Removing/Disabling Google/Facebook/Instagram/Bloatware from Nougat?

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday, I received a New Unlocked LG G5 H850 (Europe) phone which has Android 7.0 Nougat installed.

I want to disable/uninstall all the Google/Facebook/Instagram/Bloatware as much as I can without installing any third party ROM before installing F-Droid.

I have already disabled most of the Google apps but there is one I am not sure about.

In the Apps list is an entry for Documents and it indicates that 72.00 KB is being used. It has a Green Android icon to the left of the name.

When I open this entry, the Force stop button is Enabled and the Disable button is disabled.

My searching elsewhere indicates that this app could be related to the Downloads app in the App Drawer. The Downloads app does not have an entry in the standard Apps list.

However, if I choose to also display the System Apps, there now appears entries for a Download Manager app and the Downloads app. Both of these apps have both the Force stop button and Disable button Enabled.

Can any, or all, of these 3 apps be disabled and uninstalled?

If so, what replacement Apps do you recommended be used?

Thanks muchly, Muchas Gracias, Vielen dank, Merci beaucoup, Arigato, Obrigado, M.

Why suffer on outdated 7.0… when you can run 10.0?

LineageOS is that way → Info about h850 | LineageOS Wiki

Shameless plug for my DivestOS: Devices - DivestOS Mobile

And some others: LG G5 ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other Developme | XDA Forums

As to your question Documents/Downloads and Downloads Manager are AOSP system apps, removing them can break any apps that rely on them and the Downloads Manager cannot be replaced.

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Thanks for the feedback.

Don’t have the time nor visual energy at present to play around with ROMs and can’t risk bricking the phone as this phone is replacing one with a swollen battery.

Hi,

I read your advice regarding Keyboard Apps.

When I look at the LG Keyboard app, it indicates “No permissions granted” for the Permissions. The app is listed as LG Keyboard and the version is 7.0.53.

I searched online to do some cross-checking and I found the following 2 pages which both indicate the use of the same 13 permissions.

https://knowledge.protektoid.com/apps/com.lge.ime/244b2d670342b643acfbefe6733048ecb77d12e9ee39237e40d4f66a81516c1c

Could the reason, my installation has “No permissions granted”, be that neither a Google Account nor an LG Account has been set-up on the phone?

Thanks, M.

Network permission often isn’t shown in Settings app.
Use this app to check the full app permissions:

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Do you understand how the Legend functions for Uses permissions?

Some entries have the text in Black with a Check mark at the end.

Some entries have the text in Grey with an * at the end.

Some entries have the text in Grey with nothing added after it.

Thanks, M.

Do you understand how the Legend functions for Uses permissions?

@oF2pks is best to answer that.

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“Documents” doesn’t really say much, is it com.google.android.documentsui?

https://source.android.com/devices/architecture/modular-system/documentsui

It has no direct network access, no Internet Permission, at least not on Android 10 (btw.) and it’s a system component, so no removal with or without root; it’s integral, as the documentation shows. =)

EDIT: Sorry, just noticed what you’d actually said. I’m on MIUI, so my “Green Android icon” file is called: com.miui.documentsoverlay but I imagine there’s a Google equivalent? (Also no internet permission)

Hi,

In my case the Documents app is com.android.documentsui. The version is 7.0 (24). It can NOT be Disabled in Settings.

From lists/AOSP.sh · master · W1nst0n / Universal Android Debloater · GitLab are the following details.

#"com.android.documentsui" # Files picker
# Interface for apps wishing to access files outside of their own storage area.

“apps_Packages Info” reports the following for Uses permissions.

CACHE_CONTENT :heavy_check_mark:
GET_APP_GRANTED_URL_PERMISSIONS :heavy_check_mark:
MANAGE_DOCUMENTS :heavy_check_mark:
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED :heavy_check_mark:
REMOVE_TASKS :heavy_check_mark:
WAKE_LOCK :heavy_check_mark:

Downloads is com.android.providers.downloads.ui. The version is 7.0 (24). It can be Disabled in Settings.

#"com.android.providers.downloads.ui"
# User interface for listing downloads.

“apps_Packages Info” reports the following for Uses permissions.

ACCESS_ALL_DOWNLOADS :heavy_check_mark:
SEND_DOWNLOAD_COMPLETED_INTENTS :heavy_check_mark:

Download Manager is com.android.providers.downloads. The version is 6.30.9 (63000900). It can be Disabled in Settings.

