How to disable system apps on Android without root

You do not need root to switch off most of the apps your phone came with. Android has a built-in Disable button for preinstalled apps, and it is the safest way to quiet an app you never use. This guide shows where the button is on each major brand, what it changes, and what to do when it is missing.

What does Disable do?

Disable is Android's off switch for apps that cannot be uninstalled. When you disable an app:

• Its icon disappears from the app drawer and home screen.
• It stops running, including in the background, and stops sending notifications.
• Any updates it received after the phone left the factory are removed, and so is its data.
• It no longer receives updates from the Play Store or the maker's store.
• The original copy stays in the phone's read-only system area, so you can turn it back on at any time.

That last point is what makes Disable a good first step. Nothing is deleted from the system, so a mistake is easy to undo.

How do I disable a system app on my phone?

The route is nearly the same everywhere: open the app's App info page in Settings and tap Disable. What changes is how you reach that page and what the brand calls things. If an app is not in the list, turn on the option to show system apps first; our guide to showing system apps has the menu for each brand.

Pixel

Settings > Apps > See all apps > (the app) > Disable. Confirm with Disable app.

Samsung Galaxy

Settings > Apps > (the app) > Disable, in the bar at the bottom of the screen. You can also touch and hold the app's icon on the Apps screen, tap App info, and tap Disable there.

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO

Settings > Apps > Manage apps > (the app). Many Xiaomi system apps offer Uninstall instead of Disable, and some offer neither. Xiaomi explains that apps tied to basic phone functions cannot be removed.

OnePlus and OPPO

Settings > Apps > App management > (the app) > Disable. Some versions also let you uninstall certain preinstalled apps and bring them back later from a "Recover system apps" option in the same menu.

Motorola

Settings > Apps > See all apps > (the app) > Disable. Motorola notes that preinstalled apps cannot be removed, only disabled.

When you tap Disable, Android warns that other apps may stop working as intended. The warning appears for every system app, harmless or not, so check what the app does before you confirm. Each package page gives a verdict: Keep, Safe to disable, Advanced or Do not remove.

What is the difference between Disable and Uninstall updates?

Some system apps show Uninstall updates in the three-dot menu of App info. That button does something different:

• Uninstall updates rolls the app back to the version that shipped with the phone. The app stays enabled and keeps running.
• Disable turns the app off. On most phones it removes the updates first, then switches it off.

Use Uninstall updates when a recent update broke something, for example a crashing Android System WebView. Use Disable when you do not want the app at all. Our guide to Disable, Uninstall and Force stop compares all the buttons.

Why is the Disable button missing or greyed out?

There are a few common reasons:

• The phone needs it. Android greys out Disable for core parts such as Settings, the phone app, System UI and the package installer. Treat a greyed-out button as a sign to leave the app alone.
• It is a default app. If the app is your default browser, launcher, dialer or text app, choose a different default first in Settings > Apps > Default apps.
• It is a device admin. Apps with device administrator rights, such as Find My Mobile or a work management app, must be removed from the device admin list before they can be disabled.
• The phone maker blocks it. Xiaomi, and some carrier builds, hide Disable for many of their own apps.
• Your employer or school manages the phone. Work policies can lock apps on or off.

What should I disable first?

Start with apps marked Safe to disable: feeds, games hubs, duplicate stores, trial apps and carrier extras you never open. Disable one or two at a time, then use the phone normally for a day. Leave anything marked Do not remove alone, and read the caveat on anything marked Advanced before you touch it. The debloat checklist builds a list for your brand, sorted by verdict.

What can I do when Settings won't let me?

If Settings has no Disable button for an app you are sure you do not need, ADB can disable it from a computer. You switch on USB debugging, connect the phone, and run one command per app. The phone stays unrooted and the change is just as reversible. See how to set up ADB and how to uninstall system apps with ADB. Use it only on apps whose verdict you have checked.

How do I turn a disabled app back on?

Open Settings > Apps, show system apps if needed, find the app (many phones can filter the list to show only disabled apps), and tap Enable. Then open the Play Store and update it, because disabling removed its updates. Our guide to restoring a disabled system app covers the cases where the app does not show up.