[No root] What does "pm hide" do exactly? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello
I have a question regarding the "pm hide". I know that it can be used to remove bloatware on a non-rooted device.
But what happens exactly under the hood? Is the app disabled? Can it still run in the background andere use resources?
Can this debloating technique have an impact on the speed and fluency of the device?
Thanks in advance!
Stefan
Sent from my titan using XDA-Developers mobile app

I don't know about non-rooted devices, but on my rooted device it did strange things.
I wanted to hide some apps from the drawer, and thought it could be useful, but it did a bit more than just hiding from the drawer: the apps hidden with it were hidden from the drawer, yes, but were also hidden from the installed apps list (From settings), from Titanium backup list (they showed as uninstalled), in the store I had the button to install the app, as if it were not there. root browser showed the apk were still present in the /data/app...
One app was a key for the trial version, the trial version still reported as Pro, so in some way it detected the presence of the key. another was a plugin for Tasker, and Tasker said it cannot find the plugin, so there is a no go...
I went back and unhide them all, I don't want to risk an unbootable device.

Related

My Quarantined / frozen apps

I downloaded an app called App quarantine from the market and put the following apps in the don't run bin , but before doing that I downloaded Go Launcher / Go Contacts / Go Sms Pro and did a ehh, conversion from the stock samsung apps to Go Stuff. Has anyone else done this or anything similar?
Apk's no longer running on boot
(See screen shots, i'm lazy today.)
jb0nd38372 said:
I downloaded an app called App quarantine from the market and put the following apps in the don't run bin , but before doing that I downloaded Go Launcher / Go Contacts / Go Sms Pro and did a ehh, conversion from the stock samsung apps to Go Stuff. Has anyone else done this or anything similar?
Apk's no longer running on boot
(See screen shots, i'm lazy today.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a number of apps that do the same type of thing, Titanium Backup will 'freeze' apps as well as a whole host of additional features.
Then of course, another option is to just rename the apps from *.apk to *.bpk and rebooting.
My personal preference is a third option called Autostarts which is similar to MSconfig in Windows but for Android. The reason being is, it gives you the ability to keep an app from ever running unless you actually tap the app to run it but still allows you to keep the app installed in the event you want to use it. Google Maps comes to mind, I want it installed, I dont want it running in the background.
I dont recommend removing any of the bloatware if you plan on staying on stock but, some of it for US Note users was able to be uninstalled without root via either Settings->Applications->Manage Applications->All Applications, then tap an app and see if uninstall was lit up, if so, sweet. Or, alternatively you could go thru the Market->(Menu Key)->My Apps but not all apps show up in this list. As a side note, I actually manually did a search for many of the apps on the phone and manually updated them because they were not showing up in the market 'My Apps' list.
One other side note, most of the Samsung apps are actually pretty decent, I usually dont touch them. Its the ATT software and the apps ATT took bribe money from third parties that bothers me (Yellow Pages for example).
Oh, and a little known feature of Go Launcher is the ability to hide apps.
Tap the App drawer icon to get to the list of apps on your phone, tap the menu button, tap hide apps. For those of us that havent bothered to root, this at least gives you the ability to not have to look at apps you dont want to see in the app drawer.
Wow thank you for all the info. As far as staying stock, I like making my devices unique to me, I did keep all spen related apps, but killed pretty much everything else. I doubt my phone will ever see an official release of anything, Xda all the way
littlewierdo said:
There are a number of apps that do the same type of thing, Titanium Backup will 'freeze' apps as well as a whole host of additional features.
Then of course, another option is to just rename the apps from *.apk to *.bpk and rebooting.
My personal preference is a third option called Autostarts which is similar to MSconfig in Windows but for Android. The reason being is, it gives you the ability to keep an app from ever running unless you actually tap the app to run it but still allows you to keep the app installed in the event you want to use it. Google Maps comes to mind, I want it installed, I dont want it running in the background.
I dont recommend removing any of the bloatware if you plan on staying on stock but, some of it for US Note users was able to be uninstalled without root via either Settings->Applications->Manage Applications->All Applications, then tap an app and see if uninstall was lit up, if so, sweet. Or, alternatively you could go thru the Market->(Menu Key)->My Apps but not all apps show up in this list. As a side note, I actually manually did a search for many of the apps on the phone and manually updated them because they were not showing up in the market 'My Apps' list.
One other side note, most of the Samsung apps are actually pretty decent, I usually dont touch them. Its the ATT software and the apps ATT took bribe money from third parties that bothers me (Yellow Pages for example).
Oh, and a little known feature of Go Launcher is the ability to hide apps.
Tap the App drawer icon to get to the list of apps on your phone, tap the menu button, tap hide apps. For those of us that havent bothered to root, this at least gives you the ability to not have to look at apps you dont want to see in the app drawer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to add I guess a 'fourth' option, I like to use the app 'root toolbox' available on the market with both free and pro versions. Under the advanced menu you can remove any system apps you like but the nice thing is anything you remove is automatically backed up to the root toolbox folder on the internal sd. The backup is done automatically so you dont have to worry about removing something and forgetting to backup first and also gives you the option to restore any system apps you removed simply and easily. Ill be honest the restore feature has saved my bacon many times lol and is also a great way to experiment which apps are safe and unsafe to remove.

