How to disable/uninstall preinstalled apps like chrome

Hi there,

today my new FP2 arrived and I started exploring the menus and settings. A very very annoying bug showed up: the display shutters/stutters when I touch the display (Video: https://youtu.be/RrkqU4X14Rc). I rebooted the device some times and even dis- and reconnected the display. But nothing changed.

Another question is about the preinstalled google apps. How can I uninstall Chrome for example? I just can deinstall the updates, but when the FP2 connects to WLAN and starts installing updates for apps Chrome is installed again. It also shows up in the “all apps”. No matter if uptodate or “uninstalled”. I really dont want to use this browser and some other apps too.

Jan Mollitor

It’s not possible to uninstall any of the preinstalled Google Apps on an unrooted phone. However, you could disable Chrome in the All Apps screen you mentioned. Just tap Chrome in that list, uninstall any updates and then hit ‘Disable’/‘Deactivate’. Now you won’t receive updates for Chrome in the Play Store any more and Chrome shouldn’t bother you until you reactivate it.

Thanks for response. I did that but i really want to uninstall apps I dont use. When the display toubles are solved, i will try the root solution.

Just be careful with rooting and uninstalling Google Apps, these actions do have the potential to make your phone unusable. There have been long discussions about this on this forum already :wink:

What might be an option for you is to wait until the Open Source OS is published by Fairphone. It will come without Google Apps preinstalled and you should have the option to install one of the openGAPPS packets that fits best to your needs and use :smile:

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The display issue is a known bug but can be worked around (in some cases) by setting the Touch & hold delay (settings -> accessibility) from short to medium.

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At least chrome, gmail, and youtube can be uninstalled without causing any problems :slightly_smiling:

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Thank you.
I hope the OS will be released soon.
I already rooted/jailbreaked my phones before and deleted some of the google stuff I never used (music, news, camera, etc)

Fortsetzung der Diskussion von FP2 Display shutter stutter:
Danke schön. Habe bereits nach dem Fehler gesucht, mir fiel nur leider das Wort “issue” nicht ein :smiley:

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Hey!
When you say these can be uninstalled easily, how so?
Würde mich auch nicht stören, wenn du auf Deutsch anwortest. Während ich chrome, gmail und youtube nutze, stelle ich die Frage hauptsächlich für meine Mutter, die gerne ein Google-freies Leben führen will, und nicht sooo gut englisch kann :wink:

Hi, I deactivated :

  • photos (visionneur)
  • hangout
  • youtube
  • drive
  • appareil photo
  • appli google -> settings crash
  • maps
  • Google synthèse vocale
  • Google Play music
  • Google Play store
  • Google Play Film
  • Gmail
  • Agenda
  • Services Exchange
  • Managing Google accounts
  • sync contacts Google
  • stockage agenda
  • google backup transport
  • google one time init
  • configuration Google partners
  • agent comments market

And uninstalled the associated ‘+’ marked here apps using a rooted FP2 and Amaze. It was 2 days ago and I don’t experience any problems for the moment.

I changed the title of this topic since the “display stutter” issue was never really discussed here.

@janmollitor if you still have problems with the stuttering I think it’s best to continue here:

https://forum.fairphone.com/t/glitching-menus-and-lists-after-boot/13398?u=paulakreuzer&source_topic_id=13123
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For those of you, who do not trust deactivated Google-apps: they do nothing! You can control that with AF-Wall. There is no advantage to “uninstall” these system-apps, you can not use the free space without changing the partition-table.

Spielmops

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I guess it’s:

Settings --> Apps --> (swipe left or right to choose the tab you need -->) tap on the app in question --> Uninstall / Disable
Einstellungen --> Apps --> (nach links oder rechts wischen für den richtigen Tab -->) fragliche App anklicken --> Deinstallieren / Deaktivieren

That doesn’t work for system apps, but as @Spielmops stated it’s not necessary anyway.

You’re right, thanks for correcting it! :slight_smile: