How to restore a disabled or removed system app on Android

Every change made with Android's Disable button, and every app removed for your user with ADB, can be undone. The original copy of a preinstalled app never leaves the phone's system area. This guide shows how to bring an app back in each situation, from the simple Enable button to the case where you no longer remember what you changed.

How do I re-enable an app in Settings?

1. Open Settings > Apps (on Pixel and Motorola, then See all apps).
2. Show system apps if the app is a system part: the three-dot menu > Show system on Pixel, Motorola and OnePlus, or the sort-and-filter icon > Show system apps on Samsung.
3. Many phones can filter the list to disabled apps only, from the drop-down at the top of the list or the filter menu. Disabled apps are also marked "Disabled" or "Turned off" in the full list.
4. Open the app and tap Enable (or Turn on).

Then update it. Disabling removed its updates, so open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Manage apps & device, and install the pending updates. Samsung's own apps update through Galaxy Store.

What if the app is not in the list?

If the app does not appear even with system apps shown, one of these is usually the reason:

• It was removed for your user with ADB, rather than disabled. Settings does not list it any more. Use the ADB steps below.
• It was hidden, not disabled. Launcher "hide apps" options and Android 15's private space keep apps out of the drawer but leave them installed and enabled. Check your launcher's settings.
• It belongs to another user or a work profile.
• It was a store app you uninstalled. Reinstall it from the store.

On OnePlus and OPPO phones, look for Recover system apps in the app management settings. It lists preinstalled apps you removed and reinstalls them with one tap.

How do I restore an app with ADB?

With USB debugging on and ADB working (see how to set up ADB), first see what is disabled:

adb shell pm list packages -d

Re-enable a disabled package:

adb shell pm enable com.samsung.android.app.spage

To find packages that were removed for your user, compare the normal list with the list that includes uninstalled packages. Lines that appear only in the second list are the ones removed:

adb shell pm list packages > installed.txt
adb shell pm list packages -u > including-removed.txt

Restore a removed package from the copy in the system area, then enable it in case it was also disabled:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.samsung.android.app.spage
adb shell pm enable com.samsung.android.app.spage

A reply of "Package ... installed for user: 0" means it worked. Update the app from its store afterwards.

What if I can't remember what I changed?

Two shortcuts help:

• Reset app preferences. On a Pixel, Settings > System > Reset options > Reset app preferences; on Samsung, the three-dot menu in Settings > Apps. It turns every disabled app back on at once, and also resets default apps, notification blocks and background limits. It does not restore apps removed with ADB, and it does not delete data.
• The full comparison above. Every line in including-removed.txt that is missing from installed.txt is an app removed for your user. Paste the list into the package-list audit to see what each one is before you decide what to restore.

A factory reset restores every preinstalled app to its original state, but it also erases your data. Use it only after the steps above, and back up first.

What if the phone won't start properly?

If you disabled or removed something and the phone now crashes or loops:

1. Restart into safe mode. Power the phone off, turn it on, and hold Volume down while it starts until "Safe mode" appears. Some phones use the on-screen power menu instead: touch and hold Power off.
2. If you can reach Settings, reset app preferences.
3. If the phone gets far enough to connect, try ADB. When USB debugging was left on, adb devices often works even while the interface keeps crashing, and you can run pm enable or install-existing on what you changed.
4. If nothing works, use recovery mode to factory reset. Your phone maker's support site lists the button combination for your model.

How do I avoid this next time?

• Disable before you uninstall, and change a few apps at a time.
• Save your package list before you start: adb shell pm list packages > before.txt.
• Keep a note of every package you change and the command that reverses it.
• Check the verdict first. Packages marked Do not remove are the ones that cause boot loops; the package lookup shows the verdict for any name.

For the full method, see how to remove bloatware, and for the differences between the buttons, see Disable vs Uninstall vs Force stop.