This forum is full of bloatware removal lists. They all have one thing in common: they list a lot of cryptically named APKs that are "safe to remove," but they don't tell you what these APKs do.
For some bloatware APKs the function is clear from their name. For example, com.amazon.apk is obviously spam that Amazon paid to get into your phone.
For some APKs you can google to find out that an app called "globalunplug" pops up a message to unplug your charger after your phone is finished eating. You wouldn't guess this from the name of the APK.
But there is plenty of bloatware for which Google doesn't help. Search for it and you get a million pages of "safe to remove" lists, but none of them describes what the "safe to remove" APKs are doing.
For example:
Admin notifier
AdminFeedNotifier.apk
Probably something to do with device administrators, but setting up device admins works without this app.
AdService
AdService.apk
Something to do with advertizing? AdMob-related? Or does it have nothing to do with ads at all?
AtCommandService
AtCmd.apk
Google for it and you find lots of people who have problems with this app. But what is it for? There are some related files, like atcmd.plugin, atcmd.plugin.att, and more.
blur.res
blur-res.apk
Some Motoblur app. Freeze it and your email, calendar, and stock launcher might stop working. But some say it's safe to remove.
com.android.providers.applications
ApplicationsProvider.apk
Fetches the list of installed apps to provide search suggestions. Would you really have guessed this from the name alone?
SyncMLTmo.apk
Probably syncs something, but what?
ContactsUnconnected.apk
A very annoying piece of Motorola crapware. It combines multiple contacts into a single contact based on similarities in name, email, etc. When your contacts sync back from Google you may find that your separate contacts have been combined against your will, unless you freeze this apk.
DMService
DMService.apk
Device Manager. Sometimes sucks your battery dry. Some people freeze it without problems, some freeze it and have their notifications messed up. And it seems that nobody knows why.
HSTcmd
Seems safe to remove, but what does it do?
MtlrNotifier.apk
Something with media?
OMA client provisioning
OMAProvisioning.apk
Over-the-air device configuration. Is that clear? No? I thought so.
QuickSms.apk
This won't make you write SMSs faster. It just lets you auto-respond by SMS if you don't pick up your phone.
Rich Clipboard
RichTextCommon.apk
To keep the formatting when you copy text to the clipboard?
SIM toolkit
com.android.stk
Stk.apk
On my phone this app is just some spamware for useless premium SMS services from which T-Mobile takes a cut. But it may do other things on your phone, so check before you remove it.
Updater & Upgrader
What do they update and upgrade? Apps? Your ROM?
There are many more APKs with strange names that tell nothing about their function. Manufacturers and carriers often include a set of their own.
Can you help clarify what all these strange little APKs really do and what will break if you kill them?
update to this...
I pushed the app "Android Lost", and "Android Lost Jumpstarter".
I was able to
1) have the phone call me with this app,
2) get the phone number,
3) request a password reset on the t-mobile account
4) pull the texted password from the phone,
5) login to the tmo account
6) acquire owners name, address, lines
7) pulled GPS location, went to her work location.
8) Gave her a chance to return my phone. After refusing, had a police office retrieve my phone.
Wonderful app. Will be donating.
Plan B fell short. Way short.
I lost a phone recently, and someone found it. Unfortunately, the one who found it was not honest, and it has not been returned.
I found the app "Plan B", which is wonderful, except i never got the emails giving me any location info. The person who now has the phone has swapped sim's, so i cant text "Locate" to it. Also, since google play wont allow you to uninstall, Im pretty much stuck now. What i really need is a app like Plan B, but one that listens to email, or reports back to a server, and can be deployed via google play without any intervention on the phone. I just need a current in use phone number emailed to me... or a location...
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you had Google maps installed, and you joined Latitude on the device. You can check it's location through Google Maps on your PC at home.
TEAM MiK
MikROMs Since 3/13/11
doink.
hey there,
on 4.0.1 (cm9) i used to use the google search app to search for contacts on my phone. and there, since i turned off every search on the device, exept for contacts, my most frequent contacts showed without me having to enter anything.
now in 4.2 (cm10.1) that doesnt seem to work anymore. i turned off google now (needs web search history and stuff, which i dont like). but no search suggestions (contacts) show before i start typing. and even if i start typing a friends name, first three websearch suggestions are listed, which pushes the following contact suggestions behind the keyboard. this really sabotages my used "workflow".
do you know any possibilities how to get rid of websearch suggestions and have contact suggestions before starting to type? or how to get the old google search app back?
thx for any hint!
and i know, there are other ways to find contacts. but i learned to love this way, because it was quick through my phones permanent search btn. and, if i wanted, i could still seach the web by completing the searchterm and hitting enter...
thx again and hf
kws...
