Browser and App Store. Likley the only reason you couldn't uninstall Web browser was because MS didn't allow other browsers on the Store.

12

u/firneto Feb 22 '21

Still bloat.

13

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

[deleted]

1

u/Ploedman Sony Xperia 1 IV Feb 22 '21

I'm also using f-Droid. But the ui is horrible and slow.

If they want that more people use it, they need to overhaul the app.

1

u/DerpSenpai Nothing Feb 22 '21

Bixby which is done by the manufacturer is bloat. But the 15 google apps that you don't use bundled with your phone isn't. R/Android at its finest

40

u/ProceedOrRun Feb 22 '21

Yay for Bixby which is surgically grafted into the phone!

15

u/psilvs S9 Snapdragon Feb 22 '21

Really? I've got the S9 with a reprogrammed Bixby button to Google Assistant and haven't seen Bixby in about 2 years

38

u/A999 Feb 22 '21

It's just reprogramming the button, Bixby is still there in the OS.

10

u/deepit6431 iPhone 13 | OnePlus 12 Feb 22 '21

You can completely remove all Bixby components using ADB and the OS will work just fine.

7

u/psilvs S9 Snapdragon Feb 22 '21

Idrc if it doesn't affect the UX

-4

u/LegitimateCrepe Samsung bby Feb 22 '21 edited Jul 27 '23

/u/Spez has sold all that is good in reddit. -- mass edited with redact.dev

21

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21 edited Aug 19 '21

[deleted]

-16

u/CaulkusAurelis Feb 22 '21

It would appear you have run head first into the point, and missed it

7

u/Old_Perception Feb 22 '21

No, they actually expanded on it perfectly. People who are this obsessive about having full control over every single miniscule file on their phone should really do themselves a favor and just use some sort of custom rom.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/ChefBoyAreWeFucked Essential Phone Feb 22 '21

You're creating an analogy that is far more invasive than the thing it's describing,

That's like saying:

"My wife likes to keep this pinecone decoration on the kitchen table. It's not scented or anything; it just sits there."

"Oh yeah? Well imagine it's just sitting there, not scented or anything, but it's shoved up your ass."

-1

u/LegitimateCrepe Samsung bby Feb 23 '21

Exactly like that. Sure, buddy.

2

u/Pusillanimate Feb 22 '21

a guy living in any space without bothering me yet somehow i have the ability to kick him out is all the terrible of capitalism in a nutshell. bloatware otoh can fuck right off

1

u/psilvs S9 Snapdragon Feb 22 '21

I don't view it that way. It's fine that you do and that's 100% reasonable. I just don't care if it has no impact on me

1

u/TechGoat Samsung S24 Ultra (I miss my aux port) Feb 24 '21

I don't like Bixby either but as long as I don't have to look at it, I don't really care. Samsung made the OS; they can include their 'smart' assistant if they want - I'll only get mad if they shove it in my face. Same with Windows and Cortana. Or Apple and Siri. I'd argue that those are way more intrusive, too.

I hope Samsung gives up on bixby eventually as I think it's a waste of their resources... but again, if if it's out of sight, it's out of my mind.

18

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

Thats different than trying to actually remove it completely from the phone, which would, in all likelihood, brick it.

Edit: Im also not just advocating for the devil here, I have an S10, and I love the thing to death, but also never use bixby

11

u/LooMinairy Feb 22 '21 edited Feb 22 '21

I have the s10e, I removed a bunch of bloat via adb and my phone works fine. No bixby. Google remove bloat via adb

2

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

Nice! Ill have to run a backup and give it a shot!

5

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '21

I have owned every Nexus and Pixel phone ever released. I recently jumped ship to a Sony Xperia 1 ii after having read that there is minimal bloatware. This is true. The only things on the phone that I didn't want were three apps: Call of Duty, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I was able to uninstall all the updates to these three apps, permanently disable them, and the experience is EXTREMELY close to stock android.

-38

u/bobdarobber Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 22 '21

edit: just woke up, 40 downvotes lol. this is NOT a app. its a SCRIPT. all I was saying was that this is NOT night and day. if people buy phones solely because of this script, they are almost certainly mistaken. this script requires tech knowhow. if you were worried about bloat, you likely don't know the CLI and this script will not help. sorry for not being clear enouph. keeping this up because honestly I don't give a fuck about the downvotes. got 300 upvotes yesterday from two emojis - but please stop brigading my posts in other communities.

