Help How can I completly disable Google Play? It reinstalls itself after I do it.

[wrgy]

I am searching for a way to disable google play. When I do it via settings, it stays disabled for a few hours then disappears from my apps list and reappears enabled a few hours later. The reason I want to disable it is that when my phone is closed, my phone opens up with a black overlay on top of my screen. The reason I know it's google play is because after i interact with my phone and it closes back off, i open my tabs list and there is always google play there. I have internet restriction to it because it would install random games if not.
It's probably a marketing thing. It's been like this for a good while, factory resets won't work.

Is there some other way to disable it? Maybe with rooting?

 

[svim]

Given that Google Play is so deeply integrated into a typical Android device what you're asking to do is doable but it does involve a lot of effort on your part. Going by your description I don't think it is definitive that the Play Store app is the cause of your problem but since you're apparently convinced it is, keep in mind that once you achieve your goal, the Play Store service isn't going to be updating and upgrading your apps and services automatically any longer. Not knowing which phone model you have, this may or may not be relevant to you:
https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/03/27/install-use-custom-rom-no-google-apps/
A lot of people find using third-party firmware to be a better Android experience.

If your model isn't supported by any third-party developers however, just rooting your device probably won't be the fix you're expecting. Rooting gives you the ability to do more things on your Android device, but it does not give you the knowledge. So it's also easier to soft-brick your phone (possibly fixable by just re-flashing the appropriate ROM and starting over again) or hard-bricking it (probably killing your device completely). A lot of people tout rooting as a way to do anything and everything, but it's not 'magic' and you still need to do a lot of research on the matter. Best to root a secondary, spare phone so you can learn and experiment then rooting your primary daily-usage phone.

 

[mikedt]

I don't think you can disable the Play Store, not without rooting anyway. Or change to a Huawei phone, those don't have Google Play.

 

[Hadron]

Well I just disabled it on my unrooted Pixel.

But I don't understand the bit about the "tabs list" in the original post (my best guess is the recent apps overview, but they aren't actually tabs). That's only what I'd call circumstantial evidence anyway, but it would not be normal for the Play Store to appear there unless you have recently opened it - only apps that you have run in the foreground appear there, so I'm not sure that is what's meant.

 

[puppykickr]

Some devices allow the app to be disabled.

You will probably not be able to uninstall it, only any updates.

Your best bet, is to first open the app and go to the settings.

Disable automatic updates.
You can always check for updates yourself.

See if it stops pestering you then.

If not, then you may need to use a firewall to keep it from gaining an internet connection.

You can also deny all permissions.

If you don't use Google at all, like G-mail, or save game progress with Google Play, or use Google backup, etc., then you can also disable Google Play Services (GPS).

Keep in mind that GPS is connected to many things in many ways, and the only way to see exactly what is to test it.

More sometimes pesky apps are Google Services Framework, Google Partner Setup, and Market Feedback Agent.

To be honest, the best luck I have had with restricting Google has been with my 5.1.1.

My 7.1.1 will not let me disable many of Google aggrevations.

My 8.1.0 is pretty good, as is my new 9.

But I also have a crappy 9 that will not allow me to disable hardly any Google crAPPS.

So it really does seem to be dependent upon the device.

 

[Deleted User]

I am searching for a way to disable google play. When I do it via settings, it stays disabled for a few hours then disappears from my apps list and reappears enabled a few hours later. The reason I want to disable it is that when my phone is closed, my phone opens up with a black overlay on top of my screen. The reason I know it's google play is because after i interact with my phone and it closes back off, i open my tabs list and there is always google play there. I have internet restriction to it because it would install random games if not.
It's probably a marketing thing. It's been like this for a good while, factory resets won't work.

Is there some other way to disable it? Maybe with rooting?

I can't see how the Play Store is installing random games. Have you considered approaching it from a different angle. You may have an issue, or not, unrelated to Play Store.

 

[Hadron]

Yes, I missed that bit. The Play Store does not install games at random. If that is happening it's likely that you've installed something else that is the real cause.

Simple test: re-enable the Play Store and run the phone in safe mode (instructions for entering safe mode vary with the phone, but a web search will produce the instructions for whichever phone you have). What safe mode does is disable all user-installed apps. If you don't suffer these problems in safe mode, and especially if your "random game installs" don't happen, that will mean that the real cause is a user-installed app - the problem then is identifying which one.