Disable vs Uninstall vs Force stop on Android: what each button does

Every app's App info page in Settings has a row of buttons that sound alike and do very different things. Force stop is a quick restart, Disable is an off switch, Uninstall removes, and the storage buttons wipe different amounts of data. Picking the right one saves you from deleting what you wanted to keep, or from switching off something the phone needs.

What are the buttons on App info?

Open Settings > Apps, choose an app (show system apps first if needed), and you will see some of these:

• Open, to launch the app.
• Force stop.
• Disable (or Turn off), on preinstalled apps, or Uninstall, on apps you installed.
• In the three-dot menu, Uninstall updates, on preinstalled apps that have been updated.
• Under Storage & cache: Clear cache and Clear storage (Clear data on some phones).

Which buttons appear depends on whether the app is a system app and whether the phone needs it.

What does Force stop do?

Force stop ends all of the app's running processes immediately. It is the Android equivalent of quitting a frozen program:

• The app closes, including any background work it was doing.
• Nothing is deleted: data, settings and sign-ins stay.
• It stays stopped until you open it again or another app starts it. Until then, its scheduled jobs and alarms do not run.

Use it when an app is frozen, misbehaving or draining the battery right now. Google's own troubleshooting steps for a broken app start with it. Avoid it on system services such as Google Play services or System UI; Android restarts them anyway, and stopping them can interrupt notifications or calls.

What does Disable do?

Disable is for preinstalled apps that cannot be uninstalled. It:

• Removes any updates the app received, and its data.
• Hides it from the app drawer and stops it running, permanently, until you re-enable it.
• Stops it updating.
• Leaves the original copy in the system area, so Enable brings it back.

Use it for preinstalled apps you do not want. See how to disable system apps without root for the path on each brand.

What does Uninstall do?

For an app you installed, Uninstall removes it completely: the app, its data and its cache. If you bought it, you can reinstall it from the store without paying again.

For a preinstalled app, Uninstall usually appears as Uninstall updates in the three-dot menu. That removes the updated copy and returns the app to the version the phone shipped with. The app stays enabled and keeps working. Use it when a recent update broke something, for example a WebView update that makes apps crash. Some brands, including Xiaomi and OnePlus, also offer a full Uninstall on certain preinstalled apps, which removes them for your user and can be undone.

What do Clear cache and Clear storage do?

• Clear cache deletes temporary files the app can rebuild, such as downloaded images. It frees space and fixes some glitches. Nothing important is lost; the app may be slower the first time you open it.
• Clear storage (or Clear data) resets the app to a fresh install: settings, sign-ins, offline downloads and local files are deleted. Anything not synced to an account is gone.

Try Clear cache first. Use Clear storage only when an app is badly stuck, and only after you know what it will delete.

Which one should I use?

What are the ADB versions of these buttons?

If you use ADB (see how to set up ADB), each button has a command. Replace the example package with your own:

adb shell am force-stop com.example.app                  # Force stop
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.example.app       # Disable
adb shell pm enable com.example.app                      # Enable again
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.app       # Remove for your user
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.example.app   # Bring it back
adb shell pm clear com.example.app                       # Clear storage

The ADB uninstall works on preinstalled apps that Settings will not remove, and only for your user. Our guide to uninstalling system apps with ADB explains when to use it.

What can go wrong with each?

• Force stop: little. At worst, an app misses a reminder until you open it again.
• Disable: other features that depend on the app stop. Disabling the wrong system part can break calls, the keyboard or the home screen. Check the verdict on the package page first.
• Uninstall: data that was only on the phone is gone.
• Uninstall updates: you lose the newer version's features and fixes until it updates again.
• Clear storage: you are signed out and lose anything not synced.

If you disabled something and want it back, see how to restore a disabled system app.