Some apps got installed without my permission and I can't delete them.

[AC Question]

Tl;dr: Some bloatware-like apps got installed on my phone and I just can't get rid of them.

I was looking up how to root my Samsung Galaxy S5 (International Exynos version) without tripping Knox, because Samsung is horrible now, and I learned about Towelroot and wanted to download it. Apparently, the website I tried to download from was the wrong one and instead, I somehow got five apps installed, four of which I can't seem to get rid of.

They're not re-installing or anything. They behave like bloatware on the phone and all I can do is disable them. The most confusing part of all this is that the phone doesn't even have root status. How where the apps installed?

Here are the ways I tried to remove them:
1) Factory reset. Didn't work.

2) Flash the firmware again. Also didn't work.

3) Reset the phone, flash firmware, reset the phone again. Still didn't work.

Can someone please explain how something like this can happen and how to get rid of the apps? I'm seriously stumped by this.

 

[josiahlikesminecraft]

The only thing I know to do is go ahead and root it then you can remove the bloatware.

Posted via Lg g3 Running Cyanidel Android 5.1.1

 

[Rukbat]

1. Towel Root only works on 4.4.2, with a kernel date earlier than June 3, 2014. Towel Root is Geohot's (the developer) site, so you'll get a clean file.

2. Josiah is right - root, then remove the bloatware.

Then install a good antivirus app.