Help clueless in...

[DWFII]

Newbie here so pardon any stupid questions...

I am wondering what happens and what should or can be done about apps that are on a phone but have been replaced or are not needed.

For instance, my phone has an app entitled "Internet"--obviously, apparently, a clunky browser of some sort. I installed Chrome. Much, much better. So can I remove/delete the "Internet" app?

Similarly I was looking at "SwiftKey" simply because I have blunt fingers. But what happens to my regular default keyboard if I do? How can I get rid of it or disable it?

I inherited this phone and it has apps and widgets that I will probably never use--such as half a dozen clocks, several stockmarket interfaces, etc. Can I get rid of them? Will it lighten the load? Free up some memory, etc?

 

[dontpanicbobby]

A factory reset will get rid of user installed apps but not OEM apps. Still that's a good place to start from. Which phone is it?

 

[DWFII]

A factory reset will get rid of user installed apps but not OEM apps. Still that's a good place to start from. Which phone is it?

Not sure I'd like to go that far although I can see it as a possibility, worse come to worse.

The phone is a Samsung Galaxy SII 4G running Android 4.1.2 I'm a late adopter, for sure.

Also...reading online suggests that Google Drive might be on my phone already but I don't see it. If I don't see it does that mean it's not there?

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Jellybean (4.1) is as far as the S2 went. I sold mine. A custom ROM could get you to KitKat. Still though, just start over and see what works.

 

[Dannydet]

Go to settings, apps, and disable all the ones you don't need. If uninstall is not an option, those are system apps that cannot be removed, just disabled, without rooting. Go to the play store and check if Google drive is installed or not

 

[DWFII]

^ Thank you...

So some of the apps accessed in that way can't be disabled but can be "forced (to) stop." Is this something I want to do?

And if, for instance, I want to install SwiftKey, will that automatically disable the Samsung keyboard or do I need to "force stop?"

 

[Dannydet]

Yes, disable is the only option for those. If you install Swiftkey, it will ask you which one as the default keyboard

 

[DWFII]

Yes, disable is the only option for those. If you install Swiftkey, it will ask you which one as the default keyboard

thanks...still not certain, what does "force stop" do?

 

[electricpete]

Force stop will force an app to stop but there's no guarantee it will remain stopped. If you don't want an app running for some reason it's better to stop it running by uninstalling it or disabling it. Some people will tell you it doesn't hurt to leave apps running in the background and that's generally true but not 100% (if app has not just cached a process but also a running service then it is taking a high-priority slice of memory)

By the way for google drive if installed it should show in your app drawer.

 

[KOLIO]

Those w/Samsung devices have the option for disabling bloatware/apps that are permanently installed,or,can't be turned off otherwise Without Root:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ospolice.packagedisablerpro&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ospolice.packagedisablerpremium&hl=en

Simply disable, Do Not Delete Or Uninstall,The offending apps.
Guidelines for what's safe to disable are given within the app.