...tapatalking
Hi,
a friend of mine bought a few days ago a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" to manage his clients (he's a doctor).
He started to build his contact library (he doesn't have an android phone and no gmail contacts) adding name, surname, eventually mail and phone number and in the "Note" field he wrote all the note he'd taken. BUT this field has a characters' limit, and he can't add even a letter anymore (for the most visited client of course).
I tried to search for an app for this purpose but I can't find anything. I don't even search ONLY an app, it can be enough another method using the in-build feature of the tablet and android.
I searched for some CRM app, but most of them are ugly (since it's not a power user the more simple and clean is the better) and not optimized for a tablet. I found Insightly, but it's only online, and if he does'nt have a wifi network around he can't, not only record the new data, but also access to the old ones! They MUST be always available.
I thought about a simple folder + text file in G Drive, but these are only online too. Dropbox, too.
If it can interact with the G Mail contacts (the Note field is very useful at this) it would be wonderful, otherwise he'll build up his library with his contacts.
How can I do to have these data always on the tablet (cloud sync is not absolutely necessary)??? Any idea for an app or an alternative method?
Thanks!
nobody??
He bought a tablet to use for work, without any idea on how he would use it for work or if it would even do what he wanted? If he throws money around like that, why not recommend him to get an app written for his company and it's needs. There are many app developers who design and write custom apps for clients.
Hey guys,
When enabling the hidden sync option in experimental settings, it reveals quite a few new sync items and in wondering what they are and what some of them turn themselves back on when I disable them.
Game Data - this shows up twice.
Credentials State
Google Nearby (I'm assuming this is for maps)
Location Reporting and Location History (I have location completely disabled and location reporting disabled in Google settings... This keeps turning itself back on)
Push Subscriptions
People Details
Any light you can shed on this would be appreciated.
you're not alone wondering
The day I have been looking for an answer myself on this topic you started this thread.
The fine folks over here seem to have been ignoring your post, but so you know you are not alone wondering.
I have been disabling the hidden services for days now and tried to find a pattern or activity that turns them back on to no avail.
Even search engine results seem to be filtered of any useful answer, but this may be just another conspiracy theory...
If you found out more on this, post it here please.
And thanks.
lleo_ said:
The day I have been looking for an answer myself on this topic you started this thread.
The fine folks over here seem to have been ignoring your post, but so you know you are not alone wondering.
I have been disabling the hidden services for days now and tried to find a pattern or activity that turns them back on to no avail.
Even search engine results seem to be filtered of any useful answer, but this may be just another conspiracy theory...
If you found out more on this, post it here please.
And thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of them are self explanatory.
Game data: for games (whether you have them or not) so that your scores are uptodate.
Credentials state: for certificates in your device.
Google nearby: for maps and NFC
Location reporting and history: to keep your location details uptodate
Push subscriptions: to keep your push subscriptions uptodate (like mail Whatsapp etc)
People details: to keep your contacts list uptodate
I don't know why these are not obvious.
Regarding some of them automatically getting re-enabled, I don't have any such issues. If you continue to have these issues, you may have to use something like Myandroidtools or Disable Service etc to keep them under control.
tnsmani said:
All of them are self explanatory.
Game data: for games (whether you have them or not) so that your scores are uptodate.
Credentials state: for certificates in your device.
Google nearby: for maps and NFC
Location reporting and history: to keep your location details uptodate
Push subscriptions: to keep your push subscriptions uptodate (like mail Whatsapp etc)
People details: to keep your contacts list uptodate
I don't know why these are not obvious.
Regarding some of them automatically getting re-enabled, I don't have any such issues. If you continue to have these issues, you may have to use something like Myandroidtools or Disable Service etc to keep them under control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really thanks for your reply.
