How to Uninstall Any Android App With ADB (Including System Apps and Bloatware)

ADB can remove ordinary apps, preinstalled bloatware, and system-app updates without rooting the phone. The important distinction is that a normal app can be uninstalled, while a factory-installed app is usually removed only for a specific Android user. Its APK remains in the system image and can be restored later.

This guide covers Windows, macOS, Linux, USB ADB, wireless ADB, package-name discovery, safe removal, restoration, and the errors you are most likely to encounter.

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What you can and cannot uninstall with ADB

In this article, --user 0 means Android’s primary user. It does not mean “delete this app from every partition” or “remove it for every user and work profile.” A factory-installed package can remain known to Android and can usually be restored.

1. Install Android Platform-Tools

ADB is included in Google’s Android SDK Platform-Tools. Download the current release for your operating system and extract the archive. The extracted folder is normally named platform-tools.

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Google recommends using the latest Platform-Tools because newer ADB versions remain backward-compatible with older Android devices. Platform-Tools 37.0.1 was released in July 2026.

Open a terminal or Command Prompt inside the extracted platform-tools directory. On Windows, you can right-click an empty area of the folder and choose Open in Terminal. On macOS or Linux, use cd, for example:

cd ~/Downloads/platform-tools

Windows PowerShell may require this form when the executable is in the current directory:

./adb.exe devices

macOS and Linux use:

./adb devices

If you add platform-tools to your system PATH, you can run adb from any directory.

2. Enable Developer options and USB debugging

1. Open Settings and find Build number.
2. Tap Build number seven times.
3. Authenticate if Android asks for your PIN, password, or pattern. You should see “You are now a developer!”
4. Return to the previous Settings screen and open Developer options.
5. Enable USB debugging.

The exact Build number location varies by manufacturer:

For USB debugging, Google documents these paths:

• Android 9 and later: Settings → System → Advanced → Developer options → USB debugging
• Android 8.0 and 8.1: Settings → System → Developer options → USB debugging
• Android 7.1 and earlier: Settings → Developer options → USB debugging

Manufacturers sometimes rename or relocate these settings. If you cannot find them, search Settings for USB debugging or Build number.

3. Connect the phone and authorize the computer

Connect the unlocked phone with a USB data cable, then run:

adb devices

On the first connection, Android 4.2.2 and later displays an RSA authorization prompt. Keep the phone unlocked, approve the prompt, and optionally select Always allow from this computer. ADB commands will not work until the prompt is accepted.

Run the command again:

adb devices

A working connection looks similar to this:

List of devices attached
R58M1234567    device

The state must be device. This state confirms that ADB is connected, although it does not necessarily mean Android has completely finished booting.

4. Find the exact Android package name

ADB does not use the app’s name as shown in the launcher. You need its package identifier, such as com.example.app.

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List every package visible to the package manager:

adb shell pm list packages

Useful filters include:

# System packages
adb shell pm list packages -s

# Third-party packages
adb shell pm list packages -3

# Packages known to Android but currently uninstalled for the user
adb shell pm list packages -u

# Packages for a particular Android user
adb shell pm list packages --user 0

The output includes the prefix package::

package:com.google.android.youtube
package:com.facebook.katana
package:com.carrier.bloatware

Copy only the text after package:. For example, the package name in the first line is com.google.android.youtube.

To search the list, use a command appropriate to your computer:

# macOS/Linux
adb shell pm list packages | grep -i youtube

# Windows PowerShell
adb shell pm list packages | Select-String -Pattern youtube

Do not guess a package name from the app’s display name. A wrong identifier produces an error such as Unknown package or Failure [not installed for 0].

5. Uninstall a regular app

For an app installed normally from Google Play or an APK, run:

adb uninstall PACKAGE_NAME

Example:

adb uninstall com.example.app

The equivalent package-manager command is:

adb shell pm uninstall com.example.app

A successful operation normally returns:

Success

To remove the package while keeping its data and cache directories, add -k:

adb shell pm uninstall -k com.example.app

Keeping data can help if you plan to reinstall the app and want its local files to remain, but it does not preserve every type of account or cloud-synced data.

6. Remove a system app or bloatware without root

For a preinstalled app, use:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME

Example:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.carrier.bloatware

To keep the user’s data and cache:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.carrier.bloatware

This is not a permanent deletion of the system app. It changes the installation state for user 0. The original APK may still exist in a read-only system partition, and Android can restore it after a factory reset or with the restore command below.

Removing a package for user 0 also does not remove it from another Android user or a work profile. If you intentionally need to target another user, replace 0 with that user’s ID:

adb shell pm uninstall --user USER_ID PACKAGE_NAME

Be cautious with core packages. Removing a launcher, Settings component, permission controller, system UI package, telephony component, or Google Play services dependency can cause crashes, missing menus, boot problems, or loss of essential functions. If you cannot identify what a package does, disable it first instead of uninstalling it.

7. Disable an app instead of uninstalling it

Disabling is the safer test because it leaves the package installed and makes reversal straightforward:

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adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME

Example:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.carrier.bloatware

If the phone behaves normally, you can leave the app disabled or later remove it for user 0. To re-enable it:

adb shell pm enable PACKAGE_NAME

The package manager distinguishes between disable, disable-user, enable, and default-state. Use disable-user when your goal is specifically to disable the app for the current Android user.

