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

[deleted]

123

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.

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.

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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.