Hello All!
This is a quick "guide" to get you going on your new Droid X2. The X2 can be easily rooted using Gingerbreak. To use the exploit make sure you have USB Debugging enabled and install the Gingerbreak apk courtesy of Chainfire. For more information of how it works visit Chainfire's page here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1044765.
Root X2 using Gingerbreak
Instructions- Ensure you have your SD card inserted and mounted, enable USB debugging and Install gingerbreak apk. Click on Root Device. Your phone will reboot and you will have Superuser installed when your phone is rooted.
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?rdan1eqfk7ce0wz
Host File to block Ads*Added 6/3
Here is a host file that will block ads within apps. I have slightly modified this host file so that it doesn't break zynga games and a few others. Adfree blocks nearly everything (which is good), but can break the functionality of some games and apps.
Instructions-Use root explorer, mount the system in R/W and place the file in system/etc *Make a backup of your existing version
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?a1nynz5bni766ad
GPS Mod*Added 6/3
Here is a modded gps.config file to lock in GPS faster. It changes the GPS satellite location to the US instead of North America.
Instructions-Use root explorer, mount the system in R/W and place the file in system/etc *Make a backup of your existing version
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?sonmbwj9c30m8s9
Froyo Malware Exploit "Patch"*Added 6/3
This tricks an older and current froyo exploit into thinking it has already ran. All you need to do is place a blank file (created in linux) with the name of "profile" and place it in system/bin. I have created a zip file with the profile file inside. I had to place it within a zip file since you cannot upload empty files to mediafire.
Instructions: Extract the zip and use root explorer (mount R/W) to place the profile file in system/bin.
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?pkl6zhq94w1jqbo
Spare Parts for X2*Added 6/8
Here is a stripped down Cyanogenmod spare parts for our phones if anyone would like it. It doesn't have all the crap the market version comes along with. You can use this to speed up window and transition animations and lock the launcher in memory.
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?amd9s9bacgyadba
We do not have an SBF for our phones yet if you choose to remove the apps you will not be able to restore at this time.
Safe List of apps to remove/Freeze (recommended to freeze, but I removed mine and have had no issues)
DO NOT REMOVE AUTHENTICATING APPS!! IT WILL BREAK CONTACTS FUNCTIONALITY!! IF YOU USE AN APP OR WIDGET THEN DONT REMOVE IT!
I will add more to the list as I find them
Amazon Kindle
Amazon MP3
Backup Assistant
Backup Assistant Client
Blockbuster
City ID
DLNA 0709.69
DLNAsystemService
Emergency Alerts
Help Center
Homescreen tips
IM 3.0.4.6
IM presence
Lets golf
My Verizon (May have force closes after removed but will be fine when rebooted)
News 2.2.2
NFL Mobile
NFS Shift
Quickoffice
Rich Location
Skype
Slacker
Tasks 1.0
VCAST Apps
VCAST Music
VCAST Videos
Voice Commands - Will remove dialer voice searching functionality (VSuite.apk)
Voicemail - Remove the visual voicemail
VZ Navigator
New Added *6/3
BlurTasks.apk
Cmas.apk
PerformanceManager.apk
StatusWidget.apk
StickNotWidget.apk
WeatherWidget.apk
WorldClockWidget.apk
Which application did you use to remove the default apps? My DX2 is now rooted with busybox but the android application manager still locks the default apps.
Thanks!
phys1x said:
Which application did you use to remove the default apps? My DX2 is now rooted with busybox but the android application manager still locks the default apps.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use titanium backup to freeze the apps or use Root Explorer (mount R/W) to remove the apps. Remove the corresponding odex file with the app (if it has one) as well.
When I removed the apps I just made a folder on my SD card and moved them there in case I needed them.
The only 2 apps that broke contacts atleast for me was the yahoo contacts and authenticator. I have frozen all the other ones with no problems.
Ahh, this is a good list, thanks for the heads-up. I've been wanting to uninstall some of this bloat, but wasn't sure which ones were safe to remove.
What is Rich Location, anyway?
I think NFS Shift and Lets Golf are probably safe to uninstall as there's no trick to uninstalling them and I couldn't imagine them being tied to OTA update eligibility.
