Att bloatware removal - Atrix 4G General

So I just set up 3 atrixes on my family plan and found that all Att apps are completely worthless. The other users on the plan kept trying to use att navigator instead of google maps and it caused a lot of problems since all att programs ask for extra payment and activation. I know that most users here wont use these programs but I felt it was an extra step to avoid extra payments.
Does anyone else feel that these att programs are complety useless and prey on the uninformed? I have yet to find a use for any of them...
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

You can remove most of the AT&T apps, and use Titanium back-up (if rooted) to freeze (removed from system tray and startup) most of the rest (including Motorola apps).
Settings > Applications > Manage Applications >press to select app > uninstall
(This is from what I understand from reviews as I do not yet have the phone in my possession to try this.)

You can kill 2 bird with one stone by doing the following:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1016060
It's a root, then upgrade to 4.1.57, then applying a custom set of theme/widgets (awesome job!). In the process, it will remove the bloatware.
As far as just removing the bloatware, can you not just uninstall them? If not, someone will be along shortly to correct me.

Yes they are junk! That's why we call them bloatware the very first thing I did when I got my atrix was delete all the bloatware. I actually kept the my at&t one I like to occasionally check my minutes. But don't think this is only an Att thing... All of the carriers have them ex. sprint family locator, sprint tv etc... See the sprint tv is even a little confusing since some channels are free and some are subscription. So just be careful what you click on and read it first! Either way I'm sure a quick call to customer service will get the charges reversed.. As long as you pay your bills on time! Lol

Some of the apps you can uninstall, some won't. I heard that w/ the Atrix and the HTC 4G (forgot the name) you can use the ATT Nav for free. Is this true or not???

brimart37 said:
Some of the apps you can uninstall, some won't. I heard that w/ the Atrix and the HTC 4G (forgot the name) you can use the ATT Nav for free. Is this true or not???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I highly doubt it, since it's a $9.99 feature I can enable on my account.
Furthermore, why would you want it when you get Google Maps for free?

I actually like using the task manager to auto-end apps when the screen is off.

Related

[Q] [REQ] No-phone G1 ROM, a light-weight ROM

Hi,
I retired my G1 in favor of a Nexus One, for the all the reasons you can imagine if you used both devices, and I've moved my contract from the G1 to the N1 I bought without service.
However, my G1 is still fully functional and I do not want to sell it, but would like to give it a new life.
Froyo on the G1 is impressive, but let's face it, the G1 can't deal with it too well. There are too many features, too much stuff for the G1 limited memory, and barely starting an app frequently results in the home app to be quit, making simple operations slower than they would otherwise. Still, in the background, many services run that are now irrelevant: messaging, BT and others.
I would like to use my G1 to stream music at home, from a Wifi connection, using Pandora, last.fm or some other streaming service or podcast app. Just running Pandora brings the device to its knees, probably because it uses too much memory.
I imagine that many G1 owners like me have moved their SIM to some other device, or moved to a different carrier on a different (Android) phone and have no SIM for their G1 anymore. How about a ROM that would not have any of the phone features enabled to save as much memory as possible? Not having to run the GSM modem might also be able to save us some valuable RAM? As is, I haven't found any way to disable permanently SMS & other services that keep coming back, at the very least when I reboot the phone. It would be great to be able to just disable many components I never use, like G-talk, SMS or the phone part of this device that still has so much to offer, and could do so so much better with the memory savings!
If such a ROM exists already, or if there is an app or a hack I could use on top of CyanogenMod 6, I would love to know about it. I've looked for it, I swear, but could not find anything like that.
thanks!
-g
Well you can disable edge and 3g via the powerbar widget. I believe there is an app for root users in market that let's you uninstall stock phone apps like mms, gtalk, and phone.
Sent from my Chromatic Dream using XDA App
the phone becomes even more useful and powerful and effective once it is taken off the "daily driver" list and is no longer being abused as a telephone. You have a microsupercomputer that can do it all....... gps, render, flashdrive. bla bla bla. Think out of the box folks!
I would love to get rid of phone.apk and all that telephony.
BuddhaTeh1337 said:
Well you can disable edge and 3g via the powerbar widget. I believe there is an app for root users in market that let's you uninstall stock phone apps like mms, gtalk, and phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, since there is no SIM in the "phone", there is no need to disable edge and 3g, but uninstalling the stock apps certainly works great! I've done pretty much what you suggested, and the G1 flies now, as apps can all fit in RAM, and I can even keep the virtual keyboard. I think I've taken down the link to the user's profile at the same time, but that's ok (for now). I just wish I would know a little better what I'm uninstalling when using System App Remover (the naming is not particularly obvious), but it's working for me quite well. Pandora & Last.fm fly and my G1 is giving me all it's got!
thanks!
-g
I don't see anything easy, or pre-built. is it a requirement to be on 2.2 froyo?
this is a $1 app, System App Remover, find it in the Market. and it may work for you, i've never used it.

Phone finally working great!

