Removing the Bloat 2.2 OTA - (3 Ways) Super Easy & Safe, Safe & Easy, Free

[DebianDog]

Disclaimer:
This is at your own risk. I, nor the DroidXforums take any responsibility for any harm this may cause your phone.

(Original Credit to TAYPOTTS and Abe21599 for this thread. Updated for 2.2 OTA and other finds)

Note: If you remove bloat and do not rename as shown you can no longer update your phone. i.e. when the next update comes out you will have to rename or "unfreeze" all your apps before updating to the next version. If you deleted apps you will have to find them somewhere and reload them. You have been warned.

If you DID delete them already here is a list of apps you can download and recover.

Step one: Get root. If you do not want to do this, you can not remove bloat. Sorry.

DO NOT REMOVE or RENAME:

• Verizon Backup Assistant
• Blur Files (corp directory, files, voice commands, etc) until we get a 2.2 SBF File. Note: An SBF file is a full copy of the OS and everything and will make your phone like new again. You CANNOT use the SBF from 2.1 on your OTA 2.2 phone you will "brick" it.

Safe to RENAME:

• Amazon Mp3
• City ID
• Skype
• MyVerizon
• CarDock
• Kindle
• Blockbuster
• NFS (you can actually delete this without root or anything just a regular app)
• Verizon Visual Voicemail (if you remove this it WILL disable the Voicemail button on your dialer)
• HelpCenter
• 3G Mobile Hotspot (mynet.apk)
• News
• News and Weather
• Weather
• Android Live Wallpapers
• eMail and Gmail (if you use another mail program like K9)
• Social Networking (If you do not use the internal Facebook, etc found in accounts)
• VZ Navigator
• Print to Retail
• I am sure I missed some but if they never start and I never see them running who cares

How to:

Very Easiest - buy Titanium Backup for Root and "Freeze" Apps you do not want running. Make sure "Chuck Norris" option is on. No, I am not joking.



Second Easiest - buy Root Explorer app from the Market. This is like the "Files" app on your phone but can see all of the system files, and change any file you see. BE CAREFUL!

Open Root Explorer

• Find System and open
• Find app and open
• Click the Mount R/W to change to Mount R/O (in the upper right corner)
• Find the "bloat" app and change the name to .bak
• Example: CityID.apk ---> CityID.bak

"Old school" - AKA the "free" way - Terminal mode

• Connect phone (make sure USB Debugging is turned on)
• Open CMD/Terminal
• Navigate to your Tools folder (from your Android SDK)
• Type in "adb shell" you should see a $ sign
• Type in su (this gives you permission)
• Type "mount -o rw,remount -t ext3 /dev/block/mmcblk1p21 /system"
• Type in the command that relates to the app you want to rename

Example:

If you wanted to rename CityID:
/system/bin/mv /system/app/CityID.apk /system/app/CityID.bak

When down remount your filesystem
type "mount -o ro,remount -t ext3 /dev/block/mmcblk1p21 /system"

Some Apps like My Verizon are odd it's directory is /data/app/com.vzw.hss.myverizon.apk and is also in /system/app/MyVerizon.apk

In other words, you may have to just search around until you find it.

The LitSpliff List
Disclaimer: Removing some of these may limit the functionality of your phone...you have been warned. everything on the list i have been able to confirm by at least two sources, but i have not tried to mv them all myself. I take no responsibility for your results.

