Android Debloater (ADB)

Debloat Android phones and Android TV devices using a single Bash script and ADB.

The script is intentionally conservative by default: it mostly disables packages instead of uninstalling them, which is easier to recover from and usually safer for OTA updates.

What This Script Does

• Detects a connected Android device over ADB.
• Detects device type (Phone vs TV) using installed package heuristics.
• Optionally installs alternative apps on phones (Aurora Store, F-Droid, Fossify apps, etc.) if missing.
• Disables a large list of vendor/Google/social/utility packages.
• Uninstalls a small subset of packages where explicitly configured.

Why Disable Instead of Uninstall?

Disabling user 0 packages generally has lower risk:

• Easier rollback (can be re-enabled from Settings or ADB).
• Better OTA compatibility compared with broad uninstalling.
• Good debloat impact without removing system package metadata.

Uninstalling is still used in a few targeted places in this script.

Prerequisites

• Linux/macOS (or WSL/Git Bash with ADB available)
• adb
• wget
• USB debugging enabled on the Android device
• Authorized ADB connection (Allow USB debugging prompt accepted)

Install prerequisites:

• Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -Syy
sudo pacman -S android-tools

• Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y android-tools-adb wget

Verify that the device is connected:

adb devices

You should see your device with the state device.

Quick Start

From the project directory:

chmod +x android-debloater.sh
./android-debloater.sh

Important Safety Notes

• Read the package lists before running.
• This script runs immediately; there is no interactive confirmation.
• Some categories disable core apps (contacts, dialer, SMS, camera, file manager, etc.).
• A few packages are uninstalled, not just disabled.
• Results vary by OEM/ROM/version; some package names may not exist on your device.

Recommended Workflow

1. Back up important data.
2. Review/edit package groups in android-debloater.sh before first run.
3. Run the script once.
4. Reboot the device.
5. Test calls, messaging, camera, notifications, and updates.
6. Re-enable anything needed.

Rollback / Recovery

Re-enable a package

adb shell pm enable --user 0 <package.name>

Reinstall an uninstalled system package (if still present in system image)

adb shell pm install-existing --user 0 <package.name>

List disabled packages

adb shell pm list packages --user 0 -d

List all user 0 packages

adb shell pm list packages --user 0

Customizing

Edit package groups directly in android-debloater.sh:

• Keep a package: comment out its line.
• Add a package to disable: add it under a disable_android_package block.
• Remove uninstall actions unless you explicitly want them.

Tip: start conservative and expand gradually.

Known Behavior

• If no ADB device is connected, the script exits with an error.
• If a package is already disabled/missing, operations are skipped.
• Phone-only app installation block is skipped for detected TV devices.

Troubleshooting

No ADB devices found!

• Ensure USB cable supports data.
• Re-run adb devices and accept authorization prompt.
• Try restarting ADB:

adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb devices

Permission denied when running script

chmod +x android-debloater.sh

A disabled app is needed again

Re-enable it from Android Settings (Apps) or via ADB using:

adb shell pm enable --user 0 <package.name>

Disclaimer

Use at your own risk. This script can affect core device functionality depending on your ROM and package set. Always review changes and keep a recovery path.

License

Licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. See LICENSE for details.