Android 14 Feature Update: Delete Pre-Installed Apps if Useless

Urian B., Tech Times 10 February 2023, 02:02 am

With the newest Android 14, Google has finally implemented a feature that has been a long time coming: the ability to remove bloatware. Bloatware is any pre-installed app left unused and clogged up a user's Android device, and Android 14 addresses this issue with the hidden "Apps Installed in the Background" menu.

Removal of Unnecessary Apps By Device Manufacturers and Carriers

According to the story by Giz China, this menu will allow users to uninstall apps they don't wish to have on their phones, allowing them more control over their devices. The service is only available through the developer preview, and the menu is not visible to all users.

Nevertheless, Google has noted the background-installed apps are those provided by device manufacturers and carriers that are unnecessary for the phone's functioning and can be removed. XDA Developer's Mishaal Rahman has noted that the menu will likely only show apps not installed through the Google Play store and other user-facing services.

The New 'Apps Installed in the Background' Menu in Android 14: Giving Users More Flexibility and Control

It remains to be seen if the "Apps Installed in the Background" menu will be integrated into the public settings menu and how easily accessible it will be for Android users. But for now, it looks like Google is finally taking steps to give its users more flexibility and control over the preinstalled apps on their devices.

After months of waiting and several updates to Android 13, Google has finally released the developer version of its next operating system, Android 14. The developer preview has given us a glimpse of what will be coming in the upcoming update, revealing some exciting features.

New Option for Managing Multiple SIM Cards in Android 14

One of the features discovered in Android 14 is the new option for managing multiple SIM cards. This new feature will allow Android 14 to automatically switch between two SIM cards depending on which one has a better connection for calls and the internet.

This allows users to keep a backup secondary SIM in poor signal locations and allows for automatic management of both SIM cards with no user activation required. Along with this, Android 14 is bringing native app cloning.

Google Now Offers 'Cloned Apps': A Feature to Allow Multiple Identical Apps on Android 14

This feature has been possible for years but has required third-party apps or manufacturers to provide a customization layer, such as OnePlus. Now, Google has included this as a new option within the Android 14 developer preview, as also noted in an article by Xatakandroid, and plans to allow it to become functional with further development versions in the near future.

This feature will allow users to have two identical apps to use on different accounts when the app does not support multiple accounts. Meaning you can have two WhatsApp apps on one device, each with a different phone number.