Can I cancel/revoke pending installations?

[Lcmv]

I bought a used phone from a repair shop. Nice guys, great service, but I trust no one so I wiped and reset the phone back to factory settings as soon as I got home. It's a Motorola and it has Android 10.

During re-installation, it asked for Internet. I gave it WiFi (not a SIM card). It installed. Then it asked me a couple of questions about configuration.

Then there was this screen where it said it was going to install "additional applications," listing the applications. It was about 5 or six Google apps and about 5 third-party apps, including Kwai, TikTok, Amazon.

I don't want those third-party apps! But there was no option to skip, just an OK button. I could click and "open" each entry and read their brief description, and there was a grayed out, pre-selected check box. Which means, I couldn't de-select any one of them. Which means, they are all made compulsory.

I panicked and forced a reboot. The phone rebooted, part of the installation process was repeated, I managed to go into configuration and turn off WiFi before concluding the installation. So the phone cannot access the Internet. The "additional applications" screen came up again and I don't remember how I got rid of it, I guess I just pressed OK but nothing happened because there is no Internet.

Now, I can confirm those unwanted third-party apps are not installed yet. But their icons are present on my Home screen, only grayed-out and, when I click them, they open the Play Store, straight into that respective application's page.

I haven't re-enabled Internet again yet. I am afraid those unwanted third-party apps will be installed behind my back. I really don't want that!

Is there something I can do to completely cancel and revoke those pending installations? I don't want to let them install then uninstall them. I don't trust those apps so I don't trust their removal will be complete either.

 

[B. Diddy]

The phone likely came preinstalled with a bloatware installer, which is common with the big carriers (like Verizon's App Manager and T-Mobile's AppSelector -- I think AT&T has something similar as well). Do you know if the phone was originally sold through a carrier?

You can go to Settings>Apps, make sure the toggle to show system apps is on, and look for an app with those names (or similar). See if you can uninstall it, or at least Disable it.

 

[Lcmv]

The phone likely came preinstalled with a bloatware installer, which is common with the big carriers (like Verizon's App Manager and T-Mobile's AppSelector -- I think AT&T has something similar as well). Do you know if the phone was originally sold through a carrier?

You can go to Settings>Apps, make sure the toggle to show system apps is on, and look for an app with those names (or similar). See if you can uninstall it, or at least Disable it.

I don't know if it was originally sold through a carrier.

I checked Settings>Apps, show system apps on, the unwanted apps aren't there, but I'm afraid they will be installed as soon as I let this phone have Internet.

Like I said in my original post, I don't want to let them install then uninstall them because I don't trust those apps so I don't trust their removal will be complete either.

 

[B. Diddy]

If the apps end up being installed, then an uninstall will take care of them -- I wouldn't worry about that.

When the phone boots up, what does the splash screen look like? Do you see a carrier name, or is it just Moto or the Google logo?

If you want to, you can take screenshots of the entire Settings>App list and show it here, so we can see if we can find the culprit.

 

[Sizzers]

I buy all my phones new SIM free - or 'unlocked' as I believe you say in the States? - so there's no carrier bloat, only Samsung's.

I'm now on my third Samsung with all the same crap waiting to be installed (sorry TikTok lovers!), whether on initial setup or after a factory reset.

There's no way I've ever found to prevent this but it's a 'dead' app unless you open it (i.e. if you look in the apps storage, data/cache are empty)

As B.Diddy advised just uninstall them .

 

[mustang7757]

Long press those apps any options to uninstall? Depending on the Android version or tap info see if the option to uninstall is there.

 

[joeldf]

Also, if "Uninstall" is not an option, sometimes "Disable" is.

It won't remove the app from storage on the phone, but it will not turn on in the background, and won't show as an app icon that can be clicked on and started.