Unnecessary Mobile Apps You Should Remove from Your Android Phone (2024)

As soon as we buy a new smartphone, we start downloading all sorts of free apps. In no time, these apps occupy most of the space in your phone. Maybe some of the installed apps are useful and you use them often. But there are many apps that we think are useful and use them regularly to check our phone’s health, prevent it from malwares or to clean up the phone. For whatever reasons you might be using such apps, they are actually not required because most Android phones are anyway well protected.

Let us check the apps that hardly serve any purpose other than consuming battery and occupying storage space.

Cleaning Apps

You do not need to clean your phone often unless your device is hard pressed for storage space. If you do need to clean the device often, you can do so by going to Settings > Storage > Cached data and clean the cache for all the applications. You can also clean the cache for individual applications by going to Settings > Applications > Downloaded and delete the cache of specific app. It is simple, right. Why do you need to install a separate app to clean the phone?

You definitely need to ensure that phone is not consuming too much power and space and delete cache as and when required. Not all deleted apps leave behind cache or residual files. The apps that leave behind cached data can be cleaned anytime from the Settings option as mentioned above.

Unnecessary Mobile Apps You Should Remove from Your Android Phone (1)

Antivirus

Antivirus apps seem to be everybody’s favorite. As soon as we get a new phone, most of us first install an antivirus app. If you are in habit of downloading and installing third-party APK files, you do need an antivirus app. Some APK files may contain malicious software (malware) which could compromise your phone’s security, and hence the need for antivirus. However, most antivirus apps are not capable of removing the malicious files. It can only warn you. Antivirus keeps sending regular warnings, runs in the background and consumes battery and space.

Remember that Google keeps a check on the apps and Play Store detects the presence of malware in the app. So, if you download apps only from Play Store, you should not worry about malware. Also, you should not visit unscrupulous websites as such websites trick you in installing APK files that you do not intend to install.

If you carefully use your phone, you would not really need an Antivirus app.

Battery Saving Apps

Battery saving apps do everything except save battery! We all know that to save battery power, you have to stop using energy draining apps or control Android. To control the OS, you need to have a rooted device. Without root access, battery apps can do nothing to save power.

Instead of installing a battery saver app, you can manually control the battery. Go to Settings > Battery and identify the power draining apps. If you are not using the app regularly, Force Stop it and enable when required.

ALSO SEE: How to uninstall unnecessary apps from your iPhone or iPad

RAM Savers

The RAM saving apps too run in the background, consume the RAM and power even when the device is not in use. You can stop the background apps to boost the memory. Even if you close these RAM saver apps, they tend to restart soon. Android OS manages the RAM usage efficiently. Therefore, you do not need a third party RAM saving app.

Bloatware

Manufacturers and carriers load Android phones with their own apps. If you do not use these apps, they clutter your system and drain battery in the background. You hardly have any choice when it comes to removing bloatware from your system. Uninstalling the pre-installed apps may result in performance issues or instability, and in some cases may block your phone from receiving updates. Therefore, it is recommended that you Disable or Force Stop these apps. Alternatively, you can Disable the app followed by Force Stop and then click the Clear Data button. Disabling an app removes it from the app drawer and prevents it from starting automatically in the background. You can enable the app as and when you need to use it or if you experience an issue in the functioning of your phone.

So far, I have not experienced any instability on my Android after disabling or Force Stopping an app.

Default Browsers

Depending on the manufacturers and carriers, certain Android device may include own custom-made web browsers. It is therefore, advisable to uninstall the default web browsers and install the most reliable ones available from Play Store for a smooth user experience. Often people install browsers like Chrome from Play Store but they do not uninstall the browser that came with phone.

Should you have any question on this topic, please feel free to ask in the comments section. We, at TechWelkin and our reader community will try to assist you. Thank you for using TechWelkin!

Unnecessary Mobile Apps You Should Remove from Your Android Phone (2024)

FAQs

Unnecessary Mobile Apps You Should Remove from Your Android Phone? ›

The best Android phones

If you keep that unused app on your phone, it'll just sit there, waiting to be exploited. Or, maybe for you it's a simple matter of wanting more space on your phone and to reduce clutter. Either way, you really should remove those unused apps on your device.

What apps can I safely remove from my Samsung phone? ›

What apps can I safely delete or disable from my Samsung Galaxy Phone?
Smart SwitchSamsung Pass
Game LauncherSamsung Kids
Samsung HealthSamsung Global Goals
Galaxy StoreFind My Mobile
Samsung InternetSamsung Health Monitor
6 more rows
Feb 14, 2023

Should I delete unused apps on Android? ›

The best Android phones

If you keep that unused app on your phone, it'll just sit there, waiting to be exploited. Or, maybe for you it's a simple matter of wanting more space on your phone and to reduce clutter. Either way, you really should remove those unused apps on your device.

