P40 Pro debloating guide

[fichl]

Hey everyone,
...
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.desktop.explorer ****** I don't need Huawei doing anything on my PC
...

cool, thanks for your list and your tests.
btw above package ist the EMUI Desktop Mode which is pretty neat if you connect your phone to a screen or projector... nothing to do with pc connections.

cheers

 

[tschertel]

I use Nova Launcher and I cannot use default weather app/widget. I have Today Weather installed. Did someone uninstall system weather or clock widget?
My fear is uninstalling clock and everything stop working

I have a P40 Pro+.
I've uninstalled three more apps:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.intelligent ****** Assistant TODAY
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hwvoipservice ****** MeeTime (not available here in Germany and I'd really not use it)
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.android.thememanager ****** Themes manager (I use Nova Launcher)

 

[H-Emmanuel]

Guys, how do I uninstall Huawei Webview?

Also, do you guys recommend to keep Huawei Cloud or is there a better alternative? I restored a backup and the Gallery images that restored were of a very low file size less than 500 KB whereas the originals were at least 3-5 MB's in size.

I searched Google, but could not find any information on this. If the Cloud versions of images are compressed and a smaller size is restored then Cloud is of no use to me except for restoring phone settings.

Thanks

I removed it in the past but it's not a good idea. I don't remember why but these days I keep it on my phone.

I personally don't use any Huawei cloud features, I don't really trust my pictures and general data to be stored on some foreign server. I manually transfer my pictures to my PC every once in a while. Otherwise there are a ton of cloud backup apps for Android that you can use.

Overall I'm pretty disappointed with the Huawei backup/restore app. I was under the impression that being a stock app on the phone, it would have additional privileges resembling root access (like Titanium Backup) and would do a great job at fully restoring the OS and apps. Unfortunately, when you restore apps from Huawei backups, it's like a fresh installation; all your app settings and data are lost.

Rules and settings defined in the stock Optimizer app are not backed up either. This means that "App launch" and "Network access" settings are lost.

So all in all, without root, you'll be spending quite a bit of time setting up your phone again after a factory reset, even after restoring a Huawei backup.

 

[H-Emmanuel]

Hello friends!

I recommend trying my new program for managing applications on android - ADB AppControl.
With it you will forget about the command line. Disable and remove bloatware with an easy-to-use graphical interface. Save disabled apps to a preset and share with others users. Download and install applications. As well as many other cool features, including a convenient console.

I created a preset for ADB AppControl from the list of apps in this topic and you can apply it easily.
You can choose which applications to disable when you load it into the program. If you disable something wrong, you can easily enable it again.

View attachment 5082151

Download ADB AppControl

Thanks a lot! I actually wrote my own batch script to automate removing the apps I listed, but I'll give your app a shot the day I do a factory reset Based on your description, it sounds like the ADB tool for Xiaomi devices which is super convenient.

 

[H-Emmanuel]

cool, thanks for your list and your tests.
btw above package ist the EMUI Desktop Mode which is pretty neat if you connect your phone to a screen or projector... nothing to do with pc connections.

cheers

Thanks, much appreciated! I updated my original post with this information.

 

[H-Emmanuel]

I use Nova Launcher and I cannot use default weather app/widget. I have Today Weather installed. Did someone uninstall system weather or clock widget?
My fear is uninstalling clock and everything stop working

I have a P40 Pro+.
I've uninstalled three more apps:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.intelligent ****** Assistant TODAY
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hwvoipservice ****** MeeTime (not available here in Germany and I'd really not use it)
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.android.thememanager ****** Themes manager (I use Nova Launcher)

My original post already contains com.huawei.intelligent
I use the stock launcher so I kept ThemeManager.

I also kept the stock Clock app, I can't tell you whether or not it's safe to remove it. If you replace it with another Clock app, you better do some heavy testing to make sure that your alarms #1 go off at the right time and #2 can always be heard when they go off. I've programmed quite a bit on Android and interruptions can be a PITA. Depending on the Android version, Huawei's implementation and Huawei's own custom code, there is always a chance that a third party clock app may not function properly, especially in certain scenarios like the screen is off (device sleeping), battery is low, Do Not Disturb is enabled etc.

I removed the stock weather app and MeeTime using the Uninstall button.

 

[simonali68]

You're more than welcome. I've been doing some network analysis using the AdGuard Firewall and I might update this guide with my findings. I found out the phone is phoning back home (to China) quite a bit, especially Huawei Cloud and HiCloud servers despite not using any of these apps or Huawei cloud services.

Does this not bother you and can it be stopped?

I'm quite interested in getting a Huawei phone because they have no GMS now and have no plans to fiddle with it to add any Google, but I'm not keen on jumping from one set of spying eyes to another either...

 

[Rhadamanthis]

Good morning, is safe to remove Huawei WebView? If yes how to remove?

 

[pmacaodha]

Great guide worked perfectly. Thanks very much

 

[alvaro761991]

welp I followed some commands and now my location is not working :S

 

[pmacaodha]

Does this not bother you and can it be stopped?