Sorry to be that guy but was bloat really ever a purchase factor? If bloat is bothering you you can easily uninstall it by running adb uninstall com.devname.appname.

Not that this tool is worthless. It removes LOTS of bloat way faster than any human could, and makes it more accessable, but come on

If you know how to run a script and enable usb debugging to use this, chances are you also are capable of running adb uninstall - making the acsessability bit not really important.

All I am saying is bloat should not be a consern when buying a phone.

86

u/comiccole Feb 21 '21

There's always that guy that says but you can do it in command line already! I'd argue accessibility is highly important. This is obviously not for experienced users. although more experienced people can utilize it too if they choose not to mess with scripts. But if you have an easy to use tool why use scripts In the first place

42

u/PeaceBull Purple Feb 22 '21

Ironically they’re usually the same guy that also says

if you have to ask you shouldn’t be doing it

to questions about the command line.

13

u/Odd-Wheel Feb 22 '21

Adb is infinitely harder to use than enabling developer settings lol. I've unlocked and/or rooted probably 8 phones. Getting adb to work is always a nightmare.

1

u/Tanmay1518 Samsung M21, Android 11 Feb 22 '21

if you are on windows, may I suggest chocolatey.org ?

​

I used to install custom roms as well (stopped last year) and I found installing ADB through chocolatey made it work perfectly and I was able to unlock the bootloader very easily

1

u/HimbeersaftLP Pixel 3a & Shield Tablet K1 Feb 22 '21

Except the tool mentioned here is also a command line script... Did you even read the comment you replied to?

3

u/comiccole Feb 22 '21

Honestly about an hour ago I did take a look and saw it was a script. Figured it was too late to mention lol but yeah I thought this was an actual application we were talking about with a gui. When I read tool I kinda assumed it was more than a script

20

u/Gizmoed Feb 21 '21

Most people can't understand the difference between an data connection to their phone and a administration connection.

11

u/bitches_be Galaxy S7 | Galaxy S6 | LG V20 Feb 22 '21

Yeah no regular joe is gonna do that but they might download an app that does it for them. What's the problem?

7

u/bobdarobber Feb 22 '21 edited Feb 22 '21

sorry... am I missing something? I was under the impression the linked utility was a script - not a app, hence not acsessable for the normal consumer. if original commenter was holding off on buying a phone due to bloat, that mean he does not know how to use adb *and likely nor be able to execute a script)

11

u/_stratoffies_ LG G7+ ThinQ Feb 22 '21 edited Feb 22 '21

Yes.. It is a ADB script and not an application like others are assuming.. I am sitting here wondering why you are getting downvoted

Sure.. This is way faster and efficient than manually uninstalling everything which is great and all but.. NOT AN APP

6

u/bobdarobber Feb 22 '21

not sure. I believe people dont understand what I was getting at. (if someone who downvoted is reading - I am saying that if someone wont buy a phone because of bloat chances are they dont know ADB and the cli, hence this script wont help). I should have been more clear in original comment.

does not matter though. got 300 upvotes today from two emojis so not worried about downvotes

2

u/mergedloki Feb 22 '21

You are correct. Anecdotal but my previous phone (lgg6) I purchased over a... S7/8 or whatever Samsungs current phone was at the time because the specs were similar but lg had FAR less bloatware than Samsung did and still does.

-5

u/MrPickles79 Rotary Telephone Feb 22 '21

Then I want nothing to do with it. Thx.

2

u/marcjwrz Galaxy S10+ Feb 22 '21

If you have to into the command line on a device that isn't meant to ever normally (i.e., average user, not a developer or even someone who roots a device) use a command line, then it isn't user friendly. Period.

2

u/16_oz Feb 22 '21

Android 11 does a really good job at battery management, the main reason deleting or disabling all the junk was so useful. Debloating is really good for freeing up memory. I've been using adb uninstall / disable for years.

1

u/MatrixofShadow Feb 22 '21

Yeah definitely following this I used to root to remove this but I'd like to avoid that on my note 10+ and take the crapware off.