Heelpir8 said:
I think NFS Shift and Lets Golf are probably safe to uninstall as there's no trick to uninstalling them and I couldn't imagine them being tied to OTA update eligibility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA Premium App
Hello all,
So I'm still pretty new to this! I had a HTC Hero and finally decided to root it because my contract was up and thought her why not. Anyways I put CM6 then 7 on the phone and loved it.
Anyways I just bought an X2 and I wan't this Motoblur put into the grave faster than my mother in law! I was wondering if I use this exploit gingerbreak will I be able to recieve the OTA of gingerbread when it is released? Also will gingerbreak allow me to get rid of motoblur?
Giving yourself root access won't keep you from receiving the OTA, but there's a chance something might go wrong-- or so Motorola warns. Gingerbreak has an "unroot" option, however, so just do that before updating and things should go fine. And, unfortunately, you can not simply remove Motoblur. You have home/launcher replacements like LauncherPro and ADW Launcher though, and those help speed up the phone on the home screen. Root also gives you the chance to remove unwanted apps like the ones above, which can be quite helpful in speeding up the system as a whole.
On the bright side, blue blur is a helluva lot better than old blur.
thanks for this! Im using bloat freezer and it seems to be working!
Updated OP
Plz dnt forget bout ur fassy nitro lol we love u more over there haha
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Bubbadogg14 said:
Plz dnt forget bout ur fassy nitro lol we love u more over there haha
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh don't worry! I have some new stuff coming for the fascinate!
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA Premium App
I've ran Gingerbreak twice now, and superuser hasn't appeared. Any suggestions?
Edit: i was looking for it in the apps browser. I didn't realize that it would not show up. I did find it when I tried to add it to the home screen by adding a shortcut to the application.
Edit2: how do you view the apps in ti backup as .apks? i see the newly updated apps to be frozen, but i don't see the corresponding .apks in the ti backup. is there a way to view the apps as .apks?
nitroglycerine33 said:
Host File to block Ads*Added 6/3
Here is a host file that will block ads within apps. I have slightly modified this host file so that it doesn't break zynga games and a few others. Adfree blocks nearly everything (which is good), but can break the functionality of some games and apps.
Instructions-Use root explorer, mount the system in R/W and place the file in system/etc *Make a backup of your existing version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any way to do this without root explorer? I already have Astro and found the hosts file but I can't even copy it.
silly question but i can assume that you can use the host ad block, gps lock and malware fixes on any rooted droid and not just the x2, correct?
h_10 said:
silly question but i can assume that you can use the host ad block, gps lock and malware fixes on any rooted droid and not just the x2, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct. I would only use the GPS lock on a US only device though.
cmar618 said:
Is there any way to do this without root explorer? I already have Astro and found the hosts file but I can't even copy it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to have something to mount the system at Read/Write. Astro does not have permissions to do this.
Awesome , used titanium *root and nuked all the crap.
thanks for the guide
Great, great post. Helped me so much on my very first android device. I do have a question about IM Presence. What the hell is it? LOL
Oh, and I used Bloat Freezer to freeze this stuff. I'm not really hurting for the 100 megs and I don't feel all that confident removing stuff yet. So if anyone curious, Bloat Freezer works great.
Related
I recently bought a Droid 2 Global and decided to get my feet wet with android development. To familiarize myself with the platform I wrote a simple utility for managing the bloat that came pre-installed on my phone. I thought there might be other people who would get some use out of this so I am posting it here. You will need to be rooted and have busybox installed to use this application. If you used z4root to root your phone then you should have everything you need.
The application is pretty simple. When you start it you are presented with a list of the Bloat that the application recognizes. Each item in the list has a checkbox that indicates whether it is enabled or not. To disable bloat you just uncheck the boxes next to what you don't want and then press the Apply button that appears at the bottom of the screen. You can save what you have disabled as a profile by pressing the options button and then choosing Save Profile. This is convenient because you are going to need to turn all of this bloat back on if you want to receive updates. If you have saved a profile and a new update becomes available you can launch Bloat Manager, press the options button, choose Enable All and then click Apply to get your phone ready for the update. After the update installs you can launch Bloat Manager, press the options button, choose Load Profile and then click Apply to turn the bloat back off.
