Skip to main content

Galaxy S6 owners may be able to completely remove bloatware

Samsung Galalxy S6 vs. Samsung Galaxy Edge 6
Jeffery Van Camp/Digital Trends
No matter what your choice of smartphone may be, it’s a common frustration that many of the apps installed on the phone out of the box simply can’t be removed. At this point, useless apps are something most of us have come to accept. It seems, however, that this could be about to change.

While the increased performance, better camera, and sleek build are reason enough to be excited for the Samsung Galaxy S6, one possible killer new feature was revealed by a user on the XDA-Developers forums: the ability to remove almost any app on the phone. This user had procured a pre-release Galaxy S6 Edge, and somewhat off-handedly remarked that many of the apps could be removed, uploading screenshots to further illustrate the point.

The interesting part is that this isn’t limited to third-party apps like Skype, OneDrive, and OneNote. Even Samsung’s own apps like S-Health and S-Voice appear to be removable, as is the built-in Calculator app. Should you decide you would like to reinstall the apps, those that can’t be found in the Google Play Store can be found in Samsung’s own Galaxy Apps store.

Of course, as this is a pre-release version of the phone, we can’t be certain that users will still be able to delete these apps on versions of the phone shipped to retailers. We also can’t be sure that the apps are actually being deleted. It’s possible that the apps are simply being disabled behind the scenes — something you can do with many apps on most Android phones.

Still, customers have been quite vocal about their distaste for bloatware. With Samsung preparing to ship a total of 55 million Galaxy S6 phones in 2015, this could go a long way toward improving the company’s reputation with its customers.

Editors' Recommendations

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
5 things I want to see in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S Pen stylus on its screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is definitely one of the best smartphones on the market right now, no doubt about that. You get incredible performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, plenty of RAM and storage, a whopping 200MP camera, two telephoto lenses for 3x and 5x optical zoom, S Pen integration, and more. It’s certainly an impressive package.

But it’s not perfect. In fact, some weaknesses could be improved in the next version, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here’s what I hope to see next year.
A new design
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S23 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 or wait for the Z Fold 6?
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 5 rear panels.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 5 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you’re in the market for a foldable phone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of the best you can get. Hands down. This is especially true considering that Samsung has five years of experience in the foldable market.

Read more
Does the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 work with the iPhone?
Apps page on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 is a popular choice for a smart watch, available in both regular and classic forms. The bright, vibrant display and improved battery life to keep going all day offer an enticing option, even making for a tempting upgrade from the Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 5.

However, before you buy a smart watch there's always the sticky question of phone operating system compatibility. To be useful, you need to link your smart watch to your smart phone -- but not every option for smart watch software plays nice with every phone OS. Samsung's smart watch options work happily with Android devices, but if you're hoping to use a newer Samsung smart watch with your iPhone then you'll run into some problems. Essentially, the newer versions of the Galaxy Watch aren't compatible with iOS, so they're not going to work with your iPhone.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 does not work with iPhones

Read more