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How do I disable apps that came with my Android phone?

By the AndroidAnswers Editorial Team · Updated

About 4 minutes · Apps & Play Store

Steps written for Android 16 and 17, including Samsung One UI 8 and 9, Google Pixel, and Motorola. Menu names can vary a little by model and carrier.

Illustration of a phone showing an app grid, with a ban symbol on one side and a check mark on the other

You usually cannot uninstall apps that came with your phone, but you can disable most of them. Open Settings, tap Apps, tap See all apps, choose the app, and tap Disable. It stops running and is hidden from your app list. You can turn it back on later with Enable. You do not need special tools or rooting.

Steps to check

Show steps for:

  1. Try Uninstall first on apps you added yourself

    Apps you installed from Google Play can usually be removed completely. Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Manage apps & devices, then Manage. Open the app and tap Uninstall. Or touch and hold the app icon on your Home screen or app list and choose Uninstall if you see it. Paid apps stay in your Google account, so you can install them again later without buying them again.

  2. Open the preinstalled app in Settings

    For apps that came with the phone, open Settings, then Apps (sometimes Apps & notifications or Application manager). Tap See all apps if you need the full list. Find the app you want to turn off. On Samsung, you can also search the list for the app by name. Motorola uses the same Settings → Apps → See all apps path.

    • Samsung Settings → Apps, then search for or select the app.
    • Pixel Settings → Apps → See all apps (or All apps), then the app.

  3. Tap Disable (not Force stop alone)

    On the app's info screen, tap Disable, then confirm if asked. The app is turned off and hidden from your app list. Force stop is different: it only closes the app for now, and it can start again later. If you see Uninstall instead, that app can be removed completely. If Disable is grayed out or missing, the phone needs that app, so leave it as it is. On Motorola, you can also touch and hold the app icon, tap App info, then Disable. Motorola says preloaded apps cannot be removed but can be disabled and hidden.

    • Samsung Touch and hold the app icon, then tap Disable if it appears, and tap Disable again to confirm. Samsung notes that some apps cannot be uninstalled but can be disabled.
    • Pixel Settings → Apps → See all apps → app, then Disable at the top. Google says you cannot delete some system apps, but you can disable most of them.

  4. Re-enable an app if you need it later

    Open Settings → Apps → See all apps, tap the app (it may be marked Disabled), and tap Enable. You can also use the Play Store: tap your profile picture, then Manage apps & devices, then Manage, select the app, and tap Enable. For an app you uninstalled, find it in the Play Store and tap Install.

  5. Skip root and random "bloatware remover" apps

    Google Play Help says you cannot delete some preinstalled system apps, and it points you to your phone maker for disable steps. That is the Disable button above. You do not need rooting, computer commands, or "bloatware remover" apps. Those go beyond what Google and phone makers describe, and they can cause problems you then have to undo. If the phone feels slow, disabling what you do not use, freeing up storage, and keeping apps updated are the safer next steps.

Normal vs. not

Usually normal

Disable works for many apps from your carrier or phone maker, while some apps the phone needs cannot be turned off. A disabled app can still be found again in Settings or the Play Store.

Worth a closer look

Disable missing on almost every app, or the phone acting up after you used a third-party remover app. Restart, turn back on anything you disabled, and contact your phone maker's support if it still misbehaves.

What people are saying

Common questions

Does disabling an app free up storage?
Not much. The app that came with the phone stays on it, just switched off. Uninstalling apps you added yourself, or clearing app cache, frees more room.
Will disabling break my phone?
Disabling through Settings is the method Google, Samsung, and Motorola describe. Leave alone any app you do not recognize, especially ones that sound like system services. If something you need stops working, find the app again and tap Enable.

Sources we checked

Menu names can differ by phone brand and Android version. See our editorial policy for how we check steps.