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Debloat non-rooted Android devices

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Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#101

Post by onli »

Symbiote wrote: post #52
morsch wrote: post #18

I bought -- full price, retail -- a midrange Samsung phone for a relative recently. The amount of bloatware was incredible. Various social networks and shopping apps were preinstalled. In addition to all the Samsung apps that more or less duplicate the Google stack, poorly. The entire setup process was full of dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible. No way a regular person gets through th…

My phone is Sony, and came pre installed with the Microsoft SwiftKey keyboard. > First, please note that unless you have opted in to use a Microsoft SwiftKey Account on your Android device, all personal and language data generated by Microsoft SwiftKey is stored locally on your device and is never transferred . I use it since it seamlessly swaps between enabled languages. I can write something like "meet me at Østerp…

Thanks, I was searching a keyboard that supports this properly for a while. Sadly no Foss option out there I know about :/

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#102

Post by rightbyte »

mFixman wrote: post #97
rightbyte wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not an US thing. You got a "Bixby" button right? You can't remap it to something usefull. There should be a gesture to swipe up "Samsung Pay", etc.

I was able to remap my Bixby button on my previous Samsung Phones. I usually put it to Google search and double click to the camera. The newer phones (since ~2019) don't have Bixby, and Google Pay launches automatically when touching an NFC posnet.

You can if you accept the Samsung Bixby ToS. Or did you find a way around that?

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#103

Post by numpad0 »

silversmith wrote: post #37
morsch wrote: post #18

I bought -- full price, retail -- a midrange Samsung phone for a relative recently. The amount of bloatware was incredible. Various social networks and shopping apps were preinstalled. In addition to all the Samsung apps that more or less duplicate the Google stack, poorly. The entire setup process was full of dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible. No way a regular person gets through th…

Could it be that it's a US-specific thing? My last three phones have been EU-sold Samsung S series, and the only things I'd consider "third party bloat" were pre-installed versions of Facebook and MS Office, both easily removable. The Samsung replacement apps is down to personal preference, I find them easier to use than Google "originals". Having casually interacted with phones from other brands, I consider Samsung…

I think it's sales channel dependent. Most carrier locked phones run carrier tailored OS that often include bloatware. Unlocked phones and/or phones sold in rights conscious regions would contain less.

I've used couple carrier branded phones, that `pm list` commands I posted in a different comment returns literally more than dozen of com.carrier.carriertrademark packages.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#104

Post by sham1 »

throwaway11460 wrote: post #94
andrepd wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The need for stronger legislation is overdue by now. There is already a Foss mobile OS, it's called Android, or more specifically a distribution of it like LineageOS. But installing it is so difficult that only 1% of people have the technical know how to even attempt it, and it's getting more difficult as manufacturers introduce more and more hurdles in this process. Which is all irrelevant anyway because the vast ma…

It's regulation that forces people into Google and Apple ecosystems. Due to the payment security regulation I'm no longer able to use Android phone without Google services. SMS authentication is gone and I must have a bank app that must be installed from Google Play and uses Google services, also it detects root and stops working. Also, my bank used to have an app that completely bypassed Google Pay and worked even o…

The issue here isn't that there is regulation, it's that the regulation is badly written. For essential services such as banking and government stuff, you shouldn't be forced to rely on things like the Google Play Store and Apple stuff. This kind of stuff should work even on a debloated, degoogled phone. And the regulation must be improved, not thrown away.

