new to android

[Drakon]

So this is my second android phone but I've only been using android for just over a month,

My question is if use astro manager and go into the system>downloads folder and delete for example sprint football.apk will that get rid of it on the system, or will it brick the phone?

I've been a windows phone user so forgive me if this question seems out of left field.

 

[lafester]

you should be ok deleting stuff.
there isn't much you can do while stock non-rooted to hurt the phone.

deleting anything out of the downloads folder is ok anyway.

 

[etbrandt]

The football apk would be in /system/app and like lafester said it would be ok to delete, but you would need to be rooted.

 

[Drakon]

Thanks guys appreciate the feedback, I'll keep reading up on rooting, so when one comes out for the shift i'll be more knowledgeable

 

[TheFranchise216]

you should be ok deleting stuff.
there isn't much you can do while stock non-rooted to hurt the phone.

deleting anything out of the downloads folder is ok anyway.

should be ok? or will be ok? lol

I'd hate to find out the hard way.

 

[Drakon]

yeah can't do anything to uninstall system apps, like sprint football it has the uninstall button but when i try it says uninstall unsuccessful. Had to try it

Just have to wait for the root.

 

[bavery]

No need to wait really. Z4root seems to work fine for a temporary root.

 

[EarlyMon]

Welcome to the forums!

No issues when you rooted?

 

[Drakon]

so with z4root i can temp root it get rid of sprints bloatware and then reset it and it's back to normal? i would like to make sure before i do anything cause i don't want to mess up the phone on my second day.

 

[EarlyMon]

Number one deal in rooting - take your time, there's never a rush.

 

[lafester]

should be ok? or will be ok? lol

I'd hate to find out the hard way.

Well if you don't know then ask
The specific app he asked about is fine.

 

[EarlyMon]

Number one advice on removing apps that came with your phone once rooted - use Titanium Backup or other tools to either freeze, rather delete an app, or back it up prior to deletion.

 

[Drakon]

Number one advice on removing apps that came with your phone once rooted - use Titanium Backup or other tools to either freeze, rather delete an app, or back it up prior to deletion.

OK so just to clarify get z4root first do a temp root, then get titanium and back up to be safe, then go about deleting as i want. and that should work?

I kinda miss my optimus s may have been slower but you could delete all the sprint software without problems.

 

[EarlyMon]

I gotta be crystal clear honest - I've never done a temporary root. I know it's popular, I know it does beaucoup - but I don't have the first-hand 411 on temporary root tricks.

Right after temporary rooting, if you can't install Superuser Permissions (I believe a Titanium Backup requirement - anyway, it used to be), then Titanium Backup (and then from a main page button it has - install BusyBox) - I'd hold off deleting anything.

If you can get Titanium successfully installed and working, make a FULL backup - it'll go to your SD card, then copy that to your PC.

Then (and in my opinion, only then) delete system apps.

Why?

Because Sprint is crafty and you don't have a full-on dev community supporting you yet.

Now - I totally kinda do NOT expect this, but I've seen it happen, so -- just suppose that in the few days or weeks or something way short Sprint/HTC wants to toss an important over-the-air (OTA) update at you. And suppose you want it.

So far as any of us have been able to tell - sometimes, they just push the update based on your version numbers. Others times, without a doubt, in addition to your version numbers, they'll also look for the presence of various files - if they do that, and you're missing what they happen to look for - you will NOT get the update.

Once you have a full dev crowd supporting same-day rooted versions of OTA updates, like we have for the Evo, this won't matter to you.

Until then - it surely will.

I would really, really recommend a freeze until it's all clear what's best here. To get those instructions, go to this link, then to the part in BIG letters marked AFTER ROOTING (optional) then press the teeny "Show" button under SECTION 2: BLOATWARE - THE UGLY! and see what the Evo community has to say on this -

http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-all-things-root/194918-rooting-dummies-extras.html

SPECIAL NOTE TO EVERYONE - DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING THE EVO PERMANENT ROOT METHOD JUST TO SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN. NO - SERIOUSLY - DON'T!! As I mentioned earlier, the number one deal in rooting is to take your time. No need to rush into permanent rooting attempts.

OK - get back to me if I confused you on any of this.

AND - by the way - in that link above for z4root - make sure someone explains what this warning means, because I surely don't know:

Incompatible with [SIZE=+2]PERMANENT[/SIZE] root option

In your shoes, I wouldn't move a lick until somebuddy made that warning clear to me and what it was about, because the Shift matches the class of phones listed.

 

[EarlyMon]

Oh - forgot and didn't want this lost as a PS.

The list of bloatware he has is mighty aggressive and appropriate to a fully dev-supported phone.

Strongly suggest just going easy on what you freeze.

Matlock and gang list the maximum list there - not what everybuddy should run out and freeze. No way am I freezing my Mail, Browser or Calendar in favor of other stuff for example - I _use_ those things!

Mega-safe to freeze Amazon MP3, NASCAR, NFL, Sprint NAV, Sprint Promotion - can't say it enough - when rooting anew, going slow is your friend.

 

[Drakon]

Thanks EarlyMon, that was probably the best explanation I've ever gotten on any forum i am a member of. With that being said i will hold off till more info and dev support happen, I'm not running out of space yet.