The visible items are self-explanatory indeed. As the OP reported, what is troubling why is there a hidden "location reporting and location history" sync option and why does it get re-enabled after being turned off. I also do not use any location service and turned off everything I could on my CM11 on Nexus 5
Can you tell which service do you suggest to be disabled to keep the "location reporting and location history" sync disabled?
lleo_ said:
Really thanks for your reply.
The visible items are self-explanatory indeed. As the OP reported, what is troubling why is there a hidden "location reporting and location history" sync option and why does it get re-enabled after being turned off. I also do not use any location service and turned off everything I could on my CM11 on Nexus 5
Can you tell which service do you suggest to be disabled to keep the "location reporting and location history" sync disabled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not familiar with CM11 so I can't tell you any options in that. Also in my Nexus 4 and 7 with stock KK 4.4.4, I don't have a hidden sync for location.
If you use Myandroidtools or Disable Service, then disable anything connected with location. There are quite a few.
If you run Tasker you can make sure your sync settings stay put; location reporting isn't re-enabled, by using the Synker plugin for Tasker and having it set things how you want them at Display On, Display Off, and Screen Unlocked events.
Additionally, Shazam has a hidden sync that re-enabled itself when you run the app. I just use a Task shortcut: Launch Shazam
Wait Short period
Plugins-> Synker, and set it with the autisyncs you want.
Beware that Google services pushed to the phone can change the number of sync options, as can installing Shazam or Skype for examples, and the calls to plugin need to be adjusted. Its less hassle than it sounds.
Hi im facing an issue with google sync, im not able to get the game data sync option in google sync. i have updated google play services,play store..and also play games. kindly help me if know any solution.
I am currently running on cm11 rc3...it was working before..now its not...
il hit the thanks button guys..
srinikethan1392 said:
Hi im facing an issue with google sync, im not able to get the game data sync option in google sync. i have updated google play services,play store..and also play games. kindly help me if know any solution.
I am currently running on cm11 rc3...it was working before..now its not...
il hit the thanks button guys..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have disabled any sync option with DisableService or MyAndroidTools etc re-enable them.
CM's constant revision sometimes changes things unexpectedly. So try with a previous version of CM.
tnsmani said:
If you have disabled any sync option with DisableService or MyAndroidTools etc re-enable them.
CM's constant revision sometimes changes things unexpectedly. So try with a previous version of CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,thanks for the reply...i finally solved it....
srinikethan1392 said:
Hi,thanks for the reply...i finally solved it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How?
tnsmani said:
How?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey after flashing and updating the gapps..check in settings..in sync....if it stills hasnt appeared. use greenify and hibernate the google play services. then just restart your phone(Not necessary, sometimes it just works)then checck...the sync for game data and other hidden sync items just appear...
Press thanks if helped
They are spying on you. These HIDDEN accounts are there and the sheep who use stock android can't see them because they are HIDDEN in stock Android. They keep adding themselves back, they check themselves even if you unckeck them, they sync things you tell them not to sync, and it's NOT because you update something as I have not updated Cyanogenmod from 4.4 and it happens every time I start my tablet. Google will keep spying and can care less if its illegal to keep syncing things you don't want to sync because Google owns the US government. Google saved HHS when ACH Website failed, they have imbedded themselves so far into the government they are like a cancer that can't be removed. The US Gov "lent" Google GeoSat, one of our SPY satellites to make Google Earth, something that cost tax payers a lot of money. Google may provide Google Earth for free but they STEAL your personal information when you use the service, which means Google got free use of a US Government, taxpayer owned, SPY satellite so they could make more money for their private (not government run) company. Google gets free & subsidized aircraft fuel from NASA for their fleet of Attack Jets (IE fighter planes) also subsidized by WE THE PEOPLE. I am not some conspiracy theorist; I have worked for both sides of the isle on this one and can tell you Google is a problem.
Let's be honest, XDA has turned into a bunch of fanboys; it's not the site we had years ago. I have been fighting this crap for years (Look at my post history) and if you have not figured out yet, most of us who cared about privacy left XDA years ago. This is why no one is responding here; no one left cares. You are very correct, Google Play Services is MALWARE in disguise. I am not a crApple lover at all, and still use Android (for now), but am sick of Google's crap. I ported out my Google Voice number today and now have very little left to do with the company.