8. Restore an app removed with --user 0

Because the factory APK was not erased, restore an existing system package with:

adb shell cmd package install-existing --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME

Example:

adb shell cmd package install-existing --user 0 com.carrier.bloatware

This command does not install a new APK file. It makes an existing package available to the selected user again. If you disabled the package rather than uninstalling it, use adb shell pm enable PACKAGE_NAME instead.

9. Remove only a system app’s update

If a system app has received an update and you want to revert to the version included in the system image, run:

adb shell cmd package uninstall-system-updates PACKAGE_NAME

Example:

adb shell cmd package uninstall-system-updates com.google.android.youtube

This falls back to the package’s system version. It does nothing if the package is not a system app. It is different from pm uninstall --user 0: the latter changes whether the package is installed for a user, while this command removes an update from a system package.

Wireless ADB instead of USB

Android 11 and later supports pairing over Wi-Fi through Wireless debugging. Put the computer and phone on the same Wi-Fi network, then enable:

Settings → System → Developer options → Wireless debugging

On Wear OS 6 and later, the path is Settings → Developer options → Wireless debugging.

Choose Pair device with pairing code and run the address and port shown by the watch or phone:

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adb pair IP_ADDRESS:PAIRING_PORT

Enter the displayed pairing code. Once paired, ADB can connect automatically when the device and computer remain on the same trusted network. If it does not connect, use the device’s displayed debugging address and port with:

adb connect DEVICE_IP_ADDRESS:PORT
adb devices

For Android 10 and earlier, the older wireless workflow requires an initial USB connection:

adb tcpip 5555
adb connect DEVICE_IP_ADDRESS:5555
adb devices

Do not confuse this with the newer on-device Wireless debugging pairing screen; that screen is not the documented Android 10-and-earlier workflow.

Android 17 and ADB 37.0.0 introduced ADB Wi-Fi 2.0, which can automatically reconnect to a trusted wireless-debugging network. If discovery fails, inspect the ADB server:

adb server-status

The output should show a version of 37.0.0 or newer and mdns_enabled: true. You can also check mDNS service discovery:

adb mdns track-services --proto-text

An empty result indicates that the network is not providing the mDNS discovery ADB expects. Platform-Tools 37.0.1 removed the openscreen mDNS backend, so setting ADB_MDNS_OPENSCREEN does not fix discovery with that release.

Fix common ADB problems

“unauthorized” appears beside the phone

1. Unlock the phone.
2. Accept the RSA prompt.
3. Disconnect and reconnect the cable.
4. In Developer options, use Revoke USB debugging authorizations, then reconnect and approve the new prompt.
5. Run adb devices again.

ADB intentionally requires this authorization before commands can run.

The phone is not listed

• Try a different USB cable; many cables charge but do not carry data.
• Try another USB port and select a data-transfer USB mode on the phone if prompted.
• On Windows, install the appropriate OEM USB ADB driver.
• On macOS and ChromeOS, Google does not require additional USB-driver configuration.
• On Ubuntu, install the Platform-Tools rules package:

sudo apt-get install android-sdk-platform-tools-common

Add your account to the plugdev group:

sudo usermod -aG plugdev $LOGNAME

Log out and back in before trying ADB again. Ubuntu also needs matching udev rules.

The state is “offline”

offline means ADB can see the device but cannot communicate with it properly. Restart the ADB server and reconnect:

adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb devices

Keep the phone unlocked and accept any new authorization prompt. If it remains offline, replace the cable, restart the phone, and check that USB debugging is still enabled.

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“Unknown package” or “not installed for 0”

List packages again and copy the exact identifier:

adb shell pm list packages -u

These errors usually mean the identifier is misspelled or the package is not installed for the user specified in the command.

The app is still visible after uninstalling it

Check whether it remains installed for another user or work profile. The command --user 0 affects only user 0. Also remember that a factory-installed package is not permanently erased; it may be restored after a reset or by using install-existing.

Safe removal checklist

1. Confirm the phone appears as device in adb devices.
2. Copy the package name from pm list packages rather than guessing.
3. Search the web or the manufacturer’s documentation if you do not know what the package controls.
4. Disable the package first with pm disable-user if it might be important.
5. Record the exact command so you can restore the package later.
6. Remove one package at a time and test the phone before continuing.

FAQ

Can ADB permanently remove a system app without root?

Usually no. adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME removes the package for user 0, but it does not delete the factory APK from the system image. The package can be restored with adb shell cmd package install-existing --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME.

What is the difference between adb uninstall and pm uninstall --user 0?

adb uninstall is the normal command for a user-installed app. The pm uninstall --user 0 form targets Android user 0 and is commonly used for preinstalled system or carrier packages.

How do I find an app’s package name?

Run adb shell pm list packages. The output begins with package:; copy only the identifier after that prefix. You can filter results with grep on macOS/Linux or Select-String in PowerShell.

Can I undo an ADB uninstall?

For a system package removed with --user 0, run adb shell cmd package install-existing --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME. For a regular app, reinstall it from Google Play or from its trusted APK source.

Does ADB uninstall affect work profiles?

Only if you target the relevant Android user. --user 0 applies to user 0, while another user or work profile can retain its own installation state.

Is disabling safer than uninstalling?

Yes. adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME leaves the package installed and can be reversed with adb shell pm enable PACKAGE_NAME.

The Bottom Line

Use adb uninstall PACKAGE_NAME for ordinary apps. For preinstalled bloatware, use adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 PACKAGE_NAME, understanding that this removes it only for user 0 rather than permanently deleting the system copy. If you are unsure about a package, disable it first and keep a record of the restore command.

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