After a bit of work, I finally got my phone working the way I want. I basically tried to get the phone as clean as possible and removed the Motorola bloat.
- Phone no longer reboots itself.. at all.
- 20+ hours of battery is the norm, despite a good amount of use
- Very stable and responsive
Please note: I have the extended battery and use Launcher Pro. Freezing certain apps will stop the Motorola widgets, home screen, and apps from working properly.
1. Flashed the TBH SBF on to phone
2. Formatted SD card
3. Wiped the cache and partition
4. Rooted phone with z4 root
5. Installed Titanium Backup and froze apps
Apps frozen:
3G Mobile Hotspot 2.2.1
Amazon MP3
Backup Assistant 1.0
Backup Assistant 2.2.1
Battery Manager 1.1
City ID 1.0.30
com.motorola.photowidget 2.2.1
Files 2.2.1
Global Unplug 1.0
Help Center 2.2.1
InPocket 2.2.1
MediaShare 1.0.0
Messages 2.2.1
Messaging 2.2.1
News 2.2.1
NFS Shift 1.0
Print to Retail 1.0
Quick Contact 2.2.1
Skype mobile 1.0.0.2
Social Messaging 2.2.1
Social Messaging Service 2.2.1
Social Networking 2.2.1
Social Sharing 2.2.1
Social Status 2.2.1
Sticky Note 2.2.1
Sync Service 1.5.7
Task Manager 1.0
Toggle Widgets 2.2.1
Universal Inbox 2.2.1
Voice Commands
Voicemail 1.1
VZ Navigator
Weather 2.2.1
Yahoo Contacts 2.2.1
I really hate the fact this was all necessary. The original Droid was a great device, because it did not contain any bloatware. I've learned my lesson and will only buy Android devices without it, such as the Nexus series of phones. At least in the meantime, I can use a properly functioning device again.
Thanks a lot for your post mate, it is really helpful.
Were you able to update your phone to the latest version? Did you have any issues updating ?
Thanks.
Even though I haven't had too many problems so far, I went in and froze everything on your list. I have gotten an occasional auto-reboot, so maybe this will help.
Can you explain what this is?
1. Flashed the TBH SBF on to phone
Thanks!
@elmemyself: Yes, the phone updated just fine.
@MrWilliams2: If your phone is rebooting by itself, try switching it back to Global if you currently have it set to CDMA. I never changed it to CDMA since wiping everything and I haven't had a single reboot in almost a week now.
TBH is Team Black Hat.. they are the ones that first released a valid SBF. The SBF is basically an image that will restore your phone back to it's factory settings. All of your current programs and settings will still be intact after you install the SBF because those reside in the cache and partition. You can choose to "wipe" them by booting your phone into Recovery Mode. I went this route to get my phone as clean as possible and so far it's paying off.
To get into Recovery Mode, turn off your phone. Hold 'R' and 'M' keys and turn on the phone. After the '!' comes up, press '@'. Follow the directions on screen.
One last note.. after you format SD card and wipe cache / partition, your phone is essentially factory reset. I highly recommend you turn Wifi on, if it isn't already. After entering my Google account settings, it automatically downloaded my Wifi settings and connected to my router. It then proceeded to download every app I had on my phone previously. If you aren't connected via WiFi, it will take a lot longer for your phone to re-download all those apps.
Good luck!
Thanks for this great information!
I've been holding off rooting my Pro (after using my rooted OG Droid for the past year), but will be rooting soon with the help of the info you've provided...
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App
A few questions
MANY thanks eus107709 for your wonderful guide! I'm sure MANY of us appreciate it and will be following it.
I have a few questions:
1) Why do we have to use the SBF at all? Why not just 'factory reset' the phone using the android/menu/settings option?
2) If we use the SBF, I hear we have to re-activate phone with Verizon. Is this true? I'm in the UK and don't have a verizon account (phone is unlocked). Will I be able to bypass activation?
3) How can I clear the micro-sd card of all my settings to start fresh? Will that also wipe any pictures and music I have on it?
4) By using this method, how (or will I) be able to upgrade the OS with future OS upgrades from Motorola and/or Verizon?
5) not directly related - as we know the phone is radio locked to verizon and unable to use with AT&T / T-Mobile in America. Is it possible to get it radio unlocked to use other bands? The reason I ask is: will I get better 'signal' / reception if I do this? I work in Central London often, where signal is top in the country, but often my 'H' radio bar only shows 2 out of 4. I expect it to be 4 being in London, or at the very least 3, but it never goes above 2 really. Could this be related to the 'locked radio'? I've seen this but can't find much info/feedback yet: see twitter and 'droidbandunlock'
Sorry for all the long-winded questions. Thanks in advance eus107709
I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge, but I'm afraid I'm not qualified to comment on them all.
1) Why do we have to use the SBF at all? Why not just 'factory reset' the phone using the android/menu/settings option?
Many of us have rooted our phones and removed stock applications that we believe hinder the performance of the device. This prevents us from applying the system update provided by Motorola. I think, but am not positive, that "factory resetting" the phone via the menu options merely clears the cache but doesn't restore the removed apps.
2) If we use the SBF, I hear we have to re-activate phone with Verizon. Is this true? I'm in the UK and don't have a verizon account (phone is unlocked). Will I be able to bypass activation?