What app permissions should I turn off? ›

6 app permissions you should avoid giving
  • Camera. It allows the app to use your camera for taking photos or recording videos. ...
  • Location. ...
  • Microphone. ...
  • Storage. ...
  • Call and messaging. ...
  • Contact list.
Dec 2, 2021

How do I find suspicious apps on Android? ›

  1. Step 1: Make sure Google Play Protect is turned on. Open the Google Play Store app . ...
  2. Step 2: Check for Android device & security updates. Get the latest Android updates available for you. ...
  3. Step 3: Remove untrusted apps. ...
  4. Step 4: Do a Security Checkup.

What are the fake Android apps? ›

What Are Fake Android Apps? Fake Android apps are programs designed to look legitimate but are actually malware. They are generally available on unofficial app stores or websites but can also be found on the official Google Play Store.

What should I delete when my phone storage is full? ›

  1. Close apps that don't respond. You don't usually need to close apps. ...
  2. Uninstall apps you don't use. If you uninstall an app and need it later, you can download it again. ...
  3. Clear the app's cache & data. You can usually clear an app's cache and data with your phone's Settings app.

What are disguised apps? ›

A decoy app is a sneaky on-device tool that lets anybody hide secret photos, videos and messages, under the cover of an innocent-looking icon.

What is bloatware on Android? ›

Bloatware is unwanted and potentially harmful software preloaded onto new devices. Also known as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), bloatware is often preinstalled by vendors, manufacturers, or carriers as a form of marketing to put services directly in front of consumers.

Will deleting apps speed up Android? ›

Unused apps take up storage space on your mobile phone and may clog the memory (RAM) if they run in the background. If you downloaded apps you no longer use, uninstalling them may improve system smoothness and battery life.

Does deleting apps free up storage? ›

Get rid of apps and app data

If you don't use a particular app regularly, then uninstall it. You can always download and install it the next time you need it. Apps will also take up more space as you use them.

What happens when you clean unused apps? ›

If you haven't used apps for a long time, Android optimizes it by: Freeing up space by deleting temporary files. Revoking app permissions.

What apps should not be on my phone? ›

Dangerous Android Apps You Should Stay Away From
  • UC Browser.
  • CLEANit.
  • Dolphin Browser.
  • Virus Cleaner - Antivirus Free & Phone Cleaner.
  • SuperVPN Free VPN Client.
  • RT News.
  • Super Clean - Master of Cleaner.
  • Fildo Music.
Dec 27, 2021

What makes my internal storage full? ›

Sometimes the "Android storage space running out but it's not" issue is caused by the overwhelming amount of data stored on your phone's internal memory. If you have many apps on your Android device and use them simultaneously, cache memory on your phone can be blocked, which leads to Android insufficient storage.

Can apps access your camera without you knowing? ›

Check Your Device Permissions

All sorts of apps can request permission to access the camera, microphone, and other features, such as location information, on your phone or computer. Using the steps below, it's easy to see which apps have requested permission and revoke permissions that you've granted in the past.

What do spyware apps look like on Android? ›

You'll see a small teardrop symbol in your phone's notification bar when an app is using your device location. If you see this appear when you're not using apps allowed to access location data, this could indicate spyware is running and tracking your location.

How can I tell if my phone has a spy app on it? ›

View your installed apps: Go into Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Search for any suspicious or unexpected apps: Look out for any unexpected parental control apps, such as mSpy, Find my Friends and Family, and Spy Phone Phone Tracker. You can also tap on an app to see how much space it occupies.

What is harmful apps for Android? ›

Potentially Harmful Applications (PHAs) are apps that could put users, user data, or devices at risk.
...
Potentially Harmful Applications (PHAs)
  • On this page.
  • Potentially harmful?
  • User-wanted PHAs.
  • Classifications.

What is Android Ghost? ›

Ghost touch occurs when your phone screen responds to inputs or presses that you didn't initiate, or when there is a part of your screen that is entirely unresponsive to your touch. In this state, your phone opens apps by itself and randomly taps on buttons without you even touching the screen.

What do fake apps look like? ›

Fake apps may display an icon that looks similar to the icon of a real app it is copying. This is often the case with game imitators that mimic popular games. Look closely and don't be deceived by distorted, lower-quality versions of the real icons.

