I want to 'vanilla-ise' (and maybe root) my new tablet

[Android Central Question]

For years now, I've owned a Google Nexus 7, which I love to bits. But I recently bought a drone, which the Nexus isn't compatible with, so I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. I'm just charging it up ready to switch it on for the first time.

My worry, though, is that the user interface won't be as beautifully simple as the Nexus: a while ago, I bought a Huawei tablet, and everything was so complicated that I sent it back.

Now, I've learned that the reason my Nexus was so easy to use was because it had 'vanilla Android', where the OS is stripped of all its unnecessary extras. That's what I want for my new tablet. To tell you the truth, I've heard so many stories about Samsung and bloatware, I've literally been afraid to take the thing out of its box for fear of what I might be confronted with.

So I need advice on how to get Android down to its basics, plus how to identify what stuff is bloatware that I can safely get rid of, and also, how to get rid of it, if it isn't clear how to do it (I'm not that computer savvy).

I'd also like people's opinions on whether to root it. As far as I can see, the only advantage to me from rooting would be in order to install an ad-blocker, but for all I know, these days you might be able to do this without rooting. I certainly don't want to 'brick' the device before I've even used it, so rooting is something I need to think carefully about.

Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks.

 

[VidJunky]

Welcome to Android Central.

First are you talking about two different things here? I can't imagine the UI affecting the way the app for your drone looks or works so are these items even related?

Ironically you can download an app to give you a Vanilla Android experience. Look for Vanilla Launcher at the Play Store, I'm sure you'll find one.

You'll also find several ad blocking offerings at the Play Store. Some will be better than others, follow the ratings, and some will be better at particular things, like browsing the internet or stopping in-app ads. Be warned though, if you are trying to block ads some sites can detect this as well as some apps and they may change their performance or deny you access running an ad blocker, even if it is a root installed blocker.

As for bloat, every manufacturer throws in a little of their own flavor, some more than others but they all do it. On some devices it just isn't as noticeable. On Nexus and Pixel devices Google has their hands all over them but because your expecting Google apps it isn't as noticeable. Apple does it and most users don't notice because Apple has a way of steering users to their apps, and hooking them once they get there, and they never notice. Samsung isn't as smooth or sly as all of that and frankly if their apps were a bit better they'd probably fall into a similar category. But because most of there apps aren't as good as let's say Google's offering, they stick out like a sore thumb and cause people to notice if only to search for a way to get rid of them. LOL.

While we're on this subject, have you considered an iPad? They are supper simple, they work and older models are less expensive and still good quality. You definitely wouldn't have to be afraid of one...

As for whether or not to root. If you're just doing to get rid of ads and you're not tech savvy, rooting may not be for you. If you can pick up on things relatively easily and are willing to put some time into learning a thing rooting might not be so bad. Rooting can have all kinds of unintended outcomes if one doesn't know what they are doing. It can be easy to get into an unrecoverable condition playing with root, but hey people do it everyday.

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