What is Adware/Bloatware and How to get Rid of it

What is Adware/Bloatware

Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package that automatically renders advertisements in order to generate revenue for its author. The advertisements may be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during the installation process. The functions may be designed to analyze which Internet sites the user visits and to present advertising pertinent to the types of goods or services featured there. The term is sometimes used to refer to software that displays unwanted advertisements known as malware.

Bloatware are viruses that attacks your phone’s system hence causes serious malfunctions and misbehaves. These viruses cause your phone to overheat, unnecessary hangs and some annoying things your phone tend to suffer most times. They are simply caused by tones of Apps you happen to have installed on your phone. Although, you can’t actualize the culprit yet, so if you think your problem is bloatware, try putting on your phone’s Data connection, once connected, see if the screen jumps or if some certain apps try to launch it selves but would only bring you to the task list or so.  Try again to lunch an App from drawer and see if the thing flies on your screen. If your problem is actually above or something similar, then you’ve found a good thread to treat the shit.

Causes of Adware/Bloatware

Bloatware are accidentally caused by ads displayed on your phone; while using some apps on your phone, they deliver dialogues which requests you to download a certain apps or to get some goodies. Bloatware could also be caused if you don’t scan your phone frequently from viruses.

Symptoms of Bloatware/Adware

• ·         Phone overheats every now and then
• ·         Phone won’t sleep while charging
• ·         Data/Wifi turns on frequently
• ·         Unstable network Data/Wifi
• ·         Bluetooth turns on periodically
• ·         And of course, severe headache for you!

Getting Ride of Bloatware

 

Yeah, getting rid of bloatware is very simple and stress-free, you can only do this either by flashing a new firmware to your phone or by technically rooting your phone and viola, Titanium Backup would do the rest. If you don’t want to void the warrant of your phone or you just don’t want to be a Super – User, then, you may choose to flash a new firmware. 

1. Flashing a New Firmware

Firmware is referring to as the default ROM – some are dumped thou – which are virus free and unaffected, they are flashed in order to fix some certain problems which your phone might find itself. To do this – in other to fix the bloatware ish – get a firmware file of your android phone from any trusted source. Flash using the guide posted here and make sure the drivers are well installed too. Check here.

Using Titanium backup

Titanium backup is basically used to backup apps and its data effectively while you later restore them at your convenience. This same Titanium Backup can play the role of killing bloatware from your phone as well. Download Titanium Backup Pro from here, move to your Sdcard, install and lunch TB. There you grant root person at request otherwise, nothing will happen at all – if you aren’t rooted. 

Uninstalling/Freezing System Apps

Step 1: Launch Titanium Backup and wait for the app to initialize. After the app initializes, tap the Backup/Restore button at the top.

Step 2: Titanium Backup will list all the apps installed on your device, and this list will include the system apps as well.

You can touch on the option Click to edit filters  to find your apps easily. For example, if you are trying to uninstall/disable your stock messaging app, set the filter to only display the system applications and type in “message” in the filter by name field.

Step 3: Now tap the app to open the Titanium application option pop-up. On the pop-up you will get the option to either freeze the app or uninstall it.

The former option will keep the app in device’s memory but will make it inaccessible to you or to any of the apps installed on your device. Let’s just say that you will never notice the existence of the app. The second option will erase the app from your device altogether and free up the space.