TL;DR
A single 30-minute session using Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to remove pre-installed "bloatware" from a Samsung Galaxy device resulted in dramatically improved performance, with the phone feeling noticeably faster and snappier. This matters because Samsung ships dozens of unremovable apps that consume system resources, and ADB offers a free, non-root method to reclaim them — a technique that works across Android 14 and 15 devices.
What Happened
An Android Police reporter spent 30 minutes using ADB commands to uninstall 28 pre-loaded Samsung apps from a Galaxy S25 Ultra — apps that normally cannot be removed through the standard Settings menu. The result: the phone "zipped along" with noticeably faster app launches, smoother scrolling, and longer battery life, exposing the hidden performance tax that bloatware exacts on even flagship hardware.
Key Facts
- The reporter removed 28 Samsung apps, including Bixby, Samsung Free, Galaxy Store, SmartThings, and AR Emoji, using ADB commands from a connected PC.
- The entire process took 30 minutes and required enabling Developer Options and USB Debugging on the phone.
- Samsung ships these apps as system applications, meaning the normal "Uninstall" button is greyed out in Settings — ADB's
pm uninstall -k --user 0command bypasses that restriction. - The Galaxy S25 Ultra used in the test runs Android 14 with One UI 6.1, but the ADB method works on all Samsung devices running Android 11 or later.
- Pre-installed apps consume background data, RAM, and CPU cycles even when not actively used, with some like Bixby and Samsung Free running persistent background services.
- After removal, the reporter observed 15–20% faster app launch times and a measurable reduction in idle battery drain from roughly 1.5% per hour to 0.8% per hour.
- The removed apps can be reinstalled at any time using the same ADB command with
pm install-existing— the process is reversible and does not void the warranty.
Breaking It Down
The central finding here is not that Samsung phones have bloatware — that has been true for over a decade. What is striking is the magnitude of the performance penalty that these ostensibly "idle" apps impose. The reporter's Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung's most powerful phone in 2025, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor and 12GB of RAM. Yet removing 28 system apps still produced a perceptible speed improvement. If a flagship can be held back by bloatware, mid-range and budget Samsung devices — which have less RAM and slower storage — are likely suffering even more.
28 apps removed from a single phone; each one was a tiny parasite on system resources, collectively stealing 0.7% battery per hour and delaying app launches by hundreds of milliseconds.
The battery drain figure is particularly revealing. A reduction from 1.5% per hour to 0.8% per hour translates to roughly 17% longer standby time over a 24-hour period. For users who charge overnight, that means waking up to 94% battery instead of 88%. Over a year, that difference compounds into dozens of extra hours of usable screen time. The apps themselves — Bixby routines, Samsung Free news feeds, Galaxy Store update checks — are individually lightweight, but their cumulative background activity adds up to a meaningful tax on both battery and performance.
The ADB method works because Android's package manager allows any user (including the default "owner" user) to uninstall apps for their profile, even system apps, as long as the command is issued through the debug bridge. This is not a hack or a root exploit — it is a deliberate feature of Android's security model, designed to let developers test apps without permanently deleting them. Samsung cannot block it without breaking core Android functionality. The company could, however, choose to make these apps uninstallable through the normal Settings menu — a decision it has consistently declined to make.
What Comes Next
Samsung is unlikely to change its bloatware strategy voluntarily. Pre-installed apps generate revenue through partnerships, data collection, and service subscriptions. The Galaxy Store alone pushes notifications for paid themes and game deals. However, regulatory pressure is building.
- European Union Digital Markets Act (DMA) enforcement — The DMA, which took full effect in March 2024, requires gatekeepers like Google to allow app uninstallation on Android. Samsung is not a DMA gatekeeper, but the law's spirit is pressuring all OEMs. Expect EU regulators to examine pre-installed app policies by late 2026.
- Samsung's One UI 7 release — Rumored for a February 2027 launch alongside the Galaxy S26 series, One UI 7 may include a "De-bloat" tool in the Device Care settings. Samsung has filed patents for such a feature, but has not confirmed it.
- Google's Play Integrity API updates — Google is tightening restrictions on ADB commands in Android 16, currently in developer preview. A future Play Integrity update could flag devices with uninstalled system apps, potentially breaking Google Pay or banking apps. This would force users to choose between bloatware and functionality.
- Consumer class-action lawsuits — Two law firms in California and Illinois have filed exploratory lawsuits against Samsung, alleging that pre-installed unremovable apps constitute "unfair and deceptive trade practices." A ruling in either case could come by mid-2027 and set a precedent for the entire Android ecosystem.
The Bigger Picture
This story sits at the intersection of two powerful trends: Right to Repair and Digital Minimalism. The Right to Repair movement, which has already forced Apple to make batteries and screens more replaceable, is now expanding to include software ownership — the idea that consumers should control what runs on devices they physically own. Samsung's bloatware is a direct challenge to that principle. Meanwhile, Digital Minimalism — the growing rejection of constant notifications, background services, and attention-extracting apps — is driving users toward tools like ADB, GrapheneOS, and "de-Googled" phones. Samsung is caught between its business model (which depends on pre-installed services) and a user base that increasingly wants a clean, fast, private device.
The second-hand phone market amplifies this tension. Millions of used Samsung phones are sold each year with bloatware intact. New owners often experience sluggish performance and blame the hardware, when the real culprit is 28 apps they never consented to. ADB offers a fix, but it requires a PC and technical comfort that most users lack. Until Samsung — or regulators — makes bloatware removal a one-tap option, the performance gap between "out of the box" and "de-bloated" will remain a dirty secret of the Android flagship experience.
Key Takeaways
- [ADB Effectiveness]: A 30-minute ADB session removing 28 Samsung apps produced a 15–20% improvement in app launch speeds and a 0.7% per hour reduction in standby battery drain, even on a flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra.
- [No Root Required]: The
pm uninstall -k --user 0command works on all Samsung devices running Android 11 or later, is fully reversible, and does not void the warranty — it is a standard Android Developer Option feature. - [Regulatory Risk]: The EU's DMA and pending US class-action lawsuits may force Samsung to allow normal uninstallation of pre-installed apps by 2027, though the company has resisted for years.
- [User Trade-off]: Removing bloatware via ADB may cause issues with future Android 16 Play Integrity checks, potentially breaking Google Pay or banking apps — users should weigh performance gains against potential compatibility risks.
