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Protect Your Android Phone By Killing All Its Crapware

jfruh writes "Like Windows, Android has built a dominant market share because any hardware manufacturer can license it — and as they did with Windows, those manufacturers are loading up Android devices with their own proprietary crapware. Although the process is a bit convoluted, you can get this crapware off your phone — and in doing so you'll actually make the device more secure."

8 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Hooray by egr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Some guy found new button in application management settings... good for him! However the summary is misleading, it does not get the crapware off, it just disables the applications.

  2. Disable is disabled by Russ1642 · · Score: 5, Informative

    On my Galaxy S3, which is loaded only with genuine Samsung crapware, disable is disabled on those apps.

    1. Re:Disable is disabled by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just like the article says, which supposedly nobody on slashdot needs to read.

  3. Or buy an iPhone by Ukab+the+Great · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As reviled as Apple might be by gearheads about issues like flexibility and not letting samsung et all reap all the rewards for taking none of the risks, Apple stands up to telcos and don't let them put crapware on the phone, and the stuff Apple themselves makes and puts on the phone they actually attempt to make decently. The walled garden keeps the bad people out as much as it keeps the good people in. Stuff like this generates loyalty, folks. It's not just fanboyism.

  4. Re:O'rly? No wai! by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Informative

    Title should have read: "Disabled apps are disabled."

    But there's still likely several you can't actually uninstall.

    On my HTC phone, I can't uninstall Facebook, but I can disable it. On my Google Nexus, I've had Google re-enable some apps I've specifically disabled because I don't want them.

    They all try to put their crapware on the devices, and can make it awfully difficult to remove or disable them. Because they like to pretend they still own the devices, and they figure their desire to monetize your device outweighs your desire to lock it down.

    I specifically went with the Google branded Nexus so I wouldn't have to worry about the crap from a 3rd party, but that doesn't mean Google has made it any easier to strip out the shit you don't want -- I disabled the YouTube app altogether when the first time I launched it to look at it Google automatically signed me up for an account without asking.

    Welcome to the exciting future, where you don't own the stuff you buy, and the company who made it has embedded everything possible to give them access to your information.

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    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  5. It's why I stick with Nexus devices by metrix007 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Stock Android. Nothing disabled, I can tether my phone at no charge, no crapware...

    Other phones may be faster, but not enough to justify the headache of crapware.

    It's the same reason I stick with Asus for laptops. Well built machines with minimal crapwear that are pretty easy to open up if you need to.

    --
    If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
  6. Re: O'rly? No wai! by spire3661 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am so sick of Google being annoying as fuck. NO i dont want to sign new terms of service, i dont give a fuck about having an SMS emergency contact, no i will NOT provide my real name to youtube and SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT GOOGLE+. In the last year google has gotten incredibly annoying with notifications.

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    Good-bye
  7. Re: O'rly? No wai! by TractorBarry · · Score: 5, Interesting

    +10 agree. Google are the NSA in disguise. The internet was built on anonymity and we're going to have to fight to keep it that way.

    Maybe we should all start using "Luther Blisset" as our "Real Name" on anything that ask for one ?

    Hell let's all actually change our names to Luther Blisset :)

    --
    Sky subscribers are morons. They pay to be advertised at !