5 bloatware apps you should uninstall from your Samsung phone ASAP (without regrets)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.


Samsung phones are well known for One UI, one of the most functional and intuitive Android interfaces. While it’s highly customizable, these phones often come with preinstalled bloatware. Some built-in Samsung apps, such as Wearable and Wallet, are useful within the Samsung ecosystem. However, there are at least five first-party apps that even dedicated Samsung users rarely touch.

The preinstalled bloatware apps can vary by device, price, and lineup, but many are common across all Galaxy phones. While you might not be able to uninstall all of them, they’re easy to disable and can be re-enabled if you ever need them.

Also: Changing 10 settings on my Samsung phone gave it a big performance boost

While these apps aren’t necessarily useless or mindless bloatware, every user’s needs differ. If you’re not using them, it’s a good idea to uninstall or disable such Samsung apps to save memory and reduce background battery usage.

1. Global Goals

Samsung’s Global Goals app promotes sustainability. Users can earn money through the app by watching ads or donating to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

“Samsung Global Goals is a worldwide effort to improve our planet and daily lives by 2030,” says the company. It is a noble idea, but I don’t think every Samsung user wants to donate through an app, and not everyone wants it on their devices.

2. Samsung Free

Samsung Free app on Galaxy S25 Edge.

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Samsung Free offers a way to watch movies, TV shows, live TV, latest news, and more for free. If that sounds similar to Samsung TV Plus, it is. In fact, this app has a button for Watch on TV Plus, which takes you to another app to watch the same stuff. In addition to TV Plus capabilities, you get two additional tabs called Read and Play, which let you read the latest news articles and play games.

Also: Own a Samsung phone? Changing these 7 settings will drastically improve the battery life

The Samsung Free app is a mix of Galaxy Store, Samsung TV Plus, and more, but it isn’t required. It’s one of the useless bloatware apps that I recommend uninstalling as soon as you set up your phone.

3. Samsung TV Plus

This is a free ad-supported streaming TV service owned by Samsung. It could be useful if you haven’t subscribed to any streaming service. If you’re lucky, you might even find some movies that are behind a paywall on Amazon Prime Video for free. It offers over 1,200 channels across 24 countries.

That said, Samsung TV Plus isn’t like Apple TV or Prime Video. The South Korean company doesn’t produce original TV shows or movies. If you don’t watch TV on your phone and are already subscribed to Netflix, HBO Max, and the like, it might be a good idea to uninstall Samsung TV Plus. 

4. Samsung Shop

The Samsung Shop app is, well, a shopping app for Samsung devices. It is aimed at delivering more personalized content, like product recommendations and special offers for registered products. Like the Apple Store app on iPhones, you can check out new deals and benefits on Samsung products.

Also: I changed 10 Samsung phone settings for an instant performance boost

However, these offers can often turn into unwanted notification clutter and hinder the One UI experience. You can always go to the Samsung website to learn more about current deals, so it makes sense to declutter your Galaxy phone and save the on-device storage.

5. Samsung Kids

Samsung Kids app on Galaxy S25 Edge.

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

This app is designed for kids and aims to help them develop thinking skills. Samsung says it is a safe place for little humans and enables them to build healthy digital habits. If you have a child, Samsung Kids might be worth trying. 

However, not all Galaxy phone users have children. For them, it is a storage hogging app that sends unsolicited notifications if you tap on the Allow button.

Also: I spent a week in New York City with the Samsung Z Fold 7 – and it spoiled me the entire time

Most Samsung Galaxy phones come with preinstalled Microsoft and social media apps like Facebook and Snapchat. There are other Samsung apps like Gaming Hub, which might be useful for gamers but not so much for productivity-focused users. 

Each preinstalled app can be helpful for some users and a memory hog for others. I strongly recommend going through your installed apps once you have set up your phone, so you can uninstall bloatware that doesn’t appeal to your usage.



Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

How to Set Up and Use an eSIM on iPhone

There are many reasons to set up an extra eSIM in your iPhone: for example, to save on foreign mobile data fees and keep you safe from insecure Wi-Fi hotspots when travelling. Although managing an eSIM will differ depending on each provider, there are set ways of using an eSIM with your iPhone that it

T-Satellite takes Android apps to the stars with ‘Satellite-ready’ access on T-Mobile

What you need to know T-Mobile announced its “Satellite-ready” apps, which can now leverage its T-Satellite network for off-grid use. Users on Android and iOS will find apps like WhatsApp, X (Formerly Twitter), AccuWeather, and more available when without a cell signal. T-Satellite launched back in July after extensive testing with T-Mobile that garnered roughly

Could US government ban apps which track ICE agents?

Nick Beake & Joshua Cheetham, BBC Verify in Washington BBC The US government and law enforcement agencies have hit out at developers and users of apps which track Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing they threaten the lives of agents. The FBI says the man who targeted an ICE facility in Dallas – killing two

How Fundamental Investors Should Play The Looming “EV Market Collapse”

Look out below! Via ChatGPT The headlines about the U.S. electric vehicle markets are going to be ugly over the next six months or more. Don’t fall for it. Experienced investors know to look at underlying fundamentals when evaluating opportunities, and to take the long view. The U.S. market for EVs is in a classic

Louisiana Sports Betting: LA Sportsbooks, Apps, and Promos

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Louisiana sports betting has grown rapidly since the state launched legal online wagering in 2022, giving fans a variety of ways to bet

No, Sideloading Android Apps Isn’t Going Away, Google Says

A lot of information about the future of sideloading apps on Android has been swirling around the internet in the last month, ever since Google announced it would make major changes to how it will ensure third-party apps are safe for users to download and install. One of the most common concerns surrounding these changes

T-Mobile’s Satellite Service Now Works With Popular Apps

T-Mobile is expanding its T-Satellite with Starlink service, adding satellite data connectivity to multiple popular apps. That means T-Mobile users who don’t have a Wi-Fi or cellular connection will be able to use Starlink satellite connectivity to access supported apps. Apps that will work over a T-Mobile satellite connection include Google Maps, AllTrails, AccuWeather, CalTopo,