# Android guides

Plain-language guides for removing bloatware, fixing a slow phone, finding battery drain and checking what apps can access on Android, without root.

## Remove bloatware

Disable or remove preinstalled apps without root, by brand and by command.

- [How to debloat an Android phone without root](https://slimdroid.com/guides/debloat-android-without-root): Disable or remove preinstalled Android apps without root using ADB. What is safe to remove, how to undo it, and a browser tool that does it for you.
- [Samsung bloatware: what is safe to disable on a Galaxy phone](https://slimdroid.com/guides/samsung-bloatware-what-to-disable): Which preinstalled Samsung apps are safe to disable on a Galaxy phone, which to keep, and how to switch them off without root and undo it later.
- [Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO bloatware and ads: what to disable](https://slimdroid.com/guides/xiaomi-redmi-poco-bloatware-ads): How to cut preinstalled apps, system ads and recommendation prompts on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones without root, and what to leave alone on MIUI or HyperOS.
- [Is it safe to disable system apps on Android?](https://slimdroid.com/guides/is-it-safe-to-disable-system-apps): Some preinstalled apps are harmless to switch off and some break the phone. The tiers slimdroid uses, what never to touch, and how to undo a mistake.
- [ADB commands to debloat Android](https://slimdroid.com/guides/adb-debloat-commands): The ADB package-manager commands to list, disable, uninstall and restore Android apps without root, what each one does, how to undo it and common errors.
- [Android debloat tools compared](https://slimdroid.com/guides/debloat-tools-compared): How raw ADB commands, Universal Android Debloater Next Generation, Canta and the slimdroid browser tool compare for removing Android bloatware without root.

## Fix a slow phone or battery drain

Measure what is slowing the phone or emptying the battery before you change anything.

- [Android phone slow? Find what is slowing it down](https://slimdroid.com/guides/fix-slow-android-phone): Low storage, background apps and preinstalled software are the usual causes of a slow Android phone. How to measure each one instead of guessing.
- [Android slow after an update: why it happens and what to do](https://slimdroid.com/guides/android-slow-after-update): Phones often feel slow for a day or two after an Android update. What happens in the background, when to worry, and how to compare scans from before and after.
- [What is draining my Android battery?](https://slimdroid.com/guides/android-battery-drain-apps): Android's battery screen only shows a few apps. How to see drain per hour, wakelocks, sensors and background activity for every package.

## Check your Android privacy

See which apps can reach the camera, microphone and location, and what to do about it.

- [How to check which Android apps use your camera, microphone and location](https://slimdroid.com/guides/check-which-android-apps-use-camera-microphone-location): See which apps used your camera, microphone and location and when. Start with Android's Privacy dashboard, then run a full per-app check with slimdroid.
- [Is my Android phone being tracked or spied on?](https://slimdroid.com/guides/is-my-android-phone-being-tracked-or-spied-on): Signs of stalkerware or spyware on Android, how to check accessibility services, device admins and special access, and how to deal with what you find safely.
- [Android privacy: which apps collect data and how to limit them](https://slimdroid.com/guides/android-privacy-telemetry-apps): A practical audit of preinstalled analytics, advertising and manufacturer services on Android, what disabling them does, and what a browser tool can and cannot see.

## Connect your phone

Turn on USB debugging and fix the connection problems that stop a scan.

- [How to enable USB debugging on Android](https://slimdroid.com/guides/enable-usb-debugging): Reveal Developer options, switch on USB debugging, allow your computer, and switch it off again safely. Steps for Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi and OnePlus.
- [Samsung Auto Blocker blocks USB debugging: how to fix it](https://slimdroid.com/guides/samsung-auto-blocker-usb-debugging): If ADB or a browser tool connects but nothing happens on a Samsung Galaxy, Auto Blocker is probably blocking USB commands. How to turn it off and back on.