#"com.android.providers.downloads"
# Provider for downloads manager.

“apps_Packages Info” reports the following for Uses permissions.

ACCESS_ALL_DOWNLOADS :heavy_check_mark:
ACCESS_CACHE_FILESYSTEM :heavy_check_mark:
ACCESS_DOWNLOAD_MANAGER :heavy_check_mark:
ACCESS_LGDRM :heavy_check_mark:
ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE :heavy_check_mark:
CLEAR_APP_CACHE :heavy_check_mark:
CONNECTIVITY_INTERNAL :heavy_check_mark:
INTERNET :heavy_check_mark:
MODIFY_NETWORK_ACCOUNTING :heavy_check_mark:
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE :heavy_check_mark:
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED :heavy_check_mark:
SEND_DOWNLOAD_COMPLETED_INTENTS :heavy_check_mark:
UPDATE_APP_OPS_STATS :heavy_check_mark:
UPDATE_DEVICE_STATS :heavy_check_mark:
WAKE_LOCK :heavy_check_mark:
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE :heavy_check_mark:
WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE :heavy_check_mark:

Thanks for your input, M.

Google equivalent

OEMs can choose to modify the AOSP apps (com.android.*) or choose to integrate the Google versions of them (com.google.*).
Some apps Google requires be included in order to qualify for Google Play Store integration.

Many of the AOSP apps have languished over the years, and some haven’t been updated since the KitKat or Lolipop days. Effectively forcing OEMs to hard fork the apps, use their own replacements, or agree to use the Google variants.

Hi Folks,

Are there any Privacy concerns with org.simalliance.openmobileapi.service (LGSmartcardService)?

“apps_Packages Info” reports the following for Uses permissions.

MODIFY_PHONE_STATE :heavy_check_mark:
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE :heavy_check_mark:
READ_PHONE_STATE :heavy_check_mark:
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED :heavy_check_mark:

Thanks, M.

Good afternoon

I know you don’t want to put any room. But if you want to get rid of google. I would start with that. Put in a lineageos room without gaps.

And even then there are still many cocas that make connections

Ping to Google to see if we have internet connection. This is called captive portal mode. The domains are:
www.google.com
connectivitycheck.gstatic.com
If we disable them we will not be able to log in to a public wifi.

-Time servers, or NTP for the system time. Even if we uncheck automatic time in the System they will also connect to the internet as soon as we have connection. By default:
time.android.com/time3.android.com.
time.google.com

-GPS servers. By default, Izatcloud. Even if GPS is disabled, it will automatically connect to the internet to download the Almanacs.
xtra1.gpsonextra.net
xtra2.gpsonextra.net
xtra3.gpsonextra.net
izatcloud.net
Formerly also supl.google.com.

-Connection with stats.lineageos.org for statistical purposes.

-When we open an app, Intent Filter Verification securization servers. By default:
play.googleapis.com
Amazon servers
This application can be disabled without consequence. There is virtually no information on the internet about this tool.

The next step is to disable captive portal mode. All Android phones send a ping to www.google.com to verify that the internet is working.
We will do it through adb, whose minimum drivers for Windows can be downloaded here:
https://adb.clockworkmod.com/
Or with the adb and fastboot packages on Linux distros.
The commands are as follows:
adb shell
adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection 0
adb shell settings put global captive_portal_mode 0
reboot

If we want to change it for another one because we need it to log in to public networks it would be like this:
adb shell
adb shell settings put global captive_portal_https_url https://captiveportal.kuketz.de (German web)
o
adb shell settings put global captive_portal_https_url https://e.foundation/net_204/ (web of the creators of /e/ a de-Googled ROM)
reboot

Deshabilitamos “Intent Filter Verification”.

And then with adaway and ublock block the other things.

But having a normal android system to start with. It’s impossible to get rid of weird connections or google app doing whatever it wants. Or play services or any other application that brings the mobile by default in the system.

A hug

Pd: all the information I put was taken from https://m.forocoches.com/foro/showthread.php?t=6649428

It helped me a lot to have everything free of google and without things like that. I thank the creator of this thread.

