Do apps uninstall completelly or leave traces behind?

**asdf12321** · 06-08-2012, 10:43 PM

Hello everyone.
Please help this confused noob out.
I would like a definitive answer on a question I haven't been able to figure out.
I would like to know if android apps leave traces of themselves behind when I uninstall them (similar to how when you uninstall a windows program you'd most likely have orphan files or directories, registry entries and maybe a .dll here and there).
In other words, can I install apps on my stock unrooted ICS phone being confident that if I don't like it I can just uninstall them and my phone won't be slower, or have less space because of it?
Best regards.

**Cyber Warrior** · 06-08-2012, 11:17 PM

Yes they completely uninstall... some apps may create their own storage folders on your SD card which don't get removed but if you use a file manager app like Astro File Manager.. you can just delete any leftovers. They're usually just empty folders that were created by the app to store files. Again its not all apps that do this... just a few.

**asdf12321** · 06-09-2012, 11:06 AM

Thank you for your reply.
So then having to periodically clear your cache partition and the dalvik cache is a myth?
I'm glad to hear that, as I really didn't want to root.
Thanks again.

**EvilMonkey** · 06-09-2012, 01:08 PM

I use SD Maid:

I actually just ran it sometime last week and recoved over a GB of space on my card from leftover crap that wasn't cleaned out from various apps I've had installed and have since uninstalled. Seems to work alot like CCleaner (if you're familiar with that on PC).

EDIT: Apparently that app requires root....sorry.