Does deleting text messages free up space? ›

You'll be surprised to see how much storage space your text messages take on your smartphone. You may not even realize those messages are being saved to your phone. Don't worry, you can delete them. Be sure to delete messages with photos and videos first — they chew up the most space.

What uses most storage on Android phone? ›

If that sounds like you, here are some things to consider if you're looking to free up some phone storage.
  1. Old or Unwanted Songs, Podcasts, and Videos. 2 Images. ...
  2. Old or Unwanted Emails and Drafts. ...
  3. Automatically Downloaded Content. ...
  4. Apps That Can't be Deleted, But Aren't Needed. ...
  5. An Uncleared Cache. ...
  6. Miscellaneous Files.
Oct 23, 2021

Do emails take up space on your phone? ›

Also make sure you check other folders where emails are stored. Tap the Menu (three lines) icon at the top left. Check the Sent folder or any other folder you think may contain emails you can delete. Regular emails do not take up a lot of space.

What are the malicious apps? ›

What Is a Malicious App? As you may have guessed, a malicious app is a software application designed to do harm to the devices on which it is installed. These apps are sometimes promoted on untrustworthy sites, but can even make their way onto the most popular platforms, such as the Apple App Store and Google Play.

What is the hidden menu app? ›

It's called the System UI Tuner and it can be used for customizing an Android gadget's status bar, clock and app notification settings. Introduced in Android Marshmallow, this experimental menu is hidden but it's not difficult to find. Once you get to it, you'll wish you knew about it sooner.

What are the unusual apps? ›

Weird apps that'll amuse almost anyone
  • Cat Paint. Cost: $0.99. Available on iOS only. ...
  • Wakie. Cost: Free. Available on Android, iOS and Windows. ...
  • Carr Matey. Cost: Free. Available on Android and iOS. ...
  • Spirit Story Box. Cost: $0.99. ...
  • Fake-An-Excuse. Cost: Free. ...
  • Crack My Screen. Cost: Free. ...
  • Speech Jammer. Cost: Free. ...
  • RunPee. Cost: Free.

How do I know what bloatware to remove? ›

Bloatware can be detected by end users by looking through the installed applications and identifying any applications they did not install. It can also be detected by an enterprise IT team using a mobile device management tool that lists installed applications.

What bloatware can I remove? ›

Here are several Windows 10 apps and programs that are basically bloatware and you should consider removing:
  • QuickTime.
  • CCleaner.
  • uTorrent.
  • Adobe Flash Player.
  • Shockwave Player.
  • Microsoft Silverlight.
  • Toolbars and Junk Extensions in your Browser.
Jul 20, 2021

What is common bloatware? ›

This type of bloatware typically shows up as pre-installed software on new devices. Manufacturers and third-party developers create these software programs that offer added functionality to the end-user. Examples include weather tracking apps, music apps, and productivity apps. Trialware.

What is *# 9900? ›

*#9900# Opens up system dump mode.

What slows down an Android? ›

A few easy-to-fix reasons why your android device or iPhone might be slow include: A need to clear your random-access memory (RAM) A low-performing battery.

Which app is taking up storage? ›

Find out which apps are taking up space on your Android

Tap your profile icon. Tap Manage apps & device > Manage > Recently updated. (This last option will be in the upper-right corner.) Now, a menu called Sort by will pop up.

What is other taking up space on my Android phone? ›

However, you may be unsure what is in the “Other” storage category. The “Other” storage category contains data from apps you have installed on your smartphone or tablet. It includes items such as system files, cached data, and temporary files that do not fall into any other storage categories.

Should I delete apps I don't use? ›

The software tools are great for apps you may still need once in a while, but it's better to fully remove an app that you don't use.

What apps don't I need on my Android phone? ›

8 Types of Android Apps You Should Delete From Your Phone
  • Pre-Installed Bloatware Apps. ...
  • Old Utility Apps That Are Now Built-In. ...
  • Outdated Productivity Apps. ...
  • Performance Booster Apps. ...
  • Duplicate Apps That Perform the Same Functions. ...
  • Overly Engaging Social Media Apps. ...
  • Old Games You No Longer Play. ...
  • Apps You No Longer Use.
Apr 8, 2023

Who to delete Google? ›

Note: If you have more than one Google Account, deleting one won't delete the others.
  1. Go to the Data & Privacy section of your Google Account.
  2. Scroll to "Your data & privacy options."
  3. Select More options. Delete your Google Account.
  4. Follow the instructions to delete your account.