It’s not spam or anything weird it’s the truth :slight_smile:

And I take this opportunity to thank ALL FDROID. AND TO ALL THE DEVELOPERS WHO MAKE THE WONDERFUL OPEN SOURCE APPLICATIONS :slight_smile: .FROM MY HEART I GIVE YOU MY SINCERE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING AND FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT AND TIME AND DEDICATION THAT YOU PUT IN FDROID AND IN YOUR APPLICATIONS.

AND THANKS TO @Morgoth @Licaon_Kter AND ALL THE FDROID USERS FOR YOUR HELP :wink: :slight_smile:

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@gallegonovato

  • Connectivity check can be safely disabled/changed
  • Those NTP servers are pools, not actually run or hosted by Google.
  • Xtra for GPS almanacs are absolutely essential for a quick GPS lock, no information is sent to Qualcomm.
  • SUPL is not the same as Xtra, but default AOSP sends the IMSI to the SUPL (DivestOS doesn’t)
  • The Intent Filter Verification Service does not connect to Google, it only connects to any defined URL handlers when an app is installed
    to verify they exist.
1 Like

Good evening @SkewedZeppelin

Thanks for the information;)

I at the time made those changes in lineageos 17.1 and it goes perfect. No gaps and nothing.

I also added adaway and afwal+.

And I do not notice anything strange and others in the mobile.

But of course the versions change and maybe they are no longer needed or DivestOS does not need.

It’s the same as when my phone crashes. I hope it will take some time :slight_smile: . I will get a pixel with graphene which is said to be a better system for privacy.

A hug and thanks a lot for the information. I always learn more and more.

Are you indicating that the CaptivePortalLogin app can be uninstalled?

Thanks, M.

Hola Amigo,

¿En cuál parte de Galicia vives? Puede decirme en un mensaje privado si es necesario. Lo conozco un poco.

“room” debes ser ROM. “room” should be ROM.

I got a 404 Error for the followng:

http://connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/
http://time.android.com/time3.android.com

Gracias, M.

Well Folks,

2 nights ago for the 2nd time only, I connected to the Internet with Wi-Fi and I noticed some apps were being updated. Somewhere along the way Automatic Updates was reset from Off to Via Wi-Fi only. It stopped on the third.

apps_Packages info is reporting the following 3 apps, in descending Date and Time order, as being updated but they still appear listed in the screen for App Updates which is accessed from the Update Center listed on the screen for About Phone.

LG Account
RemoteCall Service
LG Mobile Switch
 

My intention was to to look at LG SmartWorld to see what Dark Themes they have to offer before disabling this app. I would like a System Wide theme with Black Text on a Grey or Dark Grey background.

Are themes an inherent feature of Launchers that are automatically applied to all apps?
 

Not too long afterwards the phone Rebooted and this would happen again after 2 or so minutes each time after I entered my PIN and started checking settings etc.

I turned off Wi-Fi and the rebooting stopped.

I noticed afterwards that less RAM is being used by the System.

Same thing started happening again the following morning when I turned Wi-Fi on again.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Have I possibly disabled something that is required for Wi-Fi to function correctly or for apps to be able to properly communicate with the Wi-Fi processes?

I had previously used the Force stop button for apps such as Gallery, Weather, My Places, Email, Exchange, QuickMemo+ etc.
 

There does not appear to be a Software Update to Oreo 8.0 available but the following apps are listed as having updates available. Do they need to be updated first in order for the system to “properly” check for a Software Update?

Email
Home & app drawer
LG Account
LG Keyboard
LG Mobile Switch
QuickMemo+
RemoteCall Service
Weather
 

What I would like to achieve is to have everything disabled as much as possible before removing the SIM Chip from my old phone and installing it into this one.

The following Apps, I want disabled, but keep appearing in the lists of Running Services and Cached Processes even after I have used the Force stop button and after every Reboot.

Email
FmService (Can this be replaced by a Third Part app?)
Gallery
My Places
QuickMemo+
RemoteCall Service
Weather
Weather Service

I want the following disabled also.

Exchange
LG Account
LG Backup
LG Health
LG Keyboard (after installing AnySoftKeyboard)

Is the only way to ensure this, without loading another ROM, to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and uninstall the Apps? I am using MX Linux.

I have seen various Debloat lists on the XDA Developers forum and there is some useful information provided via the following page.

For example, in the Google.sh list the following is noted.

