How to Remove Bloatware on Android Phones

Bloatware is the term for unwanted software that comes pre-installed on new smartphones or computers, often known as "built-in applications." It's usually found on budget phones.

Why are Android phones full of bloatware? Smartphone makers include it to keep prices low while still providing good quality. This bloatware often contains ads to create an additional revenue stream for the company.

Built-in apps take up internal memory space. Since these apps sometimes can't be deleted, it can be hard for users to install other apps when the memory gets full.

So, how can you remove bloatware? There's a solution: Universal Android Debloater. With this tool, you can remove bloatware from any Android phone. To use this method, you'll need a Windows or Mac laptop/PC and the right data cable. For this tutorial, I'll use a realme C51s.

The interface might look a little different on your phone, but the steps are mostly the same. Follow these easy steps:

1. Download UAD on PC/Laptop

First, download the Universal Android Debloater file from Github on your PC or laptop. You'll find different versions of it. Choose the "Assets" option, as shown in the image above.

If you're using Windows, select "uad_gui-windows.exe."

If you're on macOS, select "uad_gui-macos.tar.gz." Since I’m using Windows, this tutorial will assume you're using Windows too.

2. Install ADB on Your PC or Laptop

Another file you'll need is ADB, which stands for Android Debugging Bridge. You can download ADB Platform Tools for Windows from Google's official page.

After downloading, extract the file by right-clicking on it and selecting "Extract all," as shown in the picture.

3. Activate Developer Mode

To use ADB, you need to change some settings on your Android phone. Go to Settings -> About Phone -> Version. Then, tap the Build Number seven times in a row to activate Developer Mode.

The Build Number might not always be under About Phone or Version, depending on your phone's interface. If it's hard to find, type "build number" in the search field in the settings menu.

4. Enable the "USB Debugging" Feature

Now that Developer Mode is on, you can enable USB Debugging. Go to Settings -> Developer Options and scroll down until you find the USB Debugging menu. Tap the slider to turn it on.

5. Open Command Prompt (CMD)

Inside the "platform-tools" folder, click on the address bar in Windows Explorer, type "cmd," and press Enter. This will open a Command Prompt window with a path like "C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\platform-tools-latest-windows\platform-tools>."

Note: "YourName" will be replaced with the name of your user account.

6. Connect Your Phone to Your PC

You'll need a USB-C to USB-A cable to connect your phone to your laptop. If your laptop has a USB-C port, a USB-C to USB-C cable will also work.

After connecting, go to Settings -> Connected devices -> USB on your phone. Under the Use USB for menu, select File Transfer.

A pop-up on your phone will ask, "Allow USB debugging?" Check "Always allow from this computer" and tap Allow.

On your PC, type "adb devices" in the Command Prompt window and press Enter. If a serial number appears, your phone is successfully connected to the PC.

7. Move the UAD File to the ADB Folder

Now, move the "uad_gui-windows.exe" file to the "platform-tools" folder.

Go to your "Downloads" folder, select "uad_gui-windows.exe," press CTRL + C to copy it, navigate to the "platform-tools-latest-windows/platform-tools" folder, and press CTRL + V to paste it there.

8. Open Universal Android Debloater

After moving the file, double-click on "uad_gui-windows.exe" to open it. The program will detect your connected phone. For example, my phone, realme C51s, shows up as realme RMX3765.

9. Uninstall Built-in Applications

The UAD software will list all the built-in apps on your phone, including those that can't be uninstalled normally. My advice: don’t rush to delete everything, even from the "Recommended" category.

Some built-in apps are tied to essential phone features, like Bluetooth. It’s a good idea to use the Package Name Viewer app from the Google Play Store to identify them.

For example, the realme C51s has an app called "App Market" similar to the Google Play Store. I couldn’t uninstall it the usual way, but using Package Name Viewer, I found its package name, "com.heytap.market." Then, I used UAD to uninstall it.

Once you find the app in UAD, just click the Uninstall button. The app will be removed immediately. You can repeat these steps for other unwanted bloatware.

If you want to remove all bloatware at once, select the Recommended category, choose Select All, and then click Uninstall selection.

To restore uninstalled apps, switch the "Enabled" menu to "Uninstalled," select the apps you want back, and click Restore.

When you're done, close the app and safely eject your phone before unplugging it from your PC. Hope this helps!