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How Did I Prevent Bloatware And Google From My New Device? (My latest experiment)

puppykickr

Android Expert
TL;DR:
I think I found a simple, quick way to prevent bloatware from ever being downloaded onto a new device, and also not have any Google junk as well.

So, after years of frustration with bloatware and Google, and without root only being able to disable every such crAPP on my old 5.1- I now have a Moto e (2020) running Android 10.

This is a far cry better than my previous devices, and is the first unlocked device I have ever owned.

I am not sure how much, if any, bloatware gets downloaded as soon as a new unlocked device gets online and has a Google account attached to it- but I was not taking any chances.

I had earlier picked up the Straight Talk locked version of this device for my ol'lady, and set it up for her.
So I was a bit familiar with it already, although I wanted to go much further in the ways of blocking bloatware and all things Google.

To get started, I first put most of the apps I planned to install onto an SD card in apk form- I used Apk Extractor from F-Droid to get the apks from another device, and then moved the apks onto the SD card and put that into the Moto e.

Sitting in the parking lot of the store where I had just purchased the device, I plugged the phone into the charger and turned it on.

The first things I did was refuse to allow it to connect to anything- no Wi-Fi, no cellular.
(I had not inserted a SIM card yet.)
I refused to enter a Google account as well.

As soon as the startup prompts were over with, I made sure that the device was in Airplane Mode, and then opened the file manager and found the apk for the firewall that I was to use.

Initially, everything is blocked by default, but I still did not allow any internet connection until I had installed the apks from the SD card and then gone through the apps and permissions on the device.

Anything that was Google related was disabled.
Anything that was not needed that was from the manufacturer was disabled.

What could not be disabled, I restricted battery and whatever permissions I could.

Android is pretty slick in that it is pretty hard to make an unrooted device nonfunctional.

Yes, this took quite a while- about three hours in the parking lot, sitting in my car.

Look at it this way- I would be doing the exact same thing if I were anywhere else, even if I were at home.

By the time I grew tired, I was not completely finished, but I was confident enough to finally turn the device off, insert my SIM card, power it back up, and then even latch onto the Wi-Fi from the store where I purchased it.

To be honest, not only was I tired, I was anxious.
I had noticed incredible speeds while installing my apps in comparison to all my other devices, even against my Moto e6.

Success!

It's alive!

It immediately connected to my cellular carrier and to Wi-Fi, and did not download anything except for the APN settings for the cellular connections.

Like I said, I am not sure if bloatware is supposed to be on an unlocked device, but aside from some Motorola stuff (that might be nice, I don't know. I am not a fan of gesture controls or automatic anything) there is nothing.

Some Google and Motorola apps were not able to be disabled in the traditional way, requiring me to scroll to the end of an app's page and tap battery, then tap battery again for the disable option to become available.

After a few days a couple of issues popped up, the first being that Wi-Fi would not stay on, courtesy of the 'Wi-Fi Manager' app stating that it could not work without Google Play Services enabled.
Seeing as how it is blocked from internet access by the firewall, and how I have barely any apps from the Google Play Store (an even smaller number of those are up to date) I am living with that for now.

The other issue was that a supposed 'security update' was being forced down my throat- a malicious full screen pop up demanding that I restart the device to allow the update to proceed interrupted every touch and function until I found the three apps that I assume were responsible- Dynamic System Updates, Device Care, and Internal Device Care.

Clearing all data from these and then a force stop of each ended the pesky update annoyance.

After what happened with my last device, I have absolutely no interest or want of any updates for anything, unless I give the approval of each and every part of it.

The very same bogus 'security update' crap occured on my last device, and all that it entailed was an update for all the Google apps (none were being used or were) wanted) and also for almost 20 apps that I did not want any updates for- ever.

Because the Google and bloatware on that device was not able to be disabled, the 'security update' pestilence would appear each time the screen turned on, and the dismiss button was very close to the restart button.
Of course, restarting would initiate the 'update', and that would take about 20 minutes.

Then I could swear and scream as I had to reconfigure the entire device again, only to then have that bastard 'security update' crap pop up all the time again.