> ##################### YOU SHOULDN'T MESS WITH THEM (core packages and may cause bootloop)  #####################
> 
> #"com.google.android.captiveportallogin"
> # Support for captive portal : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal
> # A captive portal login is a web page where the users have to input their login information or accept the displayed terms of use. 
> # Some networks (typically public wifi network) use the captive portal login to block access until the user inputs 
> # some necessary information
> # NOTE : This package is a now a mandatory mainline module (https://www.xda-developers.com/android-project-mainline-modules-explanation/)

In the AOSP.sh list the following is noted.

#"com.android.captiveportallogin"
# Support for captive portal : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal
# A captive portal login is a web page where the users have to input their login information or accept the displayed terms of use. 
# Some networks (typically public wifi network) use the captive portal login to block access until the user inputs 
# some necessary information

My phone is using com.android.captiveportallogin - Version 7.0 (24). The Disable button is disabled for this app.
 

Which apps should not be uninstalled with the approach I am taking to mitigate privacy concerns?

For example, is it safe to uninstall the standard Contacts (com.android.contacts) and Contacts Storage (com.android.providers.contacts) apps or are they required by some of the Third Party apps, for Contacts, in order to function properly?

Can the Messaging (com.android.mms) and Phone (Call services - com.android.phone) apps be uninstalled and replaced by Third Party apps such as QKSMS and Simple Dialer?
 

My current Home Screen (Home & app drawer - com.lge.launcher2) had a Time and Date and Weather widget but, even though I have removed it, the Weather apps still appear in the lists for Running Services and Cached Processes after every Reboot.

Checking the Uses permissions list of apps_Packages info reveals that the Home & app drawer has references to Email, FormManager and Weather.

Could the Email, FormManager and Weather apps be prevented being used by using a different Launcher? Which Launcher?
Discreet Launcher | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

Which Weather apps are recommended as a replacement?
 

I also want to prevent all the Offers (Advertisements) I keep receiving from my current Service Provider via SMS.

Can this be done using the SIM Toolkit?

Is the SIM Toolkit an app that should not be uninstalled?
 

Should I do a Factory Reset and start again? If so, will I need to disable, again, all the Gulag (Google) apps that I previously disabled with the Disable button?

Which of the methods on the following page is the best to use?

According to the following page, “If a pattern, PIN, etc. is or has ever been set up on the device, Google account sign-in is required during initial setup.”

I am using a PIN but a Google Account has never been configured for the phone.

 
If I do a Factory Reset should I attempt to have the App Updates done before starting to disable any other apps?
 

What other information could I provide that would help to pinpoint the cause of this problem?

Thanks, M.

Good afternoon

About removing things by adb I think what you get is to make the system unstable. Since some things may depend on others and cause errors.

I if what you want, is to get rid of Google and the extra things that brings your phone. I would throw for a room without anything from Google. But of course it seems to me that there are things like banking applications that need other things. But I can not tell you since I do not use them.

But for example my wife has a Samsung s9+ and Samsung puts a lot of extra stuff and so on. And in the end she told me to remove all that and I put lineageos without anything from Google and happy this. And I use a 6p that you see was pure Google (but I got tired of Google and I have it in 17.1 and now there is the new version 18.1 that if not official but created by the developer at the beginning) and I have the same. And then removed certain things and blocked that create extra connections. And put afwall+, adaway and using open source applications and no problems. It’s the same as in the browser we use fennec from fdroid with a user and plugins for more privacy. And I followed the steps in the link I put in my previous answer.

Because then there is the undoubtedly, the digital footprint when browsing the Internet that identifies us from the rest. You can check it out at https://amiunique.org/fp

I was looking and if I’m not mistaken you would have lineageos. Since this would be your terminal if I’m not mistaken LineageOS Downloads because then there are for the international LG G5 (International) (h850) - LineageOS ROMs

I would be the advice I would give you, either being this or any other. I tell you more my next system will be GrapheneOS which is more about privacy. The bad thing is that it uses pixel terminals :frowning: but it is a wonderful modification for privacy. ( you can check more info for example
Probamos GrapheneOS, el sistema operativo centrado en la seguridad y sin servicios de Google )

I am not a developer or a genius in this mobile. So wait to see what my colleagues in the great fdroid forum can advise you.

Best regards

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Buenas tardes,

Thanks for the links. I shall review them closely.

One of my concerns about installing another ROM is the compatibility with the functions of the camera.

Gracias, M.

Just found the following which would be a bother (problem) also.