If you bought your phone in the United States, through Verizon, I'm pretty sure you need to call them to SIM unlock your phone to be used on a different carrier. They are generally willing to comply with your request if you're a customer in good standing or if you've purchased the phone at full retail value. I believe you generally only have to do this once, but maybe someone more experienced at this can confirm.
3) How can I clear the micro-sd card of all my settings to start fresh? Will that also wipe any pictures and music I have on it?
You can clear the micro-SD card by going to Settings -> SD Card -> Unmount SD card (takes a few seconds) -> Format SD Card.
The applications store program data and settings in the SD card which I like to clear when starting fresh. Uninstalled software often leaves residual data that will continue living on unless you manually delete them. It likely will never affect you, but I know this in the back of my mind and it bugs the hell out of me. I also worry about configuration files leftover from previous installations that will affect my newly installed ones (of the same program). The likelyhood of that being a problem is also very small, but ya never know and I like reducing the chances of things going wrong.
4) By using this method, how (or will I) be able to upgrade the OS with future OS upgrades from Motorola and/or Verizon?
Yes. The TBH SBF is a copy of the software on your phone as it was from Motorola. Rooting your phone by this method is not permanent and can be undone. Freezing the apps is also temporary and can be undone by "unfreezing". Bottom line: You aren't making any permanent changes to your phone. The SBF is a safety net, so even if we made drastic changes to our phone, we can install the SBF to start clean again. I'm more than willing to install new ROMs for our phone as they come out, but as of right now it's not an absolute necessity.
5) not directly related - as we know the phone is radio locked to verizon and unable to use with AT&T / T-Mobile in America. Is it possible to get it radio unlocked to use other bands? The reason I ask is: will I get better 'signal' / reception if I do this? I work in Central London often, where signal is top in the country, but often my 'H' radio bar only shows 2 out of 4. I expect it to be 4 being in London, or at the very least 3, but it never goes above 2 really. Could this be related to the 'locked radio'? I've seen this but can't find much info/feedback yet: see twitter and 'droidbandunlock'
I'm fairly certain "unlocking the radio" will not improve your reception in the UK, but I don't really know enough about how they are blocking US carriers.
Hope things are a little bit more clear!
need to z4 root
i need to z4 root
please take a link fo me
Thanks very much for your response my friend!
I appreciate your help on all things regardless of your background and experience.
Activating vs unlocking - phone is factory and/or verizon unlocked and that is permanent. Activating is different from unlocking where we register our phone with verizon. I thought I saw someone say using sbf requires re-activation, and that they were able to bypass it somehow.
I will probably backup my pics and music etc on my PC before formatting the sd card.
Btw, do you notice the battery life increase after freezing all the unnecessary software?
Please also share any other experiences you've had since cleaning up your phone.
Thanks again my friend.
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App
You're welcome, I'm glad to help!
Updating the SBF or factory resetting your phone will surely require activation, but that is easily done. Most of the time, your phone will automatically prompt you to activate which is denoted by a "ACTIVATE NOW" button. Otherwise, just dial *228. It usually doesn't take more than 10 seconds and is completely automated.
My battery life was never horrendous, BUT it wasn't consistent. There were times when my battery would seemingly drain leaving me with only 9-10 hours of usage. Please keep in mind that no matter what you remove, battery life will still not be amazing. It's a smartphone after-all, and if you're like me who is constantly making use of it, you're not going to go 2 days without a recharge.
There is a very good chance that if you've never used the Droid 1, Nexus, or G1 you may not consider it "useless software". Personally, I like using Android the way Google designed it. When I switch Android phones, I don't want to be switching between "Blur" (motorola), "Sense" (HTC), and whatever Samsung calls their UI overlay and apps.
Right now, it's the closest I can get the phone to the way Google intended. In terms of functionality, you will not notice anything much different. I highly recommend using either Launcher Pro or ADW Launcher. IMO, both are better than the Motorola home screen launcher and even Google's default.
I hope that in between the time you're tweaking the phone you get to actually enjoy it, because it is still a great experience
nice....curious tho
Thx for the post man. helped me to utilize titanium and decide on some things to freeze. now I have to go back in and choose some things to quit backing up lol. im currently looking up everything you have frozen to actually see what purpose it serves before I freeze it though. a question Im surprised hasn't been asked of ya. I wanted to ask ya about launcher pro though. what are the benefits? is it just more efficient or..? thanks again man
Just want to say thanks again!