Google services is a framework that GApps and most stuff downloaded from the Play Store rely on to function. It used to be you can disable it and still have apps work, but a lot of them now wont even load if its removed or disabled. Google says its a way for app devs to take shortcuts, but it's there for one reason: Make App Devs LAZY so they they use Google's SPYWARE. App Devs (even most paid ones) don't give a crap about your privacy; most are adding ad code so they can steal your personal information. Google loves this as it opens up your device to have everything stolen, by not only Google but 3rd parties. Why do you think Google removed the ability to block app permissions then claimed it was a dev only feature? Google could care less about your privacy.
I sent the three main Google guys (@Google email not @gmail... Yes I know the Google Guys Real Emails) a project proposal from the company I own two years ago; they [legal, but Shady] stole the idea and nine months later made the announcement that in a few months they would be starting on Android Auto. My SMS messages going through Google Voice started to have issues shortly after with anything concerning to business coming in slow or didn't arrive at all, my Google+ posts were blocked for unknown reasons just saying they "didn't fit the community guidelines", and my Camera/Mic was constantly pushing popups saying they "couldn't start as they were already active" when I tried to use them on my Android Devices. I don't know why it's so hard for these sheep to believe a $500 Bil company, one of the most powerful in the world, wouldn't be spying on competitors or even stealing ideas from the community. I wouldn't be shocked if these creepy elite weirdo's havn't come up with their own version of "unReality TV" where they just spy on regular people like watching a television show. They are creepy vampires, all of them. I have had dating emails sent to gmail from the dating site I use not arrive despite the company I use tracking down the emails and saying they made it to gmail servers and thus should have gone through, client emails be delayed until after project deadlines, phone calls not make it, SMS/MMS delayed and/or lost, etc. I have people telling me they emailed or called me without reply, etc. My PC is virus free and My Android Tablet is as well. I now use a dumb phone and forward everything to that number, which no shock the dumb phone works when people call, but anything that goes through Google servers is still hit or miss. No one I know has these problems, but no one I know has called Eric Schmidt some foul names, so I guess people will say "it's my fault". Whatever; you just didn't get robbed several billion on a project by a garbage greedy scumbag company.
Screw Google.
I have attached a little of what I am talking about because the net is filled with BS. The I had to block out a lot of the proposal email as they only stole part of the idea so far and this was my SECOND email. The first one has some how gone missing from my sent box, but had a DOC attachment with a formal business proposal. That went through, but as you can see from the screen shots, Eric Schmidt has now blocked me with a policy rule on his email. Again, they received the original proposal back in January of 2014, before this screen shot of the second correspondence, after which they started blocking my Google+ Posts and when I send this second correspondence email I found out I was blocked by Eric. Nice! Steal my ideas, try and cover up email (missed one! OOPS!) then block me! Google "Does No Evil!" Oh wait, Google is nothing more than an advertising agency pretending to be a tech company... I guess thats where we get the lies "Do no evil". Everyone knows advertising lies.
Amen!
Unfortunately any resistance is futile. I'm in the same boat.
tnsmani said:
All of them are self explanatory.
Game data: for games (whether you have them or not) so that your scores are uptodate.
Credentials state: for certificates in your device.
Google nearby: for maps and NFC
Location reporting and history: to keep your location details uptodate
Push subscriptions: to keep your push subscriptions uptodate (like mail Whatsapp etc)
People details: to keep your contacts list uptodate
I don't know why these are not obvious.
Regarding some of them automatically getting re-enabled, I don't have any such issues. If you continue to have these issues, you may have to use something like Myandroidtools or Disable Service etc to keep them under control.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This helped already a lot !!!
Can someone please additionally explain those. As I translated them ... please write the correct name too ....
- *reminders (which ? cant be calender reminders)
- *offline sync of login data
- *state of login data
Where do u see the hidden sync items ? I am unable to find them.
dhananjay123 said:
Where do u see the hidden sync items ? I am unable to find them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have enabled the option in Greenify, go to DEVICE>SETTINGS>ACCOUNTS>Google
can we disable/remove/delete them?
patrickdrd said:
can we disable/remove/delete them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can disable (although some reenable themselves)
how? my androidtools?
patrickdrd said:
how? my androidtools?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After enabling option in Greenify head to accounts in settings.