The following applications can be toggled on or off using Bloat Manager:
Amazon MP3 /system/app/amazonmp3_1_8_14_signed_zipaligned_Signed_2010-09-09_15-23-51.apk
Blockbuster /system/app/Blockbuster.apk
City ID /system/app/CityID.apk
Friend Feed /system/app/FriendFeed.apk
Kindle /system/app/Kindle-1_0_2-OEM-SingleSign_Signed_2010-09-20_17-31-57.apk
My Net /system/app/Mynet.apk
My Verizon /system/app/MyVerizon.apk
News Widget /system/app/NewsWidget.apk
Performance Manager /system/app/PerformanceManager.apk
Skype /system/app/Skype_mobile.live.apk
Social Messaging /system/app/SocialMessaging.apk
Social Share /system/app/SocialShare.apk
VZNavigator /system/app/vnav_6.1.0.160_Droid2Global_rel_PROD_signed.apk
Visual Voice Mail /system/app/Vvm.apk
Weather Widget /system/app/WeatherWidget.apk
World Clock Widget /system/app/WorldClockWidget.apk
When you disable an application using Bloat Manager it simply renames it to .bak. When you re-enable an application it is renamed back to .apk.
Bloat Manager remounts your /system partition as writable in order to make changes to applications. I came up with this list based on what other people have had success with removing, but I have not personally turned off everything on the list. Changing things in your system partition is always dangerous so please be careful.
So this only renames the app filenames? Is the app still affecting the phone in any way (ie. sucking battery life) once it is renamed, or is it completely "disconnected" from the phone until you rename it back to .apk for updates/etc.?
Thanks I will try this out soon.
Correct, this simply renames the apps so that they are no longer recognized as launchable applications. The applications will not be able to run anymore after they are renamed so they will not affect your battery life directly. I have heard that the operating system will continually try and restart some apps if they get renamed, but based on what people are saying in the bloatware removal script thread on droidforums where I got this list of applications none of these should have that problem.
Let me know how it goes.
The application works, any chance you might add more programs to the list?
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App
Are there any specific applications you would like to see added? I designed it so that the list can be extended but I haven't implemented an easy way to add things yet. If you know your way around a SQLite database you can add new items to the Bloat table to put them in the list. I plan on adding an import feature that lets you add a group of applications from a file in the near future.
Well some programs I can do without are files, car dock, backup assistant, the social networking widget, and news and weather, if you can find a way to ad the .bak extention to them without it hurting the system, it would be greatly appreciated
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App
wtb one for sprint phones, i.e. the Epic 4G
Great solution, how about a "Bloat Manager for Samsung Galaxy S" next ?
How about a general android bloat manager?
General Android bloatware app would be a major win!
The way you implement (renaming to .bak) is brilliant in it's simplicity, well done. I'm curious how it compares to the 'freeze' function of Titanium backup. Anyone?
^^^That's what I want to know too.
i am just wondering but would this work on other phones like the HTC Droid ERIS or any other devices???
Any chance you can port this to the Droid X? Also, do you need to be rooted to use it, or does it work on stock devices?
same quest
rusty815 said:
...any chance you might add more programs to the list?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...are these Bloats removeable too?
-Stocks
-Amazon
-Soundhound
-Setup
-facebook
-htc hub, likes etc.
-latitude
-anything from google (maps locations, navigation etc., etc.)
-peep, twitter etc. any social network sh..
-speech saerch
-talk
-connected media
Any chance for a G1 or G2 version?
I plan on making the next version a lot more flexible in terms of which phones it will be useful for. If you guys can get me a list of which apps can safely be removed from your phones I can add them to the next version.
Technically this version should run on other phones so long as they are rooted and have busybox installed in /system/bin. If your phone has some of the same bloat that comes on a Droid 2 Global you may be able to use this to remove it. Any applications that the program cannot find when it starts will have a ! on the front of their names in the list. Bloat Manager won't be able to turn those off.
I installed this and chose disable all, and clicked apply. The applications can still be opened. Skype still shows that it is running even after I force stop it.
LOL...installed on my G1....all apps had the !
Uninstalled. Thanks!
MrFrankfromCM said:
LOL...installed on my G1....all apps had the !