I'm quite interested in getting a Huawei phone because they have no GMS now and have no plans to fiddle with it to add any Google, but I'm not keen on jumping from one set of spying eyes to another either...

Mine still attempts to contact Huawei quite a lot (10 plus times a day) even after the debloating described here. I would recommend NetGuard, a non-root fire wall. Works very well as long as you don't need to use a VPN as well.

NetGuard

A simple way to block access to the internet per app

netguard.me

NetGuard | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

A simple way to block access to the internet per application

f-droid.org

PS. Make sure you turn off the power managment options and allow it to start on reboot.

 

[deadball800]

how to restore stock email? can u write the cmd?

 

[DaemonDayz]

First of all thanks for the amazing guide. I have Blokada installed and after your guide the amount of tracking decreased notably. I have been encountering a problem though which might not even be correlated to your list, but I still wanted to ask you guys about it. My contacts desynchronize on my phone after a few hours of having it turned on. After restart it synchronizes again. I reinstalled com.huawei.contacts, but alas they still desynchronize. Copying the contacts from my Sim to the phone memory also did not help. Has anyone else encountered this problem? Otherwise my phone works perfectly fine so thanks again for the guide!

 

[cimston]

Hi how to fix this

Screenshot

Captured with Lightshot

prnt.sc

I found solution.I had bluestack emulator open

 

[Jostian]

Hey everyone,

I've spent the last couples days going through all the installed packages, cross-referencing different debloating guides and testing my changes. I'm running the latest EMUI 10.1.0.158 (C636).

RECOMMENDATIONS: if you can, follow this debloating guide right after a factory reset; this simply guarantees a fresh clean start. Otherwise, start by backing up your apps and important files to an external device. The built-in backup app is ideal for preserving your apps and their settings, but make sure to move these backups OFF THE PHONE. Then, you can either remove all the apps (in my guide) all at once, or remove a few at a time and reboot the phone in between. Rebooting in between reduces the chance of "shocking" the OS with too many changes all at once which could result in boot looping. Just keep in mind that I did not find that to be necessary when debloating right after a factory reset, but your mileage may vary.

Here is what I personally debloated without any adverse effect, after 2 weeks of daily use:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hicloud ****** Huawei cloud features
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.browser ****** Stock browser, replaced with Mozilla
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.browserhomepage ****** Stock browser component
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.bookmarkprovider ****** Stock bookmark content
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks ****** Stock bookmark content
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.wallet ****** Huawei Wallet app
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.music ****** Stock music application, replaced with PowerAmp (use the APK from their website, it does not rely on Google Services)
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.phoneservice ****** Huawei customer support, also known as HiCare
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hifolder ****** AppAdvisor
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.parentcontrol ****** Digital balance, parental control features
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hicard ****** Huawei Cards, no info but recommended in some guides, no negative consequences
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hitouch ****** Allows you to shop for an object that you took a picture of
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hiassistantoversea ****** HiVoice. Huawei's voice assistant to replace "Hey Google"
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.fastapp ****** Quick App Center, another type of app distribution
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.imedia.sws ****** Histen. Special sound effects found in the sound settings. I only care about my EQ settings in PowerAmp
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.intelligent ****** Huawei Assistant. Shopping recommendations
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.magazine ****** Magazine unlock. Downloads wallpapers for your lock screen. I don't need my phone needlessly connecting to remote servers
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hwblockchain ****** I don't do anything blockchain related
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hwstartupguide ****** A one-time setup app that is no longer needed
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.onetimeinitializer ****** A one-time setup app that is no longer needed
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.android.instantonline ****** No information but recommended in some guides, no negative consequences
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hwpanpayservice ****** This is payment related, I don't use my phone as a payment method nor do I use Huawei Wallet
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.bjbyhd.screenreader_huawei ****** An accessibility feature for visually impaired people
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.search ****** HiSearch. This does not affect the search bar in the Settings
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hwdetectrepair ****** Smart Diagnosis app. It diagnoses hardware problems which I could do myself
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hiview ****** This supposedly displays details/attributes of pictures. After removing this, I can still access the picture attributes in the stock Gallery so I'm not sure what this is actually about
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hiviewtunnel ****** Related to HiView.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hidisk ****** Stock file explorer, replaced with File Manager +
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.android.chr ****** HwChrService, this collects data about your usage of the cellular network. No thanks
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.bd ****** Huawei User Experience app
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.android.karaoke ****** Self explanatory
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.desktop.explorer ****** EMUI Desktop Mode for connecting to an external display
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.android.FloatTasks ****** Navigation Dock, I don't care for that UI feature
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.languagedownloader ****** According to some guides, this is unsafe but I don't need another downloader for something that I'll never use
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.lbs ****** Location Service. Sounds scary but I am still able to use all my GPS and location services. My location based weather widgets, Waze and Google Maps connect just as fast and accurately as before
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.featurelayer.sharedfeature.map ****** Huawei Map Service. I removed it and have no issues using Waze and Google Maps
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.hisi.mapcon ****** This is apparently not recommended when using WiFi calling, which I don't
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.himovie.overseas ****** Stock video application, replaced with VLC. This integrates perfectly with the stock Camera and Gallery apps
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.stk ****** SIM Toolkit. Not supported by US SIM cards
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.mms ****** Stock SMS application, replaced with Pulse. I can still send/receive SMS & MMS. Textra looks like a good alternative too
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.HwMultiScreenShot ****** Scrollshot. Basic screenshots still work, I don't use the knock feature
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.smartshot ****** Smart screenshot. Basic screenshots still work, I don't use the knock feature
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.bluetooth ****** Allows importing phone contacts via Bluetooth, something I've never done in my life
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.swiftkey.swiftkeyconfigurator ****** Older version of SwiftKey, replaced with the latest SwiftKey APK
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.touchtype.swiftkey ****** Older version of SwiftKey, replaced with the latest SwiftKey APK. Do not do this before downloading the APK for your new keyboard otherwise you won't have a keyboard to use to search for a replacement
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.pcassistant ****** Used when connecting your phone to your PC using HiSuite
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.egg ****** A hidden animation that no one needs to see
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.backupconfirm ****** Google Backup, unusable without Google Services. This does not affect Huawei's backup app, I was able to back up all my apps and settings
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.calllogbackup ****** Google Call Log Backup/Restore. This does not affect Huawei's backup app, I was able to back up my calls successfully
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.scanner ****** AI Lens. Shop for objects that you take a picture of. I can't stand these "features" that revolve around shopping. This de-clutters the camera interface by removing the AI Lens button on the top left corner and does not break the AR Measure app.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.contacts ****** Dialer & contacts app. I first installed my dialer replacement, True Phone (version 2.0.0-hw rev 99 from the AppGallery) and then ran this command. Although this should not actually delete your contacts, make sure to back them up. I've had absolutely 0 issue making or receiving calls after deleting the stock dialer.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.huawei.hwsearch ****** Petal Search widget. I personally use APKPure and sometimes the AppGallery.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 package:com.huawei.android.hwupgradeguide ****** New package that came with .158. There is no description online but judging from the name, I don't need it

