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Clean Uninstalling Apps

DrSmith

DrSmith

Newbie
I just got a new Android phone and want to try to start it off right.

LG L56VL Android 6.01
LG X Style 5"

When I install a new Windows OS, I like to install an uninstall app that traces file and registry installation of all the subsequent apps I install before I install anything else. That way I have a way of cleanly uninstalling anything later without leaving traces that waste space and sometimes degrade the performance of the machine or cause other problems later. It works very well. My OS stays nice and fresh for much longer than without doing this.

I do not know of any Android apps that trace app installation this way but maybe they exist. Whether they do or not, I want to start off with some kind of system that will allow me to cleanly uninstall apps no longer needed so I don't immediately start to accumulate junk all over the phone. I have had other Android devices, but I'm not familiar enough with the Android OS to know how to do this. I see several uninstallers out there. Some seem to be just fancier versions of the stock Android uninstaller and others seem to go deeper -- the deeper ones seem to require rooting and I haven't decided whether or not I want to do that yet... the last thing I want to do is brick my new phone.

So I need a good strategy to be able to cleanly get rid of apps before I start installing them. Any help appreciated!

PS: The phone is awesome!
 
I've never bothered with an uninstaller, but there's an app called "SD Maid" whose functions include identifying orphaned folders on your SD (real sd or the internal storage pretending to be SD). It's a powerful tool, so always check what it is that it's suggesting can be deleted rather than just accepting its suggestions.

You don't need to worry about registry stuff because that's purely a Windows concept, and doesn't exist in Android. I normally just use Settings > Applications to uninstall apps, and out of habit I clear data for the app before uninstalling (though I expect these days the system does that anyway - I could look to see, since I have root, but can't be bothered to test it just now). If the app has created folders on the "SD" I will either leave them or delete them depending on whether I think I'm likely to install the app again or whether I think they contain anything of importance.
 
Thanks Hadron. I took a look and that definitely looks like a good bet to help. Kind of labor intensive, but not sure if there is any better way than that. I don't know much about the Android OS... will have to study up on it. I suspected there is no equivalent to the Windows registry, so I guess everything is done with files and whatever is in ROM. In some ways that seems like it would make things easier since the registry is such a massive untamable beast. But on the other hand it can still be quite complex doing things that way and I'm betting it is.

I can't believe that in 2017 there still isn't a major OS that cleans up after itself and doesn't have this problem. Why should an app be able to leave junk all over your device that you have no control over and can't even find? If you uninstall an app, there should be no trace left... period. It just seems like such a sloppy way to do computing otherwise. I'm surprised this still has not been addressed as it's been an issue for decades.

Thanks again for that great tip.
 
Oh also I should have mentioned that SD Maid requires root. I have not rooted an Android device in a few years. I only did it once and fortunately had no problems. But it does scare me. Would hate to do in my shiny new phone before I even get any use out of it. Have to think that over.

Can you point me to the best app and method ("how to" and tips) to root these days in case I decide to hold my breath and try it? I really don't remember much about how to do it and everything is probably different now anyway.

Thanks again.
 
SD Maidstone needs root access for some tasks, but for what I was thinking of it doesn't. I just ran a test, denying it root access, and it worked fine.
 
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