Uninstalled. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, its meant for the bloat on the d2g and d2, I'm pretty sure the g1 doesn't have any of the apps that are on the list
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App
MrFrankfromCM said:
Any chance for a G1 or G2 version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your looking for away to remove bloatware on the G2 go to this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=809231
super easy did it myself.
Has anyone compiled a list of the safe-to-remove apps for the AT&T GSII along with corresponding .apk filenames, yet? I've already removed a number of them via Root Explorer, using the list of removed apps from Cognition's rom, but there's a couple that still remain and I'm wondering if they're ok to remove or not. A full list would be best, though I'm mainly wondering about:
Kies Air
Featured Apps
Social Hub
AT&T Hot Spots (doesn't show in app list, but still shows as a running app for me)
Don't know...I saw that AT&T Hot Spots wasn't actually in the drawer but it shows up as a running app too. I don't plan on removing Kies Air or the Social Hub (for the moment) but I'd like to remove "Featured Apps" but when I go into Titanium Backup it'll ask me if I'm sure I want to do this since it's part of the framework so I've backed off of it for now...I'd like to know about these 4 apps and if they're safe to remove as well.
I used root explorer and did it manually. I lost count how many I ripped out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App
joeybear23 said:
I would like to keep a running list of AT&T-delivered apps from the stock ROM that are safe to freeze/uninstall without causing any loss of essential functionality.
Amazon Kindle
AP Mobile
AT&T Code Scanner
AT&T Family Map
AT&T Hotspots (if you do not use it)
AT&T Navigator
Buddies Now
City ID
Digital Clock
Dual Clock
Featured Apps
Live TV
Media Hub (not AT&T Bloatware, rather Samsung-delivered)
Mini Diary
Mini Paper
QIK Lite (if you do not use stock video chat)
Yahoo Finance
YP
If you have any apps that you have removed and run problem free for at least 48 hours, please let me know and I will update the list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From this thread.
Honestly I'd recommend installing Titanium Backup and doing a backup before you remove ANY apps. You simply never know if you might need them down the road for something. Sure 99% of the AT&T crap is crap, but there's no reason not to back them up first.
Also, if you're worried about it, buy the PRO version (of TB) and simply freeze ones you don't want to use. This isn't deleting them, it simply disables them.
Kadin said:
Honestly I'd recommend installing Titanium Backup and doing a backup before you remove ANY apps. You simply never know if you might need them down the road for something. Sure 99% of the AT&T crap is crap, but there's no reason not to back them up first.
Also, if you're worried about it, buy the PRO version (of TB) and simply freeze ones you don't want to use. This isn't deleting them, it simply disables them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the PRO version. I know about freezing but I was being lazy and I know there are much more adventurous people than me who've gone ahead and ripped things out. I didn't want to do the freeze app, okay seems safe to remove, repeat per next app deal. Like I said, I'm lazy...
Some of these At&t apps i cant find under root explorer, for example featured apps. what would be the file name for featured apps?
re: bloat/system apps
Smoghog said:
Has anyone compiled a list of the safe-to-remove apps for the AT&T GSII along with corresponding .apk filenames, yet? I've already removed a number of them via Root Explorer, using the list of removed apps from Cognition's rom, but there's a couple that still remain and I'm wondering if they're ok to remove or not. A full list would be best, though I'm mainly wondering about:
Kies Air
Featured Apps
Social Hub
AT&T Hot Spots (doesn't show in app list, but still shows as a running app for me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to uninstall even more bloatware you need to get the app called
"SystemAppRemover" from the market. (everything will show up with this).
It makes it very easy to uninstall most any system apps.
The app has other functions too.
It's also best to flash a Nandroid backup of your rom before uninstalling
bloatware/system apps.
(use CWM Manager or CWM Recovery and NOT rom manager for backing up).
Good luck!
Hi,
what does it mean technically if an app is "freezed"? Is the APK moved to another location, or are the unix access rights altered, or is a reference to the app deleted from some kind of "registry" of the Android system, or what else? Can it be done manually by a file manager?
Thanks,
Stefan
It can be done using the purchased version of Titanium Backup and probably a few other apps. It basically renders the app inactive without uninstalling it. Helpful for bloatware that runs in the background but you can't decide if you want to delete it or not.
Thanks, but this was not my question...
lowandbehold said:
It can be done using the purchased version of Titanium Backup and probably a few other apps. It basically renders the app inactive without uninstalling it. Helpful for bloatware that runs in the background but you can't decide if you want to delete it or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know, but what does it do exactly on file system level? Doesn't anybody know?
stbi said:
Yes, I know, but what does it do exactly on file system level? Doesn't anybody know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most freezing apps simply rename the app to be frozen with an extension, like in the case of Bloat Freezer (IMHO the best one) the frozen app gets a .bzw extension. It remains in place but of course cannot be executed. The nice part is that if you run into an issue you can just rename the app back to what it was (assuming that you have root).
It works!
docfreed said:
Most freezing apps simply rename the app to be frozen with an extension, like in the case of Bloat Freezer (IMHO the best one) the frozen app gets a .bzw extension. It remains in place but of course cannot be executed. The nice part is that if you run into an issue you can just rename the app back to what it was (assuming that you have root).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, so simple - thanks! So it can be done with any file manager.
I've just successfully frozen the preinstalled "LGWorld.apk" by renaming it to "LGWorld.apk.bak". As soon as I had done this, a message popped up, saying "Deinstalled", and the icon disappeared from the app drawer, and also the update for "LG World" vanished from the Market app.
Hmm.. freezing doesn't mean rename. It is being remove from system. If.you rename yourself, the apps may failed to work.
Accidentally sent from my Google Nexus S using XDA Premium
Freezing the app works via decreasing the temperature of the app to roughly 50 Kelvin. At this point the the app's molecular structure becomes a super condensed crystal lattice. Due to the nature of the crystal lattice, android treats the super dense app as non existent. Essentially the app is deleted from your system completely. However, think of it not as a permanent deletion but rather a reversible one. Should you chose to 'restore' the app, you can defrost the app. You could defrost the app using a microwave but I for one use TB Pro as it does a far better job.
lambstone said:
Freezing the app works via decreasing the temperature of the app to roughly 50 Kelvin. At this point the the app's molecular structure becomes a super condensed crystal lattice. Due to the nature of the crystal lattice, android treats the super dense app as non existent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha smart ass.
lambstone said:
Freezing the app works via decreasing the temperature of the app to roughly 50 Kelvin. At this point the the app's molecular structure becomes a super condensed crystal lattice. Due to the nature of the crystal lattice, android treats the super dense app as non existent. Essentially the app is deleted from your system completely. However, think of it not as a permanent deletion but rather a reversible one. Should you chose to 'restore' the app, you can defrost the app. You could defrost the app using a microwave but I for one use TB Pro as it does a far better job.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ha ha ha! that was hilarious man
Press THANKS
stbi said:
Hi,
what does it mean technically if an app is "freezed"? Is the APK moved to another location, or are the unix access rights altered, or is a reference to the app deleted from some kind of "registry" of the Android system, or what else? Can it be done manually by a file manager?
Thanks,
Stefan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Press thanks if I helped
Source - How TO Geek
Manufacturers and carriers often load Android phones with their own apps. If you don’t use them, they just clutter your system and sometimes in the background, draining resources. Take control of your device and stop the bloatware.
We’ll be focusing on disabling – also known as “freezing” bloatware here. It’s a safer process than uninstalling the bloatware completely, and is also easier to accomplish with free apps.
Uninstalling vs. Freezing
Uninstalling an app is exactly what it sounds like – the app is entirely removed from your device. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to get many of these preinstalled apps from the Play Store if you ever need them again. Uninstalling some preinstalled apps may result in problems or instability, so you could run into problems.
It’s safer to “freeze” apps instead of uninstalling them. A frozen app is disabled completely – it won’t appear in your app drawer and it won’t automatically start in the background. A frozen app cannot run in any way until you “unfreeze” it. Freezing and unfreezing are instant processes, so it’s easy to undo your changes if you end up freezing a necessary app.
If you really must uninstall apps, you should freeze them first and wait a few days to ensure that your phone or tablet works properly without them.