And that launcher pro is not only brilliant to use, but also saved me loads of battery life!
It seems that motoblur uses a lot of battery with widgets etc.
With launcher pro my phone's extended battery shows 80% after 7 hours, whereas without it, and 7 hours later otherwise (using phone in same way!) I would have 60 or 70% left.
Highly recommend.
I will also use titanuim. Isnt it better to remove apps rather than freeze them?
Cheers!
Sent from my DROID PRO using XDA App
@budwiser0240
While most people use Titanium Backup for backup, I really only use it for freezing. As for "Backup Assistant", it's something that Motorola concocted and I refuse to use it. Google already automatically backs up what I need.
As for Launcher Pro or ADW, I feel it's runs more smoothly than the Motorola or Google homescreens. There are many things you can configure in LP and ADW, but I won't go into them here.. there's enough threads about them. To keep it simple, just use the default settings for now.
@hanybanoub
The biggest drain on your battery is probably those social networking widgets that come with the phone. The Motorola widgets and programs all seem to be poorly written software. If you want to use social networking widgets, maybe you can use the official ones from the Market.
Freezing the apps allows you to quickly unfreeze them if you need to. Motorola updates often requires those apps be present. Also, if you break the functionality of the phone by freezing/removing them, it's easier to fix. With the SBF available, it's not that big of a deal either way. You can always restore them.
Complete newbie to android
I am a complete newbie to the android system so if I could get some clarification . I've got my phone configured the way I like it with LauncherPro. I have not rooted yet but I am interested in using TitaniumBackup to freeze useless apps, especially cityID. A few questions then:
1. Does freezing all these apps effectively mean getting rid of MotoBlur? I am under the impression that MotoBlur runs in the background and LauncherPro simply runs over it?
2. Can I use z4root version 1.3.0? Will the unroot option work if I need to unroot or will I have to flash the TBH SBF to unroot?
3. Do I need to wipe anything prior to rooting and using Titanium backup or can I just do those two steps if I haven't rooted before?
4. Optional Question What sort of advantage do would a custom ROM give a phone like the Droid Pro versus rooting and freezing useless apps?
Thanks
@LeoBloom
1. MotoBlur runs deep.. you're only getting rid of some of it. Components of the original Android code aren't even included in the software, so you're still running Blur. When you run LauncherPro, the Motorola homescreen will not be running. The phone/contacts module, the gallery, the camera.. it's all Moto. Not all of it is terrible I suppose.. seems like many of the components are built off Android code, just modified (maybe someone can confirm this).
2. You should be able to unroot with 1.3.. never tried, but I do get the unroot button.
3. You don't have to wipe for either of those.
4. It depends on the custom ROM and the objective of the "chef". Some modders aim for Battery Life, some for speed, and some try to bring the phone back to being close to AOSP. Android Operating System Project is the source code that all Android phones are based off of, but unfortunately manufacturers like to deviate away from it by adding their own garbage.
Thanks
Thanks for the replies eus!
I have one more question regarding "nandroid" backups. From what I understand, if I mess something up, I don't have to flash the TBH SBF if I have a nandroid backup. I could instead use it to revert my phone to the way I had it before I started experimenting.
Are there any specific instructions beyond what is listed here:
androidforums DOT com/droid-pro-all-things-root/233471-droid-pro-bootstrap-clockwork-mod.html
(New users restriction, cannot post links)
Does anyone else have experience with this and can add something?
Sometimes I wish I had gotten a Droid X solely because of the number of guides already written for it... :S
Thx for the reply. definitely gonna check out launcher pro soon
eus107709 said:
@budwiser0240
While most people use Titanium Backup for backup, I really only use it for freezing. As for "Backup Assistant", it's something that Motorola concocted and I refuse to use it. Google already automatically backs up what I need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Backup Assistant is a verizon feature. It's available on all new verizon smartphones and is backed up your verizon account online.
Thanks for the list. I froze almost all the same things as you after installing the latest OTA update. seems to be working great.
I didn't freeze:
Social Messaging 2.2.1
Social Mess Serv 2.2.1
Social Net 2.2.1
Social Share 2.2.1
Social Status 2.2.1
I want to freeze most of these, but I really want to keep the linking between facebook, linkedin and my contacts. Anyone know which ones I can safely remove? I don't care about ANY of the other functionality associated with these. Plan to use the facebook app from marketplace. This app however doesn't link into your motorola contact like it does in ASOP
Unfortunately, the Facebook app will never be able to sync with your contacts because our phone uses Motorola's contact manager instead of the Android Source Code Project one (as you've mentioned). Perhaps you can look into installing the AOSP contact manager on the Droid Pro. I'm not sure if it's possible though, but it might be worth looking into.
I have no intention of ever running the "social" apps ever again, so can't help you there!