Question regarding Root App Delete

All,
I decided to be proactive today and disable/remove some bloatware that cannot be tamed with Gemini App Manager. After a brief search, I decided to install Root App Delete. To play it safe, I decided to use its Safe Mode under the Systems Apps button. Among the first app I tried disabling were Google+ and Google Play [magazines/books/music]. After disabling these apps, I launched Gemini App Manager only to see these apps still running. (They are like cockroaches - almost impossible to kill.)
So, I fired up Root App Delete and selected Pro Mode, in order to permanently delete these apps. The problem is that I could not find them in the list of apps. So, I again tried Safe Mode and re-enabled them, figuring that perhaps disabled apps could not be accessed from Pro Mode. Problem is that I still cannot find these apps listed when using Pro Mode. I tried killing Root App Delete and restarting it, but that did not help either. I also restarted the phone, but that did not help either.
Is this user error or a bug?
Any suggestions?
Thx

[Q] Uninstalling Bloatware

I recently rooted my GS4 using the steps outlined in this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2565758
First, a big THANKS to all those responsible for this latest root process. The vast majority of us have no idea the lengths in which you go in order to stay on top of the rooting process. My deepest respect.
Now, I would like to uninstall some of the bloatware installed on this phone. I understand there is a school of thought which dictates one should simply "freeze" an unwanted app instead of uninstalling it. In my opinion, as long as the app will never be used AND will not cause a system meltdown if uninstalled, it should be uninstalled. That being said, I would like some objective opinions on the following apps. The main app I would like removed is Knox. In addition...
- All Amazon related apps, save the main Amazon app
- Audible
- Caller Name ID
- Flipboard
- Google (appears at the bottom of the recent apps screen)
- Google+
- IMDb
- All Verizon related apps
- Optical Reader
- NFL Mobile
- All Google Play related apps save the Play Store
- Polaris 5
- TripAdvisor
- WatchON
Again, what is (are) the ramification(s) of uninstalling one or more of these apps? What is the best way to uninstall a bloatware type app? If using Titanium Backup to simply "freeze" the app is best, what are the steps in doing this?
senselessvictory said:
What is the best way to uninstall a bloatware type app? If using Titanium Backup to simply "freeze" the app is best, what are the steps in doing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not know if this option was available before root but if you go to the list of apps and click the menu button (lower left of phone), you will see a "Hide Applications" option. Once clicked, a check box will appear next to each app. Once you select each application you want to hide and click Done, you will be left with only the applications you want to use. This includes Knox.
I do not know well this will work going forward but, for now, I am good. Does anyone know if this will permanently restrict Knox?
check this tool out just make sure you read and then re read lol http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2313341

