Shell script to uninstall apps/bloatware from Android phones

New phones often come bundled with a ton of software that uses space, collects telemetry data, and drains the battery. Many of these apps can't be uninstalled easily.

The script "uninstall-android-bloat.sh" uses Android's developer mode to:

• Uninstall or disable pre-installed bloatware from Google, Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Motorola, Sony, Microsoft, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Facebook, etc.
• Optionally disable AI features or the Google App (if an alternative launcher like Niagara is found).

All commands and results are printed to console and the file "debloat.log", so you know what got removed and what not.

Tested on Google Pixel 6a, Google Pixel 9a, and Samsung Galaxy A06 5G.

The changes are reversible. You can reinstall a removed package using the command

adb shell pm install-existing <packagename>

This script is for people that prefer to use their phone primarily for communication and photos (Phone, Camera, Messages, Browser, Email).

1. Enable developer mode on phone

1. Go to Settings > About phone
   1. Samsung: Settings > About phone > Software information
2. Tap the Build number until you see You are now a developer!
   • Samsung: The Build number is in
   • Xiaomi: Tap the MIUI version (above ‘Android version’) instead repeatedly
3. Settings > Additional settings > Developer options
4. Turn on USB Debugging
5. If the phone is connected to your computer, you will receive a prompt asking if you want to authorize USB debugging for that computer. Tap OK to confirm

2. Install Android SDK Platform Tools on your computer

Windows:

1. Download: https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools-latest-windows.zip
2. Unzip into an easily accessible folder such as Downloads/platform-tools
3. Open command Terminal: [Win]+[R], type cmd, hit [Enter]
4. Navigate to this folder, cd %userprofile%/Downloads/platform-tools

macOS:

1. Download: https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools-latest-darwin.zip
2. Unzip into an easily accessible folder such as Downloads/platform-tools
3. Open command Terminal: [Cmd]+[Space], type Terminal, hit [Enter]
4. Navigate to this folder, cd ~/Downloads/platform-tools

Linux:

1. Download: https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools-latest-linux.zip
2. Unzip into an easily accessible folder such as Downloads/platform-tools
3. Open command Terminal: [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[T], or open Terminal app from menu
4. Navigate to this folder, cd ~/Downloads/platform-tools

3. Connect phone to computer using USB

1. Connect your device to your Mac with a compatible USB cable.
   • If it is the first time connecting after enabling USB Debugging in Developer options, you will receive a prompt asking if you want to authorize USB debugging for that computer. Tap OK to confirm
2. Change the USB connection mode to “USB Tethering” mode.
3. Run the script:

chmod +x uninstall-android-bloat.sh
./uninstall-android-bloat.sh

4. Common adb commands

• To list attached devices:
  • adb devices
• To list installed packages:
  • adb shell cmd package list packages
• To list disabled packages:
  • adb shell pm list packages -d
• To list android version:
  • adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release
• To disable a package:
  • adb shell pm disable -k --user 0 <packagename>
• To enable a package:
  • adb shell pm enable <packagename>
• To uninstall a package:
  • adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 <packagename>
• To reinstall a package:
  • adb shell pm install-existing <packagename>