Bloatware apps that use data?

Hey guys, I just bought my wife this phone last week and put her on the limited data plan since she is mostly on wifi. Question is what apps are eating data in the background while she is off wifi? I have so far turned off google background synching and thats it. Any more suggestions?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I have never closely tracked my data use since I am on an unlimited plan. If you are concerned about bloat eating into your wife's 200mb though, then I would root and put Iced Glacier (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=844594) and AdsFree on her phone.
IG is stock without bloatware. I have been running stock since I got my phone at release and finally decided the current batch of ROMs we have are stable enough to play with. IG is running great, a bit faster than stock, some minor graphical tweaks, but still otherwise identical just minus the bloat crpa.
AdsFree will redirect all advertisement servers to 127.0.0.1 (localhost; the phone itself) so that ads don't download and eat into your precious quota. AdsFree does require root, though.
badaphooko01 said:
Hey guys, I just bought my wife this phone last week and put her on the limited data plan since she is mostly on wifi. Question is what apps are eating data in the background while she is off wifi? I have so far turned off Google background syncing and that's it. Any more suggestions?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am thinking of doing the exact thing with a family plan member, I will be installing a task killer and ad free, but I have installed an app (pro version - costs under $4) on mine that tracks data usage by program on the network - not WiFi (which is free anyway).
It is called 3G Watchdog. The free version does not break it out by app. So far, I have been surprised how much email program is using. i do not get a lot of emails, so ( am assuming it is background activity (like checking periodically for new mail).
It is set up for billing period and your plan limit. i also loaded my plan moth-to-date usage in, and it has been tracking pretty good against my TMo usage in "MY Account". When you switch over to WiFi - no activity is recorded - which is exactly the way it should be to monitor your paid data usage.
For their limited plans (with mb limits) - this app is a must.