[Q] Control processes without root

I would like to have the maximum of control on running processes, but I feel I have not enough control, so I hope you can help me
I know that being root, managing processes and disable "autoruns" is a quite easy task but unfortunately my device is not an easy to root phone
Furthermore, I saw that Android (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) performance is very bad when you have many apps installed or you used many apps recently. Yes I listen about the internal management and I am aware that it is not a suggested practice but since I want to have control on what is happening and i have serious concerns about the algorithms to free RAM (maybe bull****), so I prefer to do it on my own risk
What I am doing is go to
-Settings, Application manager, Running, "Show cached processes"
- Settings, Application manager, Running, "Show services in use"
Identify what apps are in use and i don't like, then go to
-Settings, Application manager, All,
select app and Click "Force Stop"
Doing it my device has a better performance however, some apps still going alive after some time, for instance: Email ( I saw other in the past)
Using "Autoruns" app and checking "email" app I can see with changes of state can start "Email" however, sometime "email" is reenabled after be manually stopped but none of previous conditions happened.
How can I kill "email" or other app and force to stay off? (disable it and install other email app is not a valid answer)
I would like to use email/others as an standalone app, I mean use when I want and have out of memory when I am not using.
Besides, the autoruns, is there any scheduled task or something like that to open apps?
Of course I want to root my phone and I am waiting until someone will find a proper way to root, in fact I think that an android without rooted is like a car with square shape wheels
I think I found the cause for "mail" app being executed automatically, today it went alive after select "flight mode"
Now I would like to control Google play services, I am seeing some of these being executed continuosly, can they be killed? how?
dapgo said:
I would like to have the maximum of control on running processes, but I feel I have not enough control, so I hope you can help me
I know that being root, managing processes and disable "autoruns" is a quite easy task but unfortunately my device is not an easy to root phone
Furthermore, I saw that Android (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) performance is very bad when you have many apps installed or you used many apps recently. Yes I listen about the internal management and I am aware that it is not a suggested practice but since I want to have control on what is happening and i have serious concerns about the algorithms to free RAM (maybe bull****), so I prefer to do it on my own risk
What I am doing is go to
-Settings, Application manager, Running, "Show cached processes"
- Settings, Application manager, Running, "Show services in use"
Identify what apps are in use and i don't like, then go to
-Settings, Application manager, All,
select app and Click "Force Stop"
Doing it my device has a better performance however, some apps still going alive after some time, for instance: Email ( I saw other in the past)
Using "Autoruns" app and checking "email" app I can see with changes of state can start "Email" however, sometime "email" is reenabled after be manually stopped but none of previous conditions happened.
How can I kill "email" or other app and force to stay off? (disable it and install other email app is not a valid answer)
I would like to use email/others as an standalone app, I mean use when I want and have out of memory when I am not using.
Besides, the autoruns, is there any scheduled task or something like that to open apps?
Of course I want to root my phone and I am waiting until someone will find a proper way to root, in fact I think that an android without rooted is like a car with square shape wheels
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
more info about processes, mem and autostart
I am still fighting with Android and how it manages processes, now I am sure that my main problem became each time I went into flight mode or it is restarted.
But it is not only Email being executed and being using in memory but other processes that I am not using doing that, such as:
(Mem. on OS monitor- Mem. in "service in memory"(android settings))
Event: Connectivity changed
-youtube 22.2MB-6.2MB
-Google play services(com.android.gms) 26.8MB-12MB
-Maps 20MB-4.9MB
-Factory Test (18.6MB -3.4MB)
Event: after Startup
-youtube 22.2MB-6.2MB
-Software update (18.0MB-4.3MB)
-Internet (com.android.browser) 18.9MB-3.3MB
There many apps which are executed after events like previous but they are closed after a very short time, but I am frustrated about those which are not unloaded.
Regarding "Email" app I decided to use a free email app and as Email cannot be disabled, so, I removed the accounts associated to email app, however even without accounts configured, it still being launched and wasting resources. can I avoid it?
What do you think?
dapgo said:
I think I found the cause for "mail" app being executed automatically, today it went alive after select "flight mode"
Now I would like to control Google play services, I am seeing some of these being executed continuosly, can they be killed? how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not possible to do what you want without root, unfortunately (unless you're talking about normal apps, in which case you can uninstall them to keep them from running). An alternative would be to use Greenify, though it won't be fully automatic without root either.
What about editing the startups rights?
Has anyone used APK permission remover?
GermainZ said:
It's not possible to do what you want without root, unfortunately (unless you're talking about normal apps, in which case you can uninstall them to keep them from running). An alternative would be to use Greenify, though it won't be fully automatic without root either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apk permission remover never stops an app from automatically starting. It only helps in removing the permissions we see during installation.
dapgo said:
What about editing the startups rights?
Has anyone used APK permission remover?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You still want to do this 2 years and 7 months later? That's one late reply there
GermainZ said:
You still want to do this 2 years and 7 months later? That's one late reply there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but after SO long I found the app 'autorun manager pro', and it allowed to disable triggers /autoStartups/autoruns

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.
You can disable bloatware through adb: https://www.xda-developers.com/uninstall-carrier-oem-bloatware-without-root-access/
But do not disable apps that can't be disabled through the settings, and that you don't know what they're doing. The "Document" app is surely the file explorer, that's why it's linked to your download manager. Those apps are system, not bloatware.
You can take care of facebook/instagram/... with this app but leave that "Document" app alone
Have a good day

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