The last time, I accidently tapped 'restart', and I had had enough.

I dashed the turd of a phone onto the driveway as hard as I could.

Update that, Google!

Never again.

I immediately drove to the store and purchased my Moto e and did as I described above (the apks on the SD card and such, not the driveway part, lol).

So it has been a few weeks now, and aside from the typical oddities of a nonGoogle device* it functions well.

As soon as I can get away from the horrid cellular 'service' that is T-Mobile, it will be a great device.

* Contacts must be entered manually, and previous phone calls are not remembered.
 
Last edited:
Seeing that I've been charactorized as an old fart, that basically wants simplicity, I appreciate this tutorial, PuppyKickr. After my bout with this "Covid Confusion", which I assume came from the Delta Variant, my search for simplicity is greater than it was before.

Please keep your observations alive in this thread, for folks like me.
Thanks.
 
Seeing that I've been charactorized as an old fart, that basically wants simplicity, I appreciate this tutorial, PuppyKickr. After my bout with this "Covid Confusion", which I assume came from the Delta Variant, my search for simplicity is greater than it was before.

Please keep your observations alive in this thread, for folks like me.
Thanks.

I appreciate that, my friend.
 
Just for future reference, the firewall that I used is NoRoot Firewall.

I also put NetGuard and Tracker Control onto it.

All stock utility apps were disabled and replaced by everything from Simple Mobile Tools.

The Google Fikes app was able to be disabled, but the other built in app by the same name was not.

Hopefully when I can get a friend with a computer to fix me up with some ADB I will be able to eliminate it and the other ones mentioned earlier.
 
TL;DR:
I think I found a simple, quick way to prevent bloatware from ever being downloaded onto a new device, and also not have any Google junk as well.

So, after years of frustration with bloatware and Google, and without root only being able to disable every such crAPP on my old 5.1- I now have a Moto e (2020) running Android 10.

This is a far cry better than my previous devices, and is the first unlocked device I have ever owned.

I am not sure how much, if any, bloatware gets downloaded as soon as a new unlocked device gets online and has a Google account attached to it- but I was not taking any chances.

I had earlier picked up the Straight Talk locked version of this device for my ol'lady, and set it up for her.
So I was a bit familiar with it already, although I wanted to go much further in the ways of blocking bloatware and all things Google.

To get started, I first put most of the apps I planned to install onto an SD card in apk form- I used Apk Extractor from F-Droid to get the apks from another device, and then moved the apks onto the SD card and put that into the Moto e.

Sitting in the parking lot of the store where I had just purchased the device, I plugged the phone into the charger and turned it on.

The first things I did was refuse to allow it to connect to anything- no Wi-Fi, no cellular.
(I had not inserted a SIM card yet.)
I refused to enter a Google account as well.

As soon as the startup prompts were over with, I made sure that the device was in Airplane Mode, and then opened the file manager and found the apk for the firewall that I was to use.

Initially, everything is blocked by default, but I still did not allow any internet connection until I had installed the apks from the SD card and then gone through the apps and permissions on the device.

Anything that was Google related was disabled.
Anything that was not needed that was from the manufacturer was disabled.

What could not be disabled, I restricted battery and whatever permissions I could.

Android is pretty slick in that it is pretty hard to make an unrooted device nonfunctional.

Yes, this took quite a while- about three hours in the parking lot, sitting in my car.

Look at it this way- I would be doing the exact same thing if I were anywhere else, even if I were at home.

By the time I grew tired, I was not completely finished, but I was confident enough to finally turn the device off, insert my SIM card, power it back up, and then even latch onto the Wi-Fi from the store where I purchased it.

To be honest, not only was I tired, I was anxious.
I had noticed incredible speeds while installing my apps in comparison to all my other devices, even against my Moto e6.

Success!

It's alive!

It immediately connected to my cellular carrier and to Wi-Fi, and did not download anything except for the APN settings for the cellular connections.

Like I said, I am not sure if bloatware is supposed to be on an unlocked device, but aside from some Motorola stuff (that might be nice, I don't know. I am not a fan of gesture controls or automatic anything) there is nothing.

