So i just bought a Samsung Note 4 ..

[DigDog]

OMFG the bloatware.:hmm:

None of the apps that come with it can be uninstalled. Many are integrated, so for example, i have spent half hour unsuccessfully trying to NOT use chrome to launch a browser.

The YouTube app somehow wants to run every time i go to youtube and won't let me in the website via the browser.

One of the 4 front pages of the phone is some flip-through-news app that i cannot shut down and keep syphoning bandwith and data.


Taming this bloated beast is gonna take me some time; i'm reeeeally looking forward to a rooting app (not that i have ever rooted a phone, but how hard can it be), because the hardware under the hood is amazing ( and the screen is a beaut; the headphones suck, though)



Moved from OT.

Anandtech Administrator
KeithTalent

 

[nageov3t]

root > bloatware

 

[Uppsala9496]

<------------ MD&G

 

[JoeBleed]

try some of these things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXtjgrfgEY

i'm still trying to find a note 4 in stock around here.

 

[poofyhairguy]

OP, my wife got one on launch day. Its easy to disable each bloat app in the settings. I disabled all the AT&T apps, Uber, S Health and a few others.

She initially complained about lagginess so here are some other things I did:
-Installed Nova Launcher
-Disabled S-Voice for the home button double tap (this made home button overall more responsive)
-Cut the widgets off the lock screen
-Disabled animations in developer options (this made a huge difference)
-Enable ART in developer options (might not work with all apps, S Health hated it for one)
-Enable GPU rendering in developer options
-Install and use Swiftkey (the Samsung keyboard is lagcity)

After all of that she liked it much better, and I didn't even have to mess with root (which is good because the AT&T version lacks root).

 

[Remobz]

I own a $100.00 smart phone. Suckers!

 

[blankslate]

OP, my wife got one on launch day. Its easy to disable each bloat app in the settings. I disabled all the AT&T apps, Uber, S Health and a few others.

She initially complained about lagginess so here are some other things I did:
-Installed Nova Launcher
-Disabled S-Voice for the home button double tap (this made home button overall more responsive)
-Cut the widgets off the lock screen
-Disabled animations in developer options (this made a huge difference)
-Enable ART in developer options (might not work with all apps, S Health hated it for one)
-Enable GPU rendering in developer options
-Install and use Swiftkey (the Samsung keyboard is lagcity)

After all of that she liked it much better, and I didn't even have to mess with root (which is good because the AT&T version lacks root).

^this

Was going to post some of these tips.

I would also suggest trying a few different launchers to see which one you prefer.

Since it is a Samsung try some less bright themes with darker backgrounds an you may see some increase in battery life since AMOLED screens tend to use more power to display brighter images. You can download themes for different launchers and often pick icons from one theme with a background from another. I've noticed a few with with both Nova and Apex launchers.



....

 

[gmaster456]

One of the reasons samsung devices have never appealed to me dating back to the Original Galaxy.

 

[trmiv]

As the video posted above shows, you can disable that Flipboard briefing thing. That or just use Nova or Apex and forget about it entirely.

No idea why you'd have issues switching from Chrome.

Another good thing to do is go into Applications and disable all the crap you won't use. Look at running apps and see if there are things in there that can be dsabled.

 

[dawheat]

A little melodramatic - I honestly didn't find "setting up" my Samsung phones that different than LG, HTC and to a lesser extent Nexus devices.

- Disable flipboard (I forget now but I think there's a setting on the edit home screens view where you can disable it
- Disable the apps I don't care about via app manager. I don't get caught up in that I can't uninstall them.
- Go through the settings and turn on/off stuff I don't like

The stock TW launcher (with FB disabled) isn't better/worse to me than GEL. I actually prefer the customization in Nova Prime, but that's just a matter of taste.

If setting up my Nexus 4 took 10 minutes, my Note 4 maybe took 12 - mostly b/c there are so many more settings available.

I don't find you need to change animations and such but that's up to you. I'd also avoid ART on the Note 4 for now as most reports have it taking forever to compile on every restart.

 

[DigDog]

OP, my wife got one on launch day. Its easy to disable each bloat app in the settings. I disabled all the AT&T apps, Uber, S Health and a few others.

