Not many things are convenient, like downloading apps to your phone. You don’t need to, there’s probably an app for that on the Google Play Store. However, this feature is also the same thing that can make your phone slow and sluggish.
Over the years, your phone has accumulated a ton of apps, some of which you use every day while others gather dust in your app drawer. In this guide, we take a look at eight types of apps that you should uninstall from your phone.
1. Pre-installed Bloatware Apps
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If there’s one thing that all Android users unanimously hate, it’s bloatware. Even though some pre-installed apps may be useful, you should uninstall apps you don’t use.
Note that different Android skins have different amounts of bloatware; Some are lightweight, like OxygenOS from OnePlus and Google’s Pixel UI, while others are heavy, like Samsung’s One UI and Xiaomi’s MIUI. Also, remember that some pre-installed Android apps cannot be uninstalled because they are an integral part of that Android skin.
If you use a Samsung phone, you know the number of bloatware apps that come inside, many of which are alternatives to the Google apps that most people already use. To make it easy to remove them, here’s a list of pre-installed Samsung apps that you can safely remove or disable on your Galaxy device without affecting the software.
2. Old Utility Apps That Are Now Built-In
Android has come a long way since its birth in 2008. Back then, you had to download separate utility apps because this functionality wasn’t built into your device, which is included.
Thankfully things are much better now. You may still need to download some utility apps occasionally, especially if you’re using stock Android, but that issue is more or less resolved now. So, if you still have utility apps on your phone that are useless now, it is time to delete them.
3. Outdated Productivity Apps
Similar to utility apps, it’s possible that you also have a number of older productivity apps on your phone. If so, then you should get rid of them in favor of Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Google Keep, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Calendar and more.
Google makes so many great productivity apps that you really don’t need to look anywhere else. And now with the integration of generative AI into Google Workspace apps, they’re more useful than ever for boosting your productivity.
Most Google Workspace apps already come pre-installed on all Android phones, so there’s no reason for you to carry around those older apps from other third-party developers.
4. Performance Booster Apps
We have already explained in depth why performance booster apps are bad for Android. But if you don’t have time to read the whole thing, here’s the gist: Performance booster apps like RAM Cleaner, Battery Saver, and Game Optimizer reduce your device’s usefulness and do more harm than good.
RAM cleaner apps are redundant because a lot of the processes they stop automatically restart immediately after they’re finished because they’re essential for your phone to perform its normal functions. Also, the next time you open the force-closed app, it will take longer to load than if you just did nothing and let it be.
Battery saver apps are useless because most Android phones today already come with a built-in battery-saving mode that works far better than any third-party solution. Same is the case with Game Optimizer. Do yourself a favor and uninstall these apps immediately.
5. Duplicate Apps Doing the Same Thing
In some cases, two apps of the same nature offer very different features, in which case, it may make sense to have both. But if one app is obviously better, you should get rid of the less useful ones.
For example, if you use a Galaxy device, you’ll need to choose between Samsung Internet and Google Chrome as your mobile browser. Uninstall what you don’t find helpful.
6. Overusing Social Media Apps
Look, we don’t want to sound like your grandma here, but social media is eating up a lot of your time. In the United States, people spend an average of more than two hours a day switching between different apps on social media—and that number is growing every year.
Unless your job requires you to do so, spending so much time on social media is not good for you and can even lead to social media addiction.
If possible, uninstall the apps that are eating up most of your time, such as Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat. If that doesn’t work and you find yourself recycling, at least try setting an app timer to reduce your screen time and be more self-disciplined as you go along .