Which of the preinstalled apps can I remove?

Preinstalled software falls into three groups, and only one of them is genuinely disposable. Knowing which is which prevents both a cluttered device and a broken one.

Safety

Step by step

1. Sort what is there into three groups.Manufacturer extras and trials, network operator apps, and actual system components. The first two are usually removable; the third is not, and the names make it obvious more often than people expect.
2. Remove the obvious commercial extras.Antivirus trials, office trials, shopping and travel apps, preloaded games, duplicate browsers and media players. None of these is doing anything for you.
3. Be careful with duplicates that are defaults.A second gallery, keyboard or messaging app can be removed, but set the replacement as default first or you will get errors when something tries to open.
4. Leave anything you cannot identify.If the name means nothing to you, look it up before touching it. On Android, packages with names like com.android.something are system components.
5. Prefer disable over uninstall.Disabling stops it running, hides it and removes updates, and is fully reversible. For anything you are not certain about, that is the right choice.
6. Use the built-in tools, not cleaner apps.Settings on a phone, Installed Apps or Add and Remove Programs on a computer. Third-party cleaner and debloat apps frequently do more harm than the bloat did.
7. Check what a trial has already installed.Preinstalled security software often leaves drivers and services behind. Most vendors publish a dedicated removal tool, which is worth using rather than the normal uninstaller.
8. Look at what starts automatically.Often more valuable than uninstalling. Disabling startup entries on a computer, or background activity on a phone, recovers most of the speed without removing anything.
9. Expect some to return after updates.Major system updates sometimes reinstate manufacturer apps. Irritating rather than serious — remove them again.
10. Consider a clean install on a new computer.On a Windows machine, a clean installation removes all manufacturer additions at once. It needs the drivers to hand and is not for everybody, but it is the thorough answer.
11. Reclaim the storage properly.Check the space freed afterwards. Some apps leave data behind; clearing that in the app's storage settings recovers the rest.
12. Do it once, when the device is new.Half an hour at setup, before anything depends on any of it, is far easier than untangling it a year later.

Tips

• Disable rather than uninstall when unsure. It gets you the same result and you can undo it.
• If you cannot identify it, look it up before removing it. Android system packages have unhelpful names.
• Turning off startup and background activity often does more for speed than uninstalling anything.

Common mistakes

• Removing system components with unfamiliar names — Some are load-bearing, and on Android removing the wrong package can stop the device booting. Disable, or leave it alone.
• Using third-party debloat or cleaner tools — They remove things indiscriminately and frequently cause more instability than the preinstalled software ever did. Built-in settings are safer.

If it doesn't work