Permission controller
Do not remove
The Mainline module that shows permission prompts and manages which apps can use your camera, location and other data.
Google package
Package installer
Do not remove: com.google.android.packageinstaller Do not remove Vendor documentation
The system component that installs, updates and uninstalls apps and asks you to confirm each change. Do not remove it: disabling or uninstalling it can leave the phone unusable.
What it does
Package installer is Google's build of the Android component that handles app installs outside the Play Store and confirms uninstalls. It shows the prompts when you open an APK file, when another app store asks to install or update something, and when you remove an app, and it enforces the setting that lets only approved sources install apps. Before Android 10 it also contained the permission screens that now live in Permission controller.
If you disable it
Apps cannot be installed from files or other stores, or uninstalled through the normal prompts, and community reports describe boot loops after removing it on some phones. Do not disable it.
How to disable it
On most phones Settings greys out Disable for this package, so ADB is the way to turn it off. The commands below work without root and can be undone.
Turn it back on
adb shell pm enable com.google.android.packageinstallerRestore it after a per-user uninstall
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.packageinstallerData and battery
Reads the app files you choose to install; install requests can be checked by Google Play Protect when it is on.
Where it appears
- Made by Google LLC.
Questions people ask
What is com.google.android.packageinstaller?
com.google.android.packageinstaller is Package installer. The system component that installs, updates and uninstalls apps and asks you to confirm each change.
Can I disable Package installer?
No. Do not remove it: disabling or uninstalling it can leave the phone unusable.
What happens if I disable Package installer?
Apps cannot be installed from files or other stores, or uninstalled through the normal prompts, and community reports describe boot loops after removing it on some phones. Do not disable it.
Sources
- Android source: PackageInstallerAndroid source
- Android Developers: PackageInstallerDeveloper documentation
- Android Open Source Project: PermissionController moduleAndroid source
- Universal Android Debloater list entryCommunity list
Each source answered when this page was checked on 25 October 2026.
Confidence: Vendor documentation. Backed by the maker's own documentation, the Android source or the Play listing. How we decide a verdict.
Cite this page: https://mysystemapp.com/packages/com.google.android.packageinstaller/ (verified 25 October 2026). Something wrong or out of date? Request a correction.