Politicians of course have hard time with technology, so of course the regulation will be terrible for users, especially given the Big Tech lobbying, but still. We should do better.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#105

Post by yard2010 »

morsch wrote: post #18

I bought -- full price, retail -- a midrange Samsung phone for a relative recently. The amount of bloatware was incredible. Various social networks and shopping apps were preinstalled. In addition to all the Samsung apps that more or less duplicate the Google stack, poorly. The entire setup process was full of dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible. No way a regular person gets through th…

Welcome to the future. It will be A cyberpunk dystopia just like in Cyberpunk 2077, but much sooner than 2077 IMHO.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#106

Post by magicalhippo »

daniel_reetz wrote: post #19
morsch wrote: post #18

I bought -- full price, retail -- a midrange Samsung phone for a relative recently. The amount of bloatware was incredible. Various social networks and shopping apps were preinstalled. In addition to all the Samsung apps that more or less duplicate the Google stack, poorly. The entire setup process was full of dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible. No way a regular person gets through th…

I was furious when I found out that the default keyboard was infested with Grammarly, sending all my keystrokes without consent. Embarrassing for a $1200 flagship device.

On my S21 it's an option. I can't recall turning it off, but it (and the other 3rd parties) are off. Perhaps I did so indirectly during initial setup.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#107

Post by Defletter »

morsch wrote: post #18

I bought -- full price, retail -- a midrange Samsung phone for a relative recently. The amount of bloatware was incredible. Various social networks and shopping apps were preinstalled. In addition to all the Samsung apps that more or less duplicate the Google stack, poorly. The entire setup process was full of dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible. No way a regular person gets through th…

> dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible

It's insane how prevalent this is. The other day, I opened my calculator app and was met with a cookie banner (https://imgur.com/a/njJEiqY) - I uninstalled it on the spot out of sheer incredulity. The irony was that I originally installed Simple Calculator because it was simple and open source, so I presumed it would escape being a trojan horse for data collection. I guess not.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#108

Post by bornfreddy »

andrepd wrote: post #77
rightbyte wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh dear. I had disabled the Samsung keyboard for some other, but it seems it got reenabled again. Maybe Google broke some API endpoint and the old keyboard didn't do the update grind. No warning what so ever for their spyware taking over the keyboard functionally. The need for some FOSS mobile is really over due by now. Edit: > I immediately found an open source keyboard to replace samsung's with Which keyboard did y…

The need for stronger legislation is overdue by now. There is already a Foss mobile OS, it's called Android, or more specifically a distribution of it like LineageOS. But installing it is so difficult that only 1% of people have the technical know how to even attempt it, and it's getting more difficult as manufacturers introduce more and more hurdles in this process. Which is all irrelevant anyway because the vast ma…

> ...like LineageOS. But installing it is so difficult that only 1% of people have the technical know how to even attempt it...

Aside: there is also /e/OS (or MurenaOS - their naming is inconsistent). It is basically LineageOS that someone else installs for you so you get everything in a package [0].

They sell many phones, but it also runs nicely on Fairphones if you want a phone that you can repair (there is of course a compromise in price / performance there - depends on what matters to you the most).

Not affiliated, just a happy customer.

[0] https://e.foundation/

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#109

Post by knutzui »

secGally wrote: post #80
kelnos wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In general it is possible to do that (assuming the phone has an unlockable bootloader), but you can't do that for the exact same image from the manufacturer, because they don't provide the source for a lot of it. You might be able to install a third-party, community-maintained OS, like LineageOS, though, if your hardware is supported. The downside is that I believe apps like Google Pay won't work anymore, since they…

Since when play has been unusable with Lineage? It worked 3 months ago. I cant check that because i got new phone. One and only problem i see with Lineage is that VoLTE wont work and as we dont have 3G anymore it is must have.

Google Pay, not Google Play.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#110

Post by robin_reala »

tilsammans wrote: post #98
TacticalCoder wrote: post #89

If, according to this thread, Samsung is so bad and I don't t want buy a Chinese phone... What are my options for an Android phone? Is there any Android phone brand/model that is not exploiting its users?

I buy Motorola phones and they have been great in recent years. I consider them the new Android One. The OS is stock Android. Facebook and LinkedIn are preinstalled, but easily removed. The moto apps add useful gestures. The launcher is very much like the Pixel one, but also easily changed. It uses Google apps for everything, i.e. Gboard for the keyboard. The camera is great. Typing this on an edge 30.

They didn’t want a Chinese phone though.
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