Instead of rooting...?

If I recall correctly, the Priv's OS has some application that checks the integrity of the OS, thus prevents rooting.
And can't we simply flash a new ROM which would be just a clean Android? Maybe unlocking the bootloader would be easier than cat-and-mouse play with the real BB Android.
no it does not exist and the drivers for some hw on the device to work like izat and keyboard won't work, also the priv kernel is also secure along with bootloader so if i see a custom or AOSP rom for this device i will be like on twilight zone
There have been lost opportunities here and there but BlackBerry has been active on patching all security holes and that is why is important to the company that a root has to be impossible or this effort has been all for nothing and they became the newest "Blackphone" (now that rooting was unfortunate for a device sold as a "secure" phone).
I know that there are audience in Android just for root capacity but not everybody are in a "real" need for it.
I like that the BlackBerry Launcher leave most of AOSP element, except for icons and notifications sounds.
Personally I only ever use root for CPU control and ability to delete ANY app I deem fit, and on my previous SGS5 that meant all those heart rate and other nonsense apps that ran in background and chunked the battery to no end.
Gonna assume the Priv then has no CPU management ability due to the lack of root, correct?
Skv012a said:
Personally I only ever use root for CPU control and ability to delete ANY app I deem fit, and on my previous SGS5 that meant all those heart rate and other nonsense apps that ran in background and chunked the battery to no end.
Gonna assume the Priv then has no CPU management ability due to the lack of root, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Though, they do use the interactive governor, and while I would kind of like to underclock the CPU a bit to deal with overheating, the default CPU management isn't too shabby. And since the Priv is almost completely stock, removal of unwanted apps is minimal, and all the carrier apps I had weren't system apps, so I was able to actually uninstall them, and what BB apps I didn't care for, I simply disabled. Learning that life without root isn't so bad on the Priv.
I just want root for Adblock for both YouTube and Chrome. I don't care if it's just a temp, as long as it lets me update the Filters for AdAway I am alright with it, I'll deal with the youtube ads.
KOAO said:
I just want root for Adblock for both YouTube and Chrome. I don't care if it's just a temp, as long as it lets me update the Filters for AdAway I am alright with it, I'll deal with the youtube ads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you could use Firefox. It supports extensions on Android, and ublock works nicely to kill ads, though I find functionally that Chrome runs infinitely better on Android than Firefox does, so your kilometerage may vary.
Artemis-kun said:
And since the Priv is almost completely stock, removal of unwanted apps is minimal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true! The Priv is full of bloatware that you can only deactivate but not uninstall (Yahoo Finances, for example). And some of those apps will stay active and make the phone unusable despite being 'deactivated'. Like BB Hub. I deactivated it from the start and just recently saw that it still had several permissions (location, contacts, messages, calendar etc). So I revoked those permissions. Now it constantly pops up and wants permissions. I can't even add a contact without granting these permissions. Annoying as hell. It's ridiculous that BB regard themselves as a secure company with secure smartphones (which was rebutted several years ago) that emphasize on privacy but when it comes to their own apps, it can't get any more privacy invading. I so hate BB!
So I'm waiting for
a) another producer to make an Android phone with a hardware keyboard or
b) someone to make root for the Priv happen so that I can install a ROM of my choice.
Shani Ace said:
Not true! The Priv is full of bloatware that you can only deactivate but not uninstall (Yahoo Finances, for example). And some of those apps will stay active and make the phone unusable despite being 'deactivated'. Like BB Hub. I deactivated it from the start and just recently saw that it still had several permissions (location, contacts, messages, calendar etc). So I revoked those permissions. Now it constantly pops up and wants permissions. I can't even add a contact without granting these permissions. Annoying as hell. It's ridiculous that BB regard themselves as a secure company with secure smartphones (which was rebutted several years ago) that emphasize on privacy but when it comes to their own apps, it can't get any more privacy invading. I so hate BB!
So I'm waiting for
a) another producer to make an Android phone with a hardware keyboard or
b) someone to make root for the Priv happen so that I can install a ROM of my choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't call it full of bloat. Full of bloat is what Samsung has on offer. Yes, there are some bloatware apps that you can't uninstall, but they disable just fine. Sounds to me like your hub got re-enabled, mine has been disabled since day one, and still has no permissions, and doesn't harass me about anything.
Artemis-kun said:
Sounds to me like your hub got re-enabled, mine has been disabled since day one, and still has no permissions, and doesn't harass me about anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Did you do any of the BB OTA updates (mine's running the most recent version, 6.0.1, security patch from August 5th)?
The Hub is still deactivated, but it doesn't seem to 'care' about that. I activated and deactivated it again to no effect.
So you're telling me when you go into Settings -> Apps -> BB Hub -> Permissions, all six permissions (calendar, camera, contacts, storage, phone and BB Productivity Suite) are turned-off?
I'm pretty sure I had these turned off when I got the phone in May. So maybe some of the OTA updates changed something about it. Unless you're running the same version that I am.
Oh and the fullscreen pop-up says Blackberry Hub+, maybe this is a new thing then?
And yes, other manufacturers may have more Bloatware. But at least there you can uninstall them or flash a different ROM. And all the BB services like BB Hub count as Bloatware for me, too.
Maybe I should sell my Priv and get a S6 Edge Plus (again). I still got the keyboard cover for that model and it's flashable, although Samsung also makes it hard for the users. But the keyboard cover is not back-lit and the phone is even bigger than the Priv (already too big for my taste).
EDIT: Ah wait! I just saw that the 'Blackberry Services' were activate, so I deactivated it and revoked all its permissions and now the pop up is gone. I definitely had this deactivated before the update, but as with the other BB apps, you have to deactivate them again after each update. Guess I just overlooked this one. Yay!
