I don’t want to just uninstall the updates
yeah, kind of defeats the entire purpose, when the thing can simply update itself and keeps acting like a rootkit.
I stumbled upon Canta & Shizuku which when combined can enable removal of (system level) apps on Android devices. I haven’t gone crazy removing stuff however I am following cautiously the lists of recommended and safe apps.
Can you no longer simply uninstall system apps using adb, or is this just an alternative method?
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So Canta (https://github.com/samolego/Canta) is the app that uninstalls and Shizuku (https://shizuku.rikka.app/) is the app that allows Canta to access the system.
Together they’re basically just a UI ‘easy to use’ alternative to direct adb via terminal. Canta displays a list of all apps on the phone system conveniently marked with recommendations for removal - e.g. Recommended | Unsafe | System | Advanced | Expert
I know it’s more work to setup however for ease of use after that I like it. There are lists available (on Github for example) of apps that have been installed on most phone models and I would use these lists anyway if I was using adb+terminal. Now using Canta IT checks the lists, and provides me a visual interface to the apps that are installed on my phone, compared to the compiled lists, and then marks them … then it lets me remove or not as I see fit.
In summary, it’s seems to be a nice(?kind of) UI to adb designed for ease of use.
I need to look at Canta. 4 years now with Sony device treated to some adb slimming plus RethinkDNS & firewall. Tempted by Libre OS or Fairphone 6. Can’t quite afford Pixel with GOS. Food for thought.
I’m also on the search for a different phone that is more open and onto which I can install de-googled android or linux. Maybe Jolla phone? or Fairphone? I don’t really want (or like tbh) a Pixel.
It runs a wifi adb to connect the device to itself.
When will it be possible to uninstall g*gle play itself?
Easily done with ADB. Though quite a few apps won’t work properly afterwards, especially notifications and embedded maps.
Only works properly when the OS supports signature spoofing or you use a root module to do it.
Try GrapheneOS or any other similar custom ROM.
OK. Can I do it from an european phone?
Graphene will run on all Pixels I think. They don’t make a distinction on their website.
For other phones, Lineage is a great alternative OS if a phone is bootloader unlockable and there’s a build for it.
GOS is an example for Pixels, there are other custom ROMs that support more hardware.
GOS supports Pixels only.
But not uninstalling Google Play itself.
“That’s illegal”