What is the most important apps to have on your phone? ›

The most useful Android apps
  • Adobe apps.
  • AirDroid.
  • CamScanner.
  • Google Assistant / Google Search.
  • IFTTT.
  • Google Drive suite.
  • Google Translate.
  • LastPass Password Manager.
Jan 20, 2023

What should every mobile app have? ›

Must have mobile app features include:
  • Simplicity.
  • Speed.
  • Good image resolution.
  • Flexibility.
  • Security.
  • Search options.
  • Bright and bold colour schemes.
  • Push notifications.
Jan 29, 2018

What is taking up all my storage? ›

Find out what files are taking up space on Windows 10

Open Settings on Windows 10. Click on System. Click on Storage. Under the “(C:)” section, you will see what's taking up space on the main hard drive. Click the “Show more categories” option to view the storage usage from other file types.

Where do photos go when you free up space? ›

Whenever you enable the Free up space option of Google Photos, the files on the device that have been successfully backed up to Google Photos will be deleted, in other words, the originals on the device will be deleted. The data that has been successfully backed up to Google Photos is still stored on the cloud.

Why does my storage keep going up when I delete things? ›

Cached files are created when you stream or view content like music, videos, and photos. When you stream music or video, that content is stored as cached files on your device so you can quickly access it again. Your device automatically removes cached files and temporary files when your device needs more space.

Can someone watch me through my Android camera? ›

YES, your phone camera can be easily hacked. Hackers can use your smartphone's camera to hack your device and spy on you and get access to your phone without your knowledge!

How do you know if someone is watching you through your phone camera? ›

Unfortunately, there is no direct way to check if the camera or the microphone of your Android device is being accessed. However, there is a workaround for it. Android users can download an app called Access Dots from the Google Play Store which will notify users the same way iPhone does.

What is hidden camera app? ›

Hidden Camera Finder is a security app that helps you detect and locate hidden cameras in your home, office, or any other location. With this app, you can scan for hidden cameras using your smartphone's camera and identify their location with the help of augmented reality (AR) markers.

Is there a way to delete preinstalled apps on Android? ›

At the top right, tap the Profile icon. Manage. Tap the name of the app you want to delete. Tap Uninstall.

How do I delete all traces of an app on Android? ›

To completely remove an app from your Android phone, you have to clear your storage on the app itself. There are two ways of doing this. One is by clearing the app's cache, and the second is by clearing the app's storage.

Which apps Cannot be uninstalled? ›

The three main reasons you can't uninstall a particular app are:
  • It's a system app. These are necessary for your phone to function. ...
  • It's a preinstalled app. Preinstalled apps are installed on your device before you buy it. ...
  • It's protected by administrator privileges.
Dec 29, 2021

Does disabling apps free up space? ›

Does disabling apps save space? Yes, disabling apps can save space. To disable an app, go to Settings > Apps and select the app you want to disable. Tap the Disable button.

What is bloatware in Android? ›

Bloatware is unwanted and potentially harmful software preloaded onto new devices. Also known as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), bloatware is often preinstalled by vendors, manufacturers, or carriers as a form of marketing to put services directly in front of consumers.

What causes full storage on Android? ›

When your phone storage is full, it basically means your device is clogged with large files — videos, photos, apps and the like. The culprit could also be memory-hogging junk files… yes, on your smartphone.

Can uninstalled apps still track you? ›

Why deleting apps can be tricky. Turns out, your data doesn't magically disappear when you delete an app. Apps are often part of an intricate web of interconnected tools, products, and sites that track and share your information, likely without you even realizing it.

How do I delete leftover uninstalled apps? ›

How to Remove Remnants of Uninstalled Software
  1. Step 1: Use Control Panel to Uninstall a Program. Type control panel in the search box of Windows 10 and then click this app from the search result.
  2. Step 2: Delete the Remaining Files and Folders. ...
  3. Step 3: Remove App Keys from Windows Registry. ...
  4. Step 4: Empty Temp Folder.
Feb 2, 2023

Do uninstalled apps take up space? ›

beyond that you will probably need to do a factory restore to retrieve all your memory. Resources: Uninstall app doesn't change space used.

What is cinnamon app on Android? ›

Cinnamon is a multi-level engagement video platform allowing users to view and create videos, and to enjoy the freedom of native cross-app sharing and ad-free monetization.

What happens if I disable Google Play Store? ›

When you disable the Google Play Store, its icon will disappear from your Android phone's home screen and app drawer. At the same time, you won't be able to update or install apps using Play Store. However, nothing will happen to existing apps. They will not be removed from your phone.

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