   
 * 3G Mobile Hotspot                                                         /system/app/Mynet.apk
    * AdService                                                                 /system/app/AdService.apk
    * Amazon Mp3                                                                /system/app/amazonmp3_1.8.11_signed_zipaligned.apk
    * Android Live Wallpapers, Live Wallpaper Picker, Magic Smoke Wallpapers    /system/app/LiveWallpapers.apk, /system/app/LiveWallpapersPicker.apk, /system/app/MagicSmokeWallpapers.apk
    * Bluetooth services                                                        /system/app/Bluetooth.apk, /system/app/BluetoothDun.apk
    * Blockbuster                                                               /system/app/Blockbuster.apk
    * Calculator                                                                /system/app/Calculator.apk
    * CarDock                                                                   /system/app/CarDock.apk
    * CityID                                                                    /system/app/CityID.apk                            
    * Clock widget                                                              /system/app/ClockWidget.apk
    * com.motorola.photowidget                                                  /system/app/PhotoWidget.apk
    * Desk Home                                                                 /system/app/Dock.apk
    * DLNA                                                                      /system/app/DLNA.apk
    * Emergency Alert                                                           /system/app/cmas.apk
    * Firmware Over the Air (FOTA)                                              /system/app/Fota.apk
    * FM Radio                                                                  /system/app/FMRadioService.apk
    * FMRadioService                                                            /system/app/FMRadioService.apk
    * Gmail                                                                     /system/app/Gmail.apk
    * Help Center                                                               /system/app/HelpCenter.apk
    * Kindle                                                                    /system/app/redding-7648-signed-zipped.apk
    * Madden NFL football  (2.2 only)                                           /system/app/Madden.apk
    * MediaShare                                                                /system/app/homeshare.apk
    * MediaSync                                                                 /system/app/MediaSync.apk
    * Music Visualization Wallpapers                                            /system/app/VisualizationWallpapers.apk
    * My Verizon                                                                /system/app/MyVerizon.apk, /data/app/com/vzw.hss.myverizon.apk
    * News widget                                                               /system/app/NewsWidget.apk
    * NFS Shift            (2.1 only)                                           (remove through application manager)
    * Skype Mobile                                                              /system/app/Skype_mobile.live.apk
    * Social Messaging                                                          /system/app/SocialMessaging.apk
    * Social Networking                                                         /system/app/FriendFeed.apk
    * Social Share                                                              /system/app/SocialShare.apk
    * Social Status                                                             /system/app/StatusWidget.ap
    * Sound Recorder                                                            /system/app/SoundRecorder.apk
    * Sticky Notes                                                              /system/app/StickyNoteWidget.apk
    * Swype Keyboard                                                            /system/app/Swype.apk
    * Talk                                                                      /system/app/Talk.apk
    * Toggle Widgets                                                            /system/app/ToggleWidgets.apk
    * Video Editor Lite                                                         /system/app/ArcVideoEditorLite.apk
    * Verizon Visual Voicemail                                                  /system/app/Vvm.apk
    * VPN Services                                                              /system/app/VpnServices.apk
    * VZ Navigator                                                              /system/app/com.vznavigator.DROIDX.apk
    * Weather                                                                   /system/app/WeatherWidget.apk
    * Work Contacts                                                             /system/app/WorkContacts.apk

[Ads]

[omnicious]

Umm...wouldn't installing FlyX also be a way to get rid of bloat?

[DebianDog]

Umm...wouldn't installing FlyX also be a way to get rid of bloat?

If you want to trust what Birdman did/does. Load ROM manager and a Bootstrapper sure.

I would rather delete what I think is bloat.

[omnicious]

If you want to trust what _birdman_ did/does. Load ROM manager and a bootstrapper sure.

Is there reason not to?

[DebianDog]

Is there reason not to?

other than Birdman currently has his work on hold for the X until a real SBF comes out, no. The same way we are playing it safe here. Until a real SBF comes out, if your "really" screw up your phone there is no recovery other than using the "fake"/created SBF and hoping it works.

I am not even sure you can load Fly X on top of 2.2 OTA via the ROM manager yet. Anyone else know?

[omnicious]

other than Birdman currently has his work on hold for the X until a real SBF comes out, no. The same way we are playing it safe here. Until a real SBF comes out, if your "really" screw up your phone there is no recovery other than using the "fake"/created SBF and hoping it works.

I am not even sure you can load Fly X on top of 2.2 OTA via the ROM manager yet. Anyone else know?

I see. I do know the answer to that question and it is yes. FlyX does work through ROM Manager on 2.2 OTA.

[DebianDog]

OK cool. Good to know.

[REARless]

Last time I looked FlyX removed Swype because of Birdman's dislike of the Swype developers. Fine, but I really like using Swype.

[Abe21599]

Last time I looked FlyX removed Swype because of Birdman's dislike of the Swype developers. Fine, but I really like using Swype.

you can do pretty much everything FlyX has to offer without installing flyX

[DebianDog]

Last time I looked FlyX removed Swype because of Birdman's dislike of the Swype developers. Fine, but I really like using Swype.

He put swype back as an option. No disrespect to his hard work but, I would rather remove apps myself and know EXACTLY what I did instead of relying on Birdman or anyone else to decide what is, or is not, bloat to me.