Key Takeaways
- All of the apps preloaded on Pixel telephones are Google-made.
- A number of examples embrace Chrome, Google Drive, YouTube, and Google Calendar.
- You’ll be able to’t delete each app, however a few of the ones that may’t be deleted can nonetheless be disabled.
Bloatware stays an unstated drawback with trendy smartphones, however solely as a result of it has been round endlessly, and each carriers and telephone makers appear reluctant to dispose of it. In some circumstances, they’ve paid partnerships to keep up, and if not, they could nonetheless need you to be hooked on as many first-party providers as potential. An $800 telephone is nothing in comparison with the worth of getting you locked into a complete ecosystem.
Some individuals completely detest bloatware, so it is price investigating what any new telephone you are shopping for is perhaps saddled with. In the case of Google’s Pixel telephones, just like the Pixel 9 lineup, the information might be good — however that depends upon your expectations.
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What’s bloatware?
First, this is the definition
By bloatware, individuals normally imply apps that come pre-installed on a tool however do not serve important capabilities. Cellphone, e-mail, net searching, and textual content messaging apps are routinely excluded from bloatware, since you would be deservedly upset in the event you needed to go obtain them your self. Likewise, it might be unusual if there was no preloaded navigation app — that is how many people get to the shops the place we’ll truly purchase their gadgets.
What we do not want are subscription or ad-supported music and video providers, for instance, particularly if they are not from the corporate that designed the telephone or working system. Another examples of bloatware would possibly embrace exercise apps or buying apps. Everybody wants to have the ability to obtain new software program — few individuals wish to purchase issues via their provider.
There’s some subjectivity concerned, as you may think. You do not want YouTube, Fb, or TikTok in your telephone, however these are such ubiquitous elements of on-line life that you just would possibly admire them being pre-installed.

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Which apps come pre-installed on a Google Pixel telephone?
The same old suspects
As a rule, you’ll be able to count on all of Google’s core apps, but additionally just a few that do not all the time present up on different gadgets. I am going to flag a few of these as we come throughout them, in addition to fundamental descriptions in case you are new to Android or smartphones normally.
- Cellphone: The dialer.
- Google Messages: Used for SMS, MMS, and RCS texting.
- Digital camera: For taking pictures images and video.
- Calculator: For these of us who aren’t gifted at math.
- Information: The way you handle locally-stored recordsdata that are not images.
- Settings: The nerve middle for controlling Android.
- Google Pictures: Regardless of its identify, this manages each photograph and video libraries. Media is synced to the cloud, so make sure to keep inside the storage limits of your Google One subscription. If you do not have Google One, you may get 15GB unfold throughout each Google service.
- Gmail: You are normally anticipated to make use of this with Google’s namesake e-mail platform, however what you could not know is which you could connect some third-party email services equivalent to Yahoo, AOL, Outlook, and Hotmail.
- Chrome: Google’s net browser. Whenever you’re signed in to your Google Account, gadgets like bookmarks, passwords, and fee playing cards will usually sync with Chrome on different gadgets, so long as you are signed in there as effectively.
- Google Drive: Google’s cloud file locker. This is among the first issues that may rely as bloat — you are free to make use of different cloud storage choices or none in any respect.
- Google Maps: The default for navigating by automotive, foot, bicycle, and different means. You too can use it to seek for companies and their related data, equivalent to working hours.
- Google Pockets: You should utilize Wallet for on-line and retail purchases in the event you’ve linked a fee technique equivalent to a bank card. You too can add gadgets like loyalty playing cards, boarding passes, and occasion tickets, so long as the surface get together gives Pockets help.
- Clock: Principally for setting alarms, timers, and stopwatches, however you too can set a sleep schedule, placed on ambient sleep noise, and verify timezones around the globe.
- Gemini/Assistant: Google’s AI voice assistants. Assistant is the corporate’s “legacy” voice choice, rapidly being changed in lots of areas by Gemini, which relies on generative AI. Some issues do not but work in Gemini although, particularly in the event you’re controlling a Google Residence machine like a Nest Hub.
- Google Calendar: Fairly self-explanatory, however you too can create duties, set up conferences, and import reservations from sources like Gmail.
- Contacts: Your private Rolodex. Make sure to hold this edited and up-to-date to keep away from chaos with apps and voice instructions.
- Recorder: Use this to file voice memos and different content material, full with transcriptions.
- YouTube: Google’s free video add/streaming service is perhaps thought-about bloat by some individuals, as I discussed earlier.
- YouTube Music: If you happen to simply wish to hearken to music on YouTube, this allows you to do this, however you may must pay for a YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium plan to unlock all options.

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Are you able to do away with undesirable Pixel apps?
It is somewhat difficult
Doubtlessly, however some apps — equivalent to Cellphone and Settings — are so important that they can not be touched. You’d paralyze Android in the event you deleted Settings. With apps that are not mission-critical, you may need to experiment, trying to delete them one-by-one. Apps that may be eliminated can all the time be re-downloaded later from the Google Play Retailer.
If an app cannot be deleted, equivalent to Calculator, it is generally potential to disable it in the event you actually cannot stand the sight of it in your homescreen. Observe these steps to strive:
- Lengthy press on the app’s icon.
- Choose App data within the pop-up menu.
- Faucet Disable if the choice is on the market.
- Within the subsequent pop-up, faucet Disable app to substantiate.

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