I delete these 7 Google apps every time I start up a new Android phone

https://www.androidpolice.com/delete-these-google-apps-every-time-start-new-android-phone/

Publish Date: 2026-06-24 09:30:00

I’ve been a long-time Android defender (and user), but I’ll admit it’s always had a major problem: bloatware. Sure, iPhones have this issue too, but it doesn’t make it okay.

Google’s never fixed its bloatware problem, and I’m not only talking about the obvious offenders. I roll my eyes at the dodgy games you find on budget Chinese phones, or the weird union of LinkedIn, Booking.com, and WPS Office, but it’s worse.

Stock Android has far too many pre-installed Google-made apps. When you boot up a new phone, you’re left staring at the cluttered interface of the company’s tools, making your sparkly mobile look busy and worn out.

Basic Android isn’t the only offender, and other Android Police writers have written about deleting Samsung’s unremovable apps. Still, for me, stock Android is meant to be the cleanest interface by default. Yet it isn’t.

Having tested Android phones for nearly a decade, I’ve become used to quickly removing loads of pre-installed apps that don’t justify their existence. Recently, I’ve developed a hit list of seven apps I remove straight away.

I don’t delete them, because you can’t delete them. But removing them from my phone’s home screen makes it appear far less cluttered. It also saves space for useful apps.