Some Google and Motorola apps were not able to be disabled in the traditional way, requiring me to scroll to the end of an app's page and tap battery, then tap battery again for the disable option to become available.

After a few days a couple of issues popped up, the first being that Wi-Fi would not stay on, courtesy of the 'Wi-Fi Manager' app stating that it could not work without Google Play Services enabled.
Seeing as how it is blocked from internet access by the firewall, and how I have barely any apps from the Google Play Store (an even smaller number of those are up to date) I am living with that for now.

The other issue was that a supposed 'security update' was being forced down my throat- a malicious full screen pop up demanding that I restart the device to allow the update to proceed interrupted every touch and function until I found the three apps that I assume were responsible- Dynamic System Updates, Device Care, and Internal Device Care.

Clearing all data from these and then a force stop of each ended the pesky update annoyance.

After what happened with my last device, I have absolutely no interest or want of any updates for anything, unless I give the approval of each and every part of it.

The very same bogus 'security update' crap occured on my last device, and all that it entailed was an update for all the Google apps (none were being used or were) wanted) and also for almost 20 apps that I did not want any updates for- ever.

Because the Google and bloatware on that device was not able to be disabled, the 'security update' pestilence would appear each time the screen turned on, and the dismiss button was very close to the restart button.
Of course, restarting would initiate the 'update', and that would take about 20 minutes.

Then I could swear and scream as I had to reconfigure the entire device again, only to then have that bastard 'security update' crap pop up all the time again.

The last time, I accidently tapped 'restart', and I had had enough.

I dashed the turd of a phone onto the driveway as hard as I could.

Update that, Google!

Never again.

I immediately drove to the store and purchased my Moto e and did as I described above (the apks on the SD card and such, not the driveway part, lol).

So it has been a few weeks now, and aside from the typical oddities of a nonGoogle device* it functions well.

As soon as I can get away from the horrid cellular 'service' that is T-Mobile, it will be a great device.

* Contacts must be entered manually, and previous phone calls are not remembered.
Preventing bloatware and minimizing Google's presence on a new device can be achieved by following these steps:

  1. Research before purchasing: Look for devices that offer a cleaner Android experience, such as Google Pixel phones or Android One devices. These devices often come with minimal pre-installed apps and a stock Android interface.
  2. Check for unlocked or carrier-free devices: Purchasing an unlocked device directly from the manufacturer or choosing carrier-free versions can reduce the chances of pre-installed bloatware that are typically added by carriers.
  3. Review pre-installed apps during setup: During the initial setup of your new device, carefully review the list of pre-installed apps. Choose not to install or disable any apps that you don't need or consider bloatware.
  4. Disable or uninstall unwanted apps: After setup, navigate to the app settings on your device and disable or uninstall any pre-installed apps that you don't want or need. Keep in mind that some pre-installed system apps may not be removable, but you can often disable them to prevent them from running or taking up resources.
  5. Explore alternative app stores: Instead of relying solely on the Google Play Store, consider exploring alternative app stores like F-Droid or the Amazon Appstore. These stores offer different app selections and may have fewer Google dependencies.
  6. Replace Google apps with alternatives: Identify and install alternative apps that serve your needs without relying on Google services. For example, you can use apps like Aurora Store or APKMirror to access and install apps from the Play Store without directly linking your device to a Google account.
 