She initially complained about lagginess so here are some other things I did:
-Installed Nova Launcher
-Disabled S-Voice for the home button double tap (this made home button overall more responsive)
-Cut the widgets off the lock screen
-Disabled animations in developer options (this made a huge difference)
-Enable ART in developer options (might not work with all apps, S Health hated it for one)
-Enable GPU rendering in developer options
-Install and use Swiftkey (the Samsung keyboard is lagcity)

After all of that she liked it much better, and I didn't even have to mess with root (which is good because the AT&T version lacks root).

developer options, is that where you launch a browser and they type "about:debug" in the navbar?
because i have been trying to launch the default browser and it will only launch chrome, and chrome doesnt let me do that.

i have ALSO disabled chrome and yet it still launches.

disclaimer: i am a complete noob for these things.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I'd also avoid ART on the Note 4 for now as most reports have it taking forever to compile on every restart.

That is true.

 

[poofyhairguy]

disclaimer: i am a complete noob for these things.

Go to*Settings > About Phone*and then tap on ‘Build Number’ 7 times. Once you’re getting close to enabling this option, you’ll get a prompt that says “You are now 3 steps away from being a developer.” Keep tapping it until it Unlocks. Then it will be in settings.

 

[Bman123]

Its a shame when a phone that nice is loaded with so much shit you'll never use.

 

[Chrono]

Great phone! Too much crap loaded onto it though. I just sent mine back to Tmobile...

 

[Zaap]

Send a phone back rather than spend a few minutes disabling a few apps?
I'm sorry but thats semi-retarded.

 

[Phynaz]

It's semi retarded that you have to go through machinations like this to make a phone work right. No wonder Samsung is losing its customer base.

 

[WelshBloke]

developer options, is that where you launch a browser and they type "about:debug" in the navbar?
because i have been trying to launch the default browser and it will only launch chrome, and chrome doesnt let me do that.

i have ALSO disabled chrome and yet it still launches.

disclaimer: i am a complete noob for these things.

Wut?

Just go to the app drawer and tap on the icon labeled "Internet".

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Send a phone back rather than spend a few minutes disabling a few apps?
I'm sorry but thats semi-retarded.

A lot of times you can't disable the stuff and the only way is to root.

I really love Samsung phones but this is one of the reasons why I will never buy another one.

 

[Chrono]

Send a phone back rather than spend a few minutes disabling a few apps?
I'm sorry but thats semi-retarded.

Retarded? Whoa whoa buddy what's with the insults? Who slapped your baby today? I sent mine back because of other more serious reasons.

 

[DigDog]

gonna try the fixes as soon as i'm back from work. also, rooting a note 4 is not possible for now, so ..
besides, wasn't android's policy "more control of your hardware" ?? you know, like, 5 years ago.

 

[Zaap]

A lot of times you can't disable the stuff and the only way is to root.

I really love Samsung phones but this is one of the reasons why I will never buy another one.

What on the Note 4 can't be disabled?

There was pretty much nothing unwanted I wasn't able to disable on my Note 3.

Retarded? Whoa whoa buddy what's with the insults? Who slapped your baby today? I sent mine back because of other more serious reasons.

In this thread, the way you wrote your post: yup, sounded semi-retarded.

It's semi retarded that you have to go through machinations like this to make a phone work right. No wonder Samsung is losing its customer base.

Actually it's full-on retarded to pretend any of this is that big of a deal. People like to be drama-queens.

 

[Maximus96]

What on the Note 4 can't be disabled?

There was pretty much nothing unwanted I wasn't able to disable on my Note 3.

for starters:
those ANT service things
AT&T software update/remote support/MyAT&T
S-Finder
Calculator (because it talks and I can't turn it off)

I miss root and TiBu...

 

[DigDog]

most of the apps (except evernote) can be put on "dormant" state but they cannot be uninstalled. according to samsung/three i MUST carry useless data on my phone.

the flip thing , Flipboard, which i swear to god and to science i have disable AND its in my list of disabled apps, takes a whole page at the front of my phone (the desktop screens you can flip between, right?) and as soon as i look at it i see it has freshly downloaded news, which i do not want.

And as i have said before, i now cannot get the stock browser to launch, it always reverts to the chrome app. (chrome is disabled, i click the INTERNET link - stock browser - type some schwat in the browser bar and i get "chrome cannot let you do that, Dave" message)

 

[Bateluer]

OMFG the bloatware.:hmm:

None of the apps that come with it can be uninstalled. Many are integrated, so for example, i have spent half hour unsuccessfully trying to NOT use chrome to launch a browser.

Uh . . . thats about the easiest thing in the world to do. Settings>Apps>Chrome, scroll down, tap 'Clear Defaults'. Then open a url, it'll prompt which browser you want to open it with, select Always then open it. It'll load up in that browser from here on out. Thats how defaults are set for Android.

Edit - I use Nova Launcher myself, and it took about 10 minutes to set up my newly purchased Z3. Not counting the time to download all my apps again.