NOTICE THAT I DO NOT INCLUDE THE -k PARAMETER IN MY COMMANDS, unlike most guides found online. I do not get any error running the commands as such, and it actually clears the data created by those apps. In other words, we're not only debloating your user interface but also your storage!

To restore any app removed via ADB:
adb shell cmd package install-existing <package_name>

I always try to uninstall apps through Android before resorting to ADB. I did not really keep track of apps that I uninstalled through the menu, so it's just easier to tell you which stock apps I kept installed. By stock app, I ONLY MEAN actual apps that you can open from the home screen:
-AppGallery. This requires com.huawei.hwid to work. I needed it to get Snapchat, I might ADB-uninstall it now that Snapchat is installed
-Phone Clone. This could always be useful for porting apps over
-Optimizer
-Themes
-Live wallpaper (com.huawei.livewallpaper.paradise, also known as Brocade)
-Calendar widget/app
-Camera. Obviously. Who in their right mind would get this phone lacking a major component of Android (Play Services), if not for the camera
-Gallery. For pictures and editing
-Contacts. This is also the phone dialer. I have now uninstalled this app and replaced it with True Dialer 2.0 by Hamster Beat (available on AppGallery)
-Compass. Works great
-Smart Remote. If I ever decide to make use of my IR blaster
-AR Measure. I usually don't care for stuff like this but this actually works great and looks awesome

Here are apps/system processes that actually have an uninstall button but that I DID NOT UNINSTALL:
-Backup (com.huawei.KoBackup). I use this app to create backups periodically. Without root, this native app is able to backup a lot more than any other 3rd party backup app
-com.huawei.game.kitserver (I don't play games but if I ever decide to, I'd like to avoid breaking features)
-Contacts Sync (com.huawei.contacts.sync). I have now uninstalled this app as I no longer use the stock dialer (com.huawei.contacts)
-Storage manager (com.android.storemanager)

My goal is to remove low quality, "spyware" or unnecessary apps without removing or breaking useful features. "Useful" is always a little subjective, so decide for yourself based on my descriptions and comments!

any idea why one cannot uninstall parental control any longer, keeps saying it cannot be uninstalled, aborted etc. ?

 

[Shymmy]

Parental control where ??
I had that problem on the child's Google account, if I'm not wrong, when they started to use Classroom for school, and I had to change his birthday to be able to install anything on his phone, without restrictions.

 

[Jostian]

Parental control where ??
I had that problem on the child's Google account, if I'm not wrong, when they started to use Classroom for school, and I had to change his birthday to be able to install anything on his phone, without restrictions.

in settings, I tried to uninstall it (com.huawei.parentcontrol) using adb, worked on EMUI 10 but not able to debloat it on EMUI 11 it seems? another weird one, if I try change my default gallery app to Google Photo I can no longer view photos from the camera app, when I tap on the round photo icon next to shutter button I get a pop up on screen saying "Unable to view photos. Please add gallery to the work profile and try again" ?? any ideas