Shani Ace said:
Interesting. Did you do any of the BB OTA updates (mine's running the most recent version, 6.0.1, security patch from August 5th)?
The Hub is still deactivated, but it doesn't seem to 'care' about that. I activated and deactivated it again to no effect.
So you're telling me when you go into Settings -> Apps -> BB Hub -> Permissions, all six permissions (calendar, camera, contacts, storage, phone and BB Productivity Suite) are turned-off?
I'm pretty sure I had these turned off when I got the phone in May. So maybe some of the OTA updates changed something about it. Unless you're running the same version that I am.
Oh and the fullscreen pop-up says Blackberry Hub+, maybe this is a new thing then?
And yes, other manufacturers may have more Bloatware. But at least there you can uninstall them or flash a different ROM. And all the BB services like BB Hub count as Bloatware for me, too.
Maybe I should sell my Priv and get a S6 Edge Plus (again). I still got the keyboard cover for that model and it's flashable, although Samsung also makes it hard for the users. But the keyboard cover is not back-lit and the phone is even bigger than the Priv (already too big for my taste).
EDIT: Ah wait! I just saw that the 'Blackberry Services' were activate, so I deactivated it and revoked all its permissions and now the pop up is gone. I definitely had this deactivated before the update, but as with the other BB apps, you have to deactivate them again after each update. Guess I just overlooked this one. Yay!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://puu.sh/qYFcI/bca42bb0e9.png here is a screenshot I just took. I should also point out that I have everything else BB disabled as well, and I've never had to re-disable any of them. I'm on the MM beta program, so that might also make some kind of diffeerence, but I stay up to date with patches, and haven't had to disable anything again. Not sure how it happened in your case, but glad that you got it sorted.
Another thing I do feel I need to bring up, this is also a BB phone made for BB people, so it does make sense that they include the software suite that their fans have grown to love. Sure, those of us who couldn't care less about BB's software, and just wanted in on their amazing hardware prowess, will find these apps bothersome, but if nothing else, visually they left Android alone, and for that, I can't not happily thank them. They could have given us something like a BB10 inspired touchwiz, could you imagine? Lol.
Yeah that's true and I'm also happy that they didn't over-customize their ROM. It's just hard to accept any deviation when you've been used to having full freedom on all kinds of custom ROMs for the last ten years.
Strange though that you didn't have to re-deactivate the apps after the updates. Then I guess I'll look into the beta program (had seen it before but didn't mind).
and I do not have 'Secure Start-up' turned-on.
There's enough bloatware that I'd like to remove, such as "Hang-Outs" & BBM is eating data with stupid pics of available 'stickies' & other crap I don't want to see/read about & my ONLY choice for disable is "Do you want to restore this app to Factory Default?". No, I don't I want to Restore it to Factory Default - I want to DISABLE it. I do understand that the PRIV's supposed to be secure & yes that's a Good Thing. I also understand that most users LIKE to be kept informed. I am NOT 'social' - Let ME decide what I want to be informed about & when. I didn't even get a choice of what subscription (?) I wanted (which is NONE). There's a bunch of apps that I can only Restore to Factory default. That, too me, means I CANNOT Remove or Disable them. I call that bloatware. Un-wanted bloatware. If I could remove them without Rooting, then I would not be looking to do so! I have an 'Essential Tremour' & I NEED a physical keyboard or I'd look elsewhere.
OK: I managed to get BBM to stop shouting at me (as noted: I make mistakes, but I do learn from them); it's just down to wanting to get rid of apps I don't want taking-up space. Rooting a PRIV appears to be dicey, with no firm info from Oct/2016, onwards, regarding 'safe' rooting of my device. I'm running 6.0.1 & Bell is my provider. If it makes any difference, I do not have 'Secure Start-Up' turned-on. As noted, if I didn't need a physical keyboard, I probably would not have chosen this make/model. Guess I'll live with it & keep looking for ways to put my phone on diet (& the battery barely lasts a day, unfortunately). I basically use it as a PDA - no games, few calls, occasional checking notes & calendar - it should last longer.
Bootstrap69 said:
There's enough bloatware that I'd like to remove, such as "Hang-Outs" & BBM is eating data with stupid pics of available 'stickies' & other crap I don't want to see/read about & my ONLY choice for disable is "Do you want to restore this app to Factory Default?". No, I don't I want to Restore it to Factory Default - I want to DISABLE it. I do understand that the PRIV's supposed to be secure & yes that's a Good Thing. I also understand that most users LIKE to be kept informed. I am NOT 'social' - Let ME decide what I want to be informed about & when. I didn't even get a choice of what subscription (?) I wanted (which is NONE). There's a bunch of apps that I can only Restore to Factory default. That, too me, means I CANNOT Remove or Disable them. I call that bloatware. Un-wanted bloatware. If I could remove them without Rooting, then I would not be looking to do so! I have an 'Essential Tremour' & I NEED a physical keyboard or I'd look elsewhere.
OK: I managed to get BBM to stop shouting at me (as noted: I make mistakes, but I do learn from them); it's just down to wanting to get rid of apps I don't want taking-up space. Rooting a PRIV appears to be dicey, with no firm info from Oct/2016, onwards, regarding 'safe' rooting of my device. I'm running 6.0.1 & Bell is my provider. If it makes any difference, I do not have 'Secure Start-Up' turned-on. As noted, if I didn't need a physical keyboard, I probably would not have chosen this make/model. Guess I'll live with it & keep looking for ways to put my phone on diet (& the battery barely lasts a day, unfortunately). I basically use it as a PDA - no games, few calls, occasional checking notes & calendar - it should last longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In order to disable some of the apps on this device they must be restored to factory default. I have hangouts and BBM disabled. My battery life is pretty good. You have to figure out what's killing yours. Do you use a case that has the preview window on the front?
On non rootable devices I use AdGuard to have a firewall and adblocker. It works by routing everything through a local vpn server. Great concept and working fine for me.

