How do I remove File Manager?

[Android Central Question]

Somehow I have this File Manager app on my Alcatel One Touch Idol 3. The one with the purple folder. The app has nothing to do with files. It's more doing things like boosting, scanning, etc. I desperately want this app removed as I believe it is a resource pig, among a few other unpleasant terms. Anyways I cannot uninstall it. Everything is grayed out, I can hit force stop and it does disappear for a few minutes but comes back. I went to device administrator to uncheck it and it is not there. I rebooted in safe mode and still cannot find it to uninstall. No one seems to know how to get rid of this thing. Has anyone encountered this problem and solved it?

 

[Javier P]

Welcome to the forums. That sounds like File Manager by Cheetah Mobile. Do you have any other app by CM installed in your phone? Have you tried uninstalling them first?

 

[iceman6409]

I don't beleive I have any apps from Cheetah. Any clue how to uninstall this one?

 

[Javier P]

I don't beleive I have any apps from Cheetah. Any clue how to uninstall this one?

Thanks for registering. Can you post a screenshot from settings - apps with this app info? Can you get any information if you open the app and browse in its settings/about/etc?

 

[revjack]

I just found this post that said, "this issue is there in most of the cheep chinese phones and tablets. these phones have pre installed trojan program which cannot be removed from the phone." They suggested Norootfirewall, available at Google Play. I am now too paranoid to use Google but I found it at Uptodown and it really stops programs from using the internet without your permission. It stoped File Manager as well as OfficeSuite (which I had previously uninstalled) from internet access. Now File Manager cannot reinstall itself. Now I am just keeping my fingers crossed.