I'm even more stubborn. I refuse to use app stores, period. I just download (nowadays sideload from SD) any APK I need. I am a huge fan of the look and experience of Android 2.x, so the top most used apps on my phone, a Galaxy Z Flip 4, are from the Android 2.x era, and I've had their APKs backed up in many places, on many mediums so they're not lost to time. This includes AOSP Music, InoMail (looks iOS 6 like), Angry Birds 1.6.2 (first version but with all the level updates, original music and sounds), original Cut the Rope, original Fruit Ninja, bTunes Music Player (looks iOS 6), Espier Dialer (see iOS 6), ColorNote Notepad (Android 2.3 version), Aldiko Book Reader (from Android 4.x) and some widgets that look period correct (Sense V2 Flip Clock Weather), Dolphin Browser Mini (2009), a skeuomorphic icon pack and launcher themed to look like a mix of Android 2.3 and HTC Sense 3.x, and a FEW of the stock Samsung apps (I hate Google apps, prefer the features and benefits of Samsung's versions) this includes Samsung Music (Wanna know why I got many music players? Because I dedicated a screen to widgets for each, with each one having a different playlist for a different need, easily one-tap play of each one without needing to open the player up), Samsung Messages (supports themes, including wallpaper and the green bubbles like the Galaxy S5), Samsung Galaxy Wearable (I use the original Galaxy Watch from 2018), Samsung Pay, and have installed all the classic TouchWiz sounds for notifications and ringtones.

I prefer the way Android was, before it got all locked down and looking like it's inspired by Apple.
 
puppykickr thank you for posting. And others who posted



It was great to read your method of dealing with the android parasite problem, I also use public wifi to set up, also lock and block everything as you do, I only use .apk and only install them via micro SD, so I am not alone in my absolute unwillingness to accept the digital parasite problem, 99% of apps don’t need access and only use the internet to serve themselves at my cost. My device my rules! , I ensure only my VPN has access to the internet and only the browser I choose, I have had to install apps to monitor the data movement and who is using it due top app that switched themselves back on from being disable.



Its like the missing physical moving off switch, the battery locked inside methoids of preventing absolute control by the user nothing more effective than pulling out the ethernet cable or removing a battery!



Wanted to share a new problem, most of what we are talking about here is not mainstream most users of digital just accept privacy abuse, data theft, profiling and forced adverts as normal, its not normal its sick!



I have a Honor pad x9, the best tablet I have ever owned at a staggering low cost of £160. And once the android parasite was disabled blazing fast, 120 screen that’s amazing, sound amazing, and here is the BUT, the Manufactures has locked it and is not giving out codes to unlock it stopped doing so in 2018, and the parasite android don’t bother with effective firewall among the installed spyware, junkware and bloatware, nor the ability to get one, I don’t want to be cynical, I do wonder why?



So when I plug in my Ethernet dongle all hell lets loose and the parasite helps itself, no firewall no means to stop it, if you can’t get root access you can’t install Iptables firewall



Hope this help people searching for answers as I could not find any mention of the usb c Ethernet dongle huge security problem, apparently Huawei wants to keep me safe by stopping me gaining root access installing a missing protective measure onto my fully paid for device, its policy is clearly to first serve itself then partners which creates a direct conflict to serving me as such a firewall would make my needs first and manufacture/ partners needs wants and abuse obsolete.
 
This is great. It's just what I need to set up this Moto G Play. I hope it works out all right. I know I probably should get a better phone but I couldn't wait forever and I have a really limited budget.
 
I got stuck. I put the sd card in and switched the phone on and it said hi. Then it had some Motorola stuff. Then it was google. I switched off everything I oould but not updates because I couldn't. I didn't want to tell them ok. I went back instead. Then I tried gping forward but it was google again. How do I get away from them?
 
You're dealing with the first-time setup of a device. It won't let you pass without all that jazz.

Welcome to the modern era. Now you know why I try to steer clear of it and relive the past. Think it's scary now, just wait till Neuralink becomes a thing.
 
You're dealing with the first-time setup of a device. It won't let you pass without all that jazz.

Welcome to the modern era. Now you know why I try to steer clear of it and relive the past. Think it's scary now, just wait till Neuralink becomes a thing.
Naw, no terms or conditions apply with LOOGLE. EVVVERY! option is youre own and NO apks come on the devices i will be kickin out to you all from the Andritian WirlWind PC. PC now stands for Prowessing Creator/Ply-able CO owner/$ Build youre own fully optimable optional operations. Youre device youre options. Though now we wont be wondering if our operating systems/device makeup is built by a policing corp. and not a vauge term such as GOOGLE/GOV. operative conglomerate masked as a soft/hardware company wich is refered by itself as such. YOURE TERMS MY CONDITION. LOOGLE IS ALMOST HERE!
 
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