You can’t uninstall or freeze preinstalled bloatware apps without root access and third-party app managers. Try and you’ll find the options grayed out in the standard Android interface.
klacenas said:
ha ha ha! that was hilarious man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand and have frozen quite a few apps with TB Pro. My issue is there are shine pre-installed apps that I like to use, but when I run the task killer, they're always running. Is there a way I can fix them where they don't keep starting immediately after killing them, but still having them available when I want to use them?
donnebonn said:
I understand and have frozen quite a few apps with TB Pro. My issue is there are shine pre-installed apps that I like to use, but when I run the task killer, they're always running. Is there a way I can fix them where they don't keep starting immediately after killing them, but still having them available when I want to use them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can try greenify it will hibernate the apps and hence the app will be available for you any time
donnebonn said:
I understand and have frozen quite a few apps with TB Pro. My issue is there are shine pre-installed apps that I like to use, but when I run the task killer, they're always running. Is there a way I can fix them where they don't keep starting immediately after killing them, but still having them available when I want to use them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another app called greenify. Or using an autostart manager to prevent them from running without ykur intervention.
sangalaxy said:
you can try greenify it will hibernate the apps and hence the app will be available for you any time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx a bunch. I dwld and installed the grenify app and disabled them, however, when I run my task killer the gallery app is always running. I wanted to greenify it, but it's not showing up in the greenify app, even when I did a search for it, it just took me to my home screen. I clicked on the app and it just opened but I didn't see any options to greenify it. Any suggestions? Thx for ur help.
so at the end is freezing and renaming the same thing? no one cleared that up, i usually just rename to BAK and thats it, what does TItanium apart from renaming?
ok i answer myself, freezing is the same as going to app manager, and selecting DISABLE
or from a root terminal using:
pm disable {package_name} (e.g. # pm disable com.android.browser)
wich calls:
/system/bin/pm
wich in turn contains:
# Script to start "pm" on the device, which has a very rudimentary
# shell.
#
base=/system
export CLASSPATH=$base/framework/pm.jar
exec app_process $base/bin com.android.commands.pm.Pm "[email protected]"
what it does is set a flag for a component to some of different values:
COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DEFAULT
COMPONENT_ENABLED_STATE_DISABLED
among others. (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageManager.html)
where does it store this flag: I DONT KNOW
is this flag a value inside some manifest/ini file? : IDK
is this flag st in the file system? IDK
can someone show me the light?
edit: I DONT KNOW for sure but i think it stores it in : /data/system/packages.xml
that is generated by package manager taking info fro each app manifest. i hope i am right, but dont take my word as absolute truth since it was a quick google research lol
Renaming the apk file can result in unwanted behaviour... I learned by trial&error! I'm running MIUI 6 and wanted Google Play as default app store and not the MI Market. Renaming the apk file for the Mi Market gave me the result I wanted: launching Google Play whenever I clicked a link to a certain app. But that was until I rebooted the phone... it got stuck on the MI startup logo. After renaming the Mi Market apk file in twrp recovery, my phone booted again.
So might try freezing it to see if it will do the job properly.
Freezing Mi Market with AppFreezer worked like a charm!
el_jefe said:
Renaming the apk file can result in unwanted behaviour... I learned by trial&error! I'm running MIUI 6 and wanted Google Play as default app store and not the MI Market. Renaming the apk file for the Mi Market gave me the result I wanted: launching Google Play whenever I clicked a link to a certain app. But that was until I rebooted the phone... it got stuck on the MI startup logo. After renaming the Mi Market apk file in twrp recovery, my phone booted again.
So might try freezing it to see if it will do the job properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends what you mean by "renaming." Changing the extension from .apk to .apkold or .bak or something like that will harmlessly freeze the app since it's no longer seen as an apk by the system. Renaming the app itself is another thing entirely.
I renamed the extension to .noapk and Miui wouldn't boot anymore.
Good stuff
Alright everyone, I'm just posting this thread for other devs and myself so we can see hat can or cannot be removed from the nook tab as far as bloat goes. So far, I know that the chess, sudoku, and launcher can so we can go from there.
If you see a * it means that it will remove atleast one aspect of barnes and noble service. After the * though, I will explain what gets interrupted.
Code:
List of files that can be removed:
home1.0 (home.apk)
chess
crossword
Applauncher.apk
social.apk * removes Nook Social
shop.apk *Removes the barnes and noble store (Books included)
email.apk Removes crappy email app (you can replace with the Email apk from gingerbread in the Themes and Apps section of the forum.
reader.apk
b3androidreader.apk
netflix
pandora
browser.apk *removes default browser *meaning it can't be accessed from the taskbar gained by clicking the nook button once.
flashplayer.apk
geniewidget.apk
huluplus
nookcommunity *removes nook social
quickofficeviewer
wwreader.apk
bnappinstaller.apk *Removes ability to install apps from B&N store
bnauthenticationservice.apk *removes email account on device therefor completely invalidating the use of any of stores etc.
bncloudrequestsvc.apk *Removes ability to sync B&N content with cloud
bnconnectivityservice.apk *Same as above
bnpolicymanagersvc.apk *Same as authenticationservice
airruntime
cryptoserver.apk *
demomode.apk
telephonyprovider.apk
Devs post here with other files you KNOW can be removed. I'll get around to writing a BASH script for the tablet to run to remove most of it.
What does Applauncher.apk do?
Personally, I'd like to keep Home.apk (which I assume is the default home) and the BN shop. I'll never use most of the other stuff, though.
i'll update this post if i come across any problems caused by the things i've deleted.
yea so I went a little crazy on my delete spree, but everything seems to be working. a lot of things like flash air etc i'll probably wind up reinstalling via the marketplace, but i wanted to start off as bare bones as i could. obviously i don't use any of the barnes and noble services nor do i use hulu or netflix so i remove everything I could find with their names in it.
I did the nook hardware test after i removed all this stuff and it passed with flying colors aswell.
<disclaimer>this list is definately at your own risk, because while it hasn't caused me any problems I'm making no guarantees for you. you probably SHOULDNT be removing these things, SO DONT DO IT, but I did anyways.. with no negative consequences for me. I don't use this as a way to connect to a bunch of diferent services, I'm using it as a tablet.</disclaimer>
definately don't do this unless you have the marketplace installed, along with homecatcher defaulting your n key to an alternative launcher.
home1.0 (home.apk)
chess
crossword
Applauncher.apk
social.apk
shop.apk
email.apk
reader.apk
b3androidreader.apk
netflix
pandora
browser.apk
flashplayer.apk
geniewidget.apk
huluplus
nookcommunity
quickofficeviewer
wwreader.apk
bnappinstaller.apk
bnauthenticationservice.apk
bncloudrequestsvc.apk
bnconnectivityservice.apk
bnpolicymanagersvc.apk
airruntime
cryptoserver.apk
demomode.apk
i'll probably wind up removing even more stuff.
and I don't know for sure but I wouldn't be suprised if one of those bn*apk's i removed broke ota updates, i have no way to be sure though.
Removed those from risho's post and everything is still working fine.
Updated OP with full list of apps that can be removed.
Question: how do you actually remove this stuff?
I'd like to remove the B&N bloatware but I'm not sure how do to that exactly.
Help?
You need to use a root file explorer and mount system as r/w and then go into /system/app
Sent by breaking the sound barrier
jimmysuggs said:
Question: how do you actually remove this stuff?
I'd like to remove the B&N bloatware but I'm not sure how do to that exactly.
Help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would use Titanium Backup to backup and then uninstall one by one. Unless someone created a script to do it...
Um is there any chance that someone could run me through the basics of titanium backup? I'm new to this stuff and have no idea how it works.
Do you use titanium backup to uninstall the B&N apps? Or just to back them up, in case you need them again? And if you don't actually use titanium backup to uninstall the apps, what do you use?
Clearly I'm in over my head, any help would be appreciated.
jimmysuggs said:
Um is there any chance that someone could run me through the basics of titanium backup? I'm new to this stuff and have no idea how it works.
Do you use titanium backup to uninstall the B&N apps? Or just to back them up, in case you need them again? And if you don't actually use titanium backup to uninstall the apps, what do you use?
Clearly I'm in over my head, any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just used it to back up everything. Then I delete whatever I want one by one with root explorer. My hope is that at some point the whole "block OTAs" issue is resolved and then I can reinstall all the B&N stuff.