How many Samsung features and services can you disable on the note 20 ultra.

I really like the hardware profile of this phone. I am not a fan of all the Samsung apps and services. I know that defeats the purpose of buying a note 20 ultra, but at the same time. I don't think there will be an android phone released this year that will actually compete with this power house of a device. While I am currently in the iPhone camp, I am looking to switch back to android. I have yet to find a phone that makes that permanent and I always just go back to iPhone. I am asking this because that was the main reason I never kept the note 10+, had so many issues with their services and apps that after a few days I said **** it and just switched back.
I know there are some things that can be done via adb to remove and disable certain things on previous samsung devices. The question is how much of samsungs bloat can you actually disable and remove from this phone?
swagglepuff said:
I really like the hardware profile of this phone. I am not a fan of all the Samsung apps and services. I know that defeats the purpose of buying a note 20 ultra, but at the same time. I don't think there will be an android phone released this year that will actually compete with this power house of a device. While I am currently in the iPhone camp, I am looking to switch back to android. I have yet to find a phone that makes that permanent and I always just go back to iPhone. I am asking this because that was the main reason I never kept the note 10+, had so many issues with their services and apps that after a few days I said **** it and just switched back.
I know there are some things that can be done via adb to remove and disable certain things on previous samsung devices. The question is how much of samsungs bloat can you actually disable and remove from this phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can disable or uninstall anything you want with adb but once uninstalled you may be up a creek without a paddle. I am proficient with adb but I us Package Disabler Pro from the Play Store. If you disable something important just go back and re-enable it.
I've been using adb since the T-Mobile G1, back then you had to use adb commands just to get a screen shot. Package disabler pro has 3 tabs - bloat, system apps and apps you've installed.
If you read about how to uninstall chinese apps from chinese phones, you will xome across a post which explains how to debloat from adb. Try it if you want to debloat
PD MDM package blocker, buy direct from their website for like $3.99, not it's on Playstore. Uses little battery or resources as it runs at boot in the background.
You can block or unblock apks as you wish and set a widget to turn off/on selected ones.
Playstore is one I do this with as it's always busy in the background. You can block carrier software updates so unwanted firmware isn't jammed down your throat.
I have about 60 blocked apks.
It will block all bloatware and many system apks however not all of Knox and Samsung Pay.
You can kill wittle Bixby, amen. However the cam needs Bixby Vision and Bixby Vision framework to function properly.
Rarely does malfunction but if it does you will need to disable it as system administrator as it will run in Safe Mode too. You can save your blocked list for future reloads or refreshes too.
Without this app my unrooted Samsungs be a complete mess... it's my favorite apk. It gets loaded first.
blackhawk said:
PD MDM package blocker, buy direct from their website for like $3.99, not it's on Playstore. Uses little battery or resources as it runs at boot in the background.
You can block or unblock apks as you wish and set a widget to turn off/on selected ones.
Playstore is one I do this with as it's always busy in the background. You can block carrier software updates so unwanted firmware isn't jammed down your throat.
I have about 60 blocked apks.
It will block all bloatware and many system apks however not all of Knox and Samsung Pay.
You can kill wittle Bixby, amen. However the cam needs Bixby Vision and Bixby Vision framework to function properly.
Rarely does malfunction but if it does you will need to disable it as system administrator as it will run in Safe Mode too. You can save your blocked list for future reloads or refreshes too.
Without this app my unrooted Samsungs be a complete mess... it's my favorite apk. It gets loaded first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That picture you attached brings me hope!! I ran into a lot of issues when I tried the note 10 will all the different crap it has you set up. Had to factory reset in less than 24 hours of having the phone to fix issues with Samsung services mainly Bixby and smart control services. I honestly like the simple ass turn on iPhone use iPhone setup. I miss having the little things around like changing my icons. I miss tasker the most, that program is stupidly powerful and had some really useful profiles setup.
swagglepuff said:
That picture you attached brings me hope!! I ran into a lot of issues when I tried the note 10 will all the different crap it has you set up. Had to factory reset in less than 24 hours of having the phone to fix issues with Samsung services mainly Bixby and smart control services. I honestly like the simple ass turn on iPhone use iPhone setup. I miss having the little things around like changing my icons. I miss tasker the most, that program is stupidly powerful and had some really useful profiles setup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung has the most customizable non-rooted phones there are. Apple doesn't come close.
It comes at price though as there's a lot to learn.
You need to play with it, a lot.
The Good Lock apps especially One Hand Operation+, custom themes and hundreds of free icon packs are some of the Samsung Android perks.
The 10+ is my first phone to have the memory I need; 1 tb.... hell yeah.
The bad part is unlike Apple there can be conflicts caused by the many different software's and hardware's.
A reload is ok; the next load is always better.
I'm on my 3rd... my SD card is the data/backup drive now. So I won't need to upload near as much the next reload.
I backup all my apks for the next reload to save time and in case they go playstore extinct.
swagglepuff said:
That picture you attached brings me hope!! I ran into a lot of issues when I tried the note 10 will all the different crap it has you set up. Had to factory reset in less than 24 hours of having the phone to fix issues with Samsung services mainly Bixby and smart control services. I honestly like the simple ass turn on iPhone use iPhone setup. I miss having the little things around like changing my icons. I miss tasker the most, that program is stupidly powerful and had some really useful profiles setup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you like to tinker, you can also use substratum to theme your Samsung now. You need substratum lite and synergy to make it work. Been using it since the Note 8, the current instructions are toward the end of the thread.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/substratum/official-starting-substratum-andromeda-t3798316
blackhawk said:
my SD card is the data/backup drive now. So I won't need to upload near as much the next reload.
I backup all my apks for the next reload to save time and in case they go playstore extinct.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you use to backup abs does it Also retain the data? Looking for something similar while also saving the app/data
Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
Ziocomposite said:
What do you use to backup abs does it Also retain the data? Looking for something similar while also saving the app/data
Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apk Export: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...ort&pcampaignid=APPU_1_A_9MX9iMKsnesAWR5Z_YDA
Remember to save a backup copy to your SD card and/or computer in case the OS crashes and burns. It's rare but it can happen especially if your loading new 3rd party apps.
It allows you to backup system apps/updates too.
Occasionally you want the 2nd update to a system app but the 3rd one is buggy and the factory loaded version is inferior to the 2nd update; no problem if you saved the 2nd or whatever version!
Unfortunately if the app doesn't allow you to export the settings data your boned. Apps like Poweramp fortunately do, it take a lot of work to configure it, lol I keep a couple backups.
Also explore Demo Mode. You can stop animations completely to get even more speed as well as other system tweaks. Get Samsung's Sound Assistant to dail in the volume settings.
As for 3rd launchers be warned, those reloads I talked of were caused by a 3rd party launcher.
Put the phone in a boot loop.... twice.
I've tried a couple launchers but none ran as good as the native Samsung one. It's fast, reliable and isn't a power hog.
You're going to have a lot of fun... I'm still learning new things about my 10+ and Pie.
The 20 U is a very capable Android
This is what my stock 10+ looks like.
blackhawk said:
Apk Export: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...ort&pcampaignid=APPU_1_A_9MX9iMKsnesAWR5Z_YDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Much appreciated. Will download and give it a try.
Have been using Action Launcher since Note 8 and works so far with gestures on the N20U!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actionlauncher.playstore
Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
Ziocomposite said:
Much appreciated. Will download and give it a try.
Have been using Action Launcher since Note 8 and works so far with gestures on the N20U!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actionlauncher.playstore
Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a great app. No ads.
It allows batch processing too.
All too often a new owner and/or update kills a once great app, so...

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