Sent from my BNTV250 using xda premium
Antek App Manager
I used Antek App Manager which is free and allows you to freeze the apps which is like uninstalling them but it renames the files instead of removing them... then if it turns out one was important you can defrost the frozen app and it will work again. Or if it works out you can remove it permanently.
At least that is how I think it works...
Email apk
i replaced the stock email apk with the one Indirect gave us. It works fine in most aspects, but when I tried to open attachment, i would get a force close because of com.android.email.
Anybody ran into this as well?
Okay this is all great info, I think I understand how titanium backup works now.
Question for phon00b (or anyone who can answer it): why do you need root explorer to delete the stuff you don't need? Doesn't titanium backup do that, as well as back up? I see a feature in there for "uninstall," isn't that the same as delete?
I'm just wondering if I actually need to use root explorer (which I'm a little scared of) or if titanium backup will do the job just as well.
I doubt you need to use a root explorer. However, if you are scared of it, remember Titanium Backup has root access as well and can do as much damage as a root explorer if used "incorrectly." Backing up apps before uninstalling or simply freezing them, however, is *generally* safe, assuming you don't do it to something that the NT needs to boot. I prefer to use Titanium Backup in most instances.
No particular reason, really. I'm just used to doing it that way. I'm sure deleting through titanium will yield the same result.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using xda premium
Here's what I did. I use this app called, SystemApp Remover. It has this inbuilt 'Assist' facility, which kinda guides you to tell which apps are absolutely safe to remove. I used it to remove almost all bloatware that showed up safe to delete.
So far, i've removed almost all of Indirect's list, and also Library, Gallery, Music as well. It still works fine.
So i checked out system app remover but i gotta say, it worries me a bit. There are so many green apps (meaning potentially safe to remove) in there that it makes me wonder. Can all those apps really be safe to remove? Has anyone out there actually removed some (or all) of these apps?
jimmysuggs said:
So i checked out system app remover but i gotta say, it worries me a bit. There are so many green apps (meaning potentially safe to remove) in there that it makes me wonder. Can all those apps really be safe to remove? Has anyone out there actually removed some (or all) of these apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, most are safe to remove! I removed almost all of em, except the ones I knew were useful for me.
You can post here for help about an app if you are in doubt.
It's pretty safe to remove Soduko.apk and Library.apk too.
EDIT: I also removed telephonyprovider.apk without any issues (so far)
Hi all,
What I want to do: remove all Timescape elements from stock Sony ROM safely (avoiding force closes, not random deletion)
Why: I noticed that a Sony executive announced a week or two ago that their 2013 phones will not have Timescape running through the phone because it did result in performance lag. Instead they will use one app for the same purpose. I want to test removing the lag in my phone by removing anything Timescape.
News on Timescape: http://www.xperiablog.net/2013/01/14/rip-timescape-long-live-socialife/
You need a rooted device and an explorer with root access like ES Explorer in order to delete the apk files in the System/App directory. You can find more information at the bottom of the first post in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1546253&highlight=bloatware.
I would recommend not to delete them actually just in case you want something back. In my case I have only change the file extension so the app won't start. For example gmail.apk has been renamed to gmail.apk1
A few months ago I clicked 'allow Facebook to sync with contacts' and similar options, I thought some features were useful. I tried disabling them all today and it has already made a helpful boost in performance. The true test will be a few days performance.
What I did was root my phone. Then I used an app manager that would allow me to disable system apps. That way I could easily restore any app that are really required. Anything with time scape or Facebook got disabled. I also disabled all system apps that were available from the app store.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
No need to root. Just goto the app manager and disable all timescape items and anything else not needed.
I rooted and used Titanium Backup where I uninstalled all "Timescape"-related (appr. 5-6 entries...)
Root needed to delete
honglong said:
No need to root. Just goto the app manager and disable all timescape items and anything else not needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You still need root to delete system apps. Once you have disabled them and decided that causes no issues, deleting them will free up a little space.
A few days ago I disabled as much Timescape as I could and so far it really does remove a lot of lag. The phone is already usable...
It can be nice seeing friend's Facebooks pictures etc. in your phonebook but the lag is not worth it. :victory: