Motorola Droid MAXX - App Disabling For Maximum Speed & Battery Life

[Masheen]

My main reason for rooting a non-Nexus phone is to, of course, remove the bloatware. It really does significantly increase the phones speed because many of the bloat apps persist in the phone's active RAM (and cache) until the phone's RAM capacity is fully in use, then Android automatically kills off processes that it deems low in priority to make room for the processes one demands. This is the main reason behind Why Task Killers Are Useless

I have much experience changing the suffix of the apks via root explorer to remove bloat, as I have with my OG Droid, Droid X and various other Verizon phones that my friends had. I made an aggressive list in the developer section of the Droid 3 for Corey, (http://forums.androidcentral.com/droid-3-rooting-roms-hacks/117817-droid-3-apps-safe-remove-once-rooted.html#post1234181) which he added to his post. However, Google's App menu does not allow every app to be disabled. Most can.

My aggressive DL is as follows... This is tested and proven to work and will not damage or prevent your phone from running correctly. *If you use any of these apps ie: Google Music then obv do not disable. This is just a list of the apps that are able to be disabled:

This does NOT require root, and is a perfect solution to those who want to de-bloat and not have to root their phones.

Updated for Kit-Kat v.4.4.4

Active Display (most useful OEM feature for Android imo)
Amazon (App Store)
Amazon app suite
Amazon Kindle
Amazon MP3
Android Live Wallpapers (I Don't use live w/p)
Appstore (Amazon app store)
Assist (Moto Assist)
Audible
Audio Effects (Built in EQ)
Badger
Basic Daydreams (I find daydream useless)
Black Hole (live wallpaper)
BrowserMessage (Don't know but looks like it has to do with email)
Bubbles (live wallpaper)
Calculator
Calendar (I dl the Google one, do not disable calendar storage as this affects the Google one from the play store as well)
Call My Droid (touchless control feature that rings droid)
Caller ID (not accurate)
Camera (I guess you could...if you use 3rd party camera software)
Chrome
Clock
Cloud (Verizon Cloud)
Cloud Print
com.android.wallpaper.holospiral (live wallpaper engine)
com.google.android.voicesearch (does not prevent touchless control from working properly)
com.motorola.devicemanager (Moto device manager/remote wipe)
Device Management (Moto device manager)
DROID Command Center (Does not work with 3rd party launchers)
Dictionary Provider (SwiftKey rules all)
DROID dream (Useless)
Droid Zap (cool but slow and not super useful. Gmail is faster)
Email (I personally just use Gmail)
Emergency Alerts (might be good if you get tornados near you)
Face Unlock (cool gimmick, not really)
Google+
Google Keyboard (SwiftKey all day)
Google Pinyin Input (I don't think I'll be inputting Pinyin anytime soon)
Google Play Books
Google Play Games (just what I need to be doing in law school)
Google Play Magazines
Google Play Movies & TV (tablet for this)
Google Play Music
Google Play Newsstand
Google Search (Google Search Bar)
Google+
Hangouts (Google cross-platform messenger and video chat)
Help (that's what Android Central is for!)
Home Screen Tips (tips, yeah okay)
HP Print Service Plugin (don't need to print off my phone)
Ingress (I rather play real life)
Isis Wallet
Market Feedback Agent (don't know, but assume its for leaving Google Play reviews)
Magic Smoke Wallpapers (live wallpaper)
Messaging (If other than stock android)
Mobile Hotspot (they keep changing tether permissions)
Motorola bgapp1 (this is that family locator distress thing)
Motorola Car Dock
Motorola Migrate (One and done. don't need this after you use it]
Motorola Connect (send/receive texts through Chrome on a computer. Requires plug-in)
Motorola Checkin (Not sure)
Motorola Contextual Services (Not sure)
Motorola DriveAvtivator (Assume its Google Drive related)
Motorola ID (Not sure)
Motorola Modality Services (Don't know)
Motorola One Time Init (Don't know)
Motorola Sensor Services (Don't know)
Motorola Skip Setup NFC unlocking of phone
Music Visualization Wallpapers Live Wallpapers
My InfoZone (Vzw data widget still works w/o this)
My Verizon Mobile Vzw app and data widget
NFL Mobile (thank God they let us disable this now)
Photo Screensavers
Picasa Uploader (May affect Google+ uploads and/or auto backup?)
Print Spooler
Setup )new device set-up)
Sound Recorder (we don't have the stock option to record calls or sound, all voice activation and voice texts works without this still)
Sync Service (Verizon backup assistance)
Tags used by NFC
TalkBack (this is for the handicap, some type of accessibility option)
Updater used by Motorola to push OTA updates
User Dictionary (SwiftKey Rules All)
Verizon Login (don't need it)
Verizon Support & Protection (don't watch porn on your phone, Virus scare cman..)
Verizon Tones (can do this online, don't need this app)
VMware ready (don't know, don't care)
Voicemail (I use Google Voice)
VZ Navigator (Google Maps is the truth. Waze accident updater built in. Nice touch)
Weather (I use WeatherBug and AccuWeather)

That's my list so far. If anybody has any questions please feel free to ask.
If anybody has anything to add, please PM me or post. Thank you!

 

[INGrep]

A few days after I got my Maxx I went through the app list and disabled most of those apps I would not use and after that had issues with Chrome not working nor loading new screens. So then was forced to do a factory reset to restore all the apps and get the phone running smooth again. Have you had any issues after your hack?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Masheen]

No issues with all of this disabled. Running lean. Best guess is that you disabled a com.xxxxx or something important.

 

[poppapico69]

I have deleted a lot of that list and have not had any issues as well. Running smooth.
P.S. - My Maxx is not rooted tho. At least I don't think so lol......

Posted via Android Central App

 

[ulnek]

wish the backup assistant cant be disabled.

 

[Masheen]

wish the backup assistant cant be disabled.

It can. While the official apps "Backup Assistance Plus" and "Backup Assistance + Contacts" cannot be disabled, by disabling "Sync Service" it kills the engine for BAC and stops it from syncing.

Edit: I took the time with my Droid X and ex gf's Droid 3 to learn what most of these processes do. I have had some crazy stuff happen as a result. For example, I lost all my contacts after disabling Yahoo Messenger which was a stupid consequence imo, and had recurring force closes after disabling Vpn client where the fix was to remove your battery and it went away after the phone restarted. I can see why one would be apprehensive to disable an apk titled "Sync Service" but in reality that particular item doesn't control anything more than Verizon's BAC, while google has its own engine for Syncing which is still perfectly in tact.

 

[jcash3]

Have you seen much improvement in performance and battery life after disabling the apps? Just wondering...

 

[Masheen]

Yes, I've noticed a significant increase in speed. Battery life as well since some of the disabled apps connect to or ping the internet repeatedly.

 

[like2angle]

I disabled almost all the listed Apps and if it has made any difference in battery life its so small compared to other variables as to make the difference negligible. My battery drain is 2% per hour under minimal usage and about 4.5% per hour under heavy usage. I have noticed no speed difference. I wonder if having a "night mode" with background data and non essential functions reduced would make any difference?

 

[Masheen]

I disabled almost all the listed Apps and if it has made any difference in battery life its so small compared to other variables as to make the difference negligible. My battery drain is 2% per hour under minimal usage and about 4.5% per hour under heavy usage. I have noticed no speed difference. I wonder if having a "night mode" with background data and non essential functions reduced would make any difference?

It is definitely not a negligible difference. I have shared this with personal friends that have the Maxx, amongst others who have phones with an extraordinary amount of bloat, such as the SGS4. To me, the SGS4 is unusable of the box. On the SGS4, I disabled a ton of apps for people, including Samsung's copycat apps where they try and mimic those of Google's. When I was finished, there was no more launcher and window lag present, and the phone operated much more fluidly than before. With the Maxx it is a bit harder to detect, due to the beauty of the X8 processing technology which optimizes task handling even beyond that of Android itself. Battery is minimally affected because only some of the pre installed apps ping the internet. Apps such as backup assistance, and My Verizon data widget perform tasks that impact the battery. Thats basically it as far as battery drainage. But as far as speed enhancements, I felt the difference after disabling unnecessary apps.

Battery drainage is very subjective. It is different for everybody. The amount of accounts, weather it be social media or email, affect drainage. Then it depends on the frequency that those accounts refresh themselves and the volume of items being synced. Then there are apps which cause drainage. Apps such as ones for weather are updating their information via internet to provide real time information, that takes away from battery life. The list goes on...

Basically my attitude now is that I use my phone the way that I want to. The Droid Maxx was the best thing that has happened to me electronic-wise. I no longer have to use my smartphone like I would a clamshell one, not having any widgets or background syncs. I have the battery life now to use an Android powered phone the way that it is intended to be used, and not have to worry about what will drain the battery. It is a beautiful thing coming from a Galaxy Nexus which lasted 4-6 hours with 30m-1.5 hour screen time at most. If you really need to save battery, re-adjust sync intervals on accounts and apps that connect to the internet in the background, turn off data completely when you're sleeping or when it is not important to receive current information, and turn the brightness down on the screen.

 

[beeare]

In settings under accounts verizon backup assistant plus is still listed despite me deleting all of the other names verizon apps . Is they away to get this completely removed

Sent from my XT1080 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[GMasonDragonDad]

After playing with disabling things for a few months, nothing really has changed. Still 1.5% per hour with everything turned off, 2% with WiFi/sync enabled. Apps running in the background does not effect it.

Sent from Droid Maxx

 

[beeare]

I don't know . Since I disabled a bunch of these apps when my phone is laying dormant it's now losing less than 1 percent per hour . Before that it was losing around 2 percent per hour .

Sent from my XT1080 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[GMasonDragonDad]

Will disabled apps mess up anything in the Kitt Katt update process?

Sent from Droid Maxx

 

[GMasonDragonDad]

Will disabled apps mess up anything in the Kit Kat update process?

Sent from Droid Maxx

Sent from Droid Maxx

 

[doogald]

Will disabled apps mess up anything in the Kitt Katt update process?

We don't know anything about the KitKat update process yet. There is a current soak test right now but it is not KitKat.

But, no, based on what we have seen in other updates, if you are unrooted and you used the settings->apps to disable the app, the update will not be messed up.

 

[Masheen]

After playing with disabling things for a few months, nothing really has changed. Still 1.5% per hour with everything turned off, 2% with WiFi/sync enabled. Apps running in the background does not effect it.

Sent from Droid Maxx

Like I said, battery drainage is very subjective. It is different for everybody and a lot depends on synchronized accounts and frequency of update intervals. Disabling apps is more of a speed enhancement than battery extender. TBH... some of you people are just never happy. You have a freakin Droid Maxx, you no longer have to worry about battery life! ! ! Point blank period. 2% per hour? OH MY GODDD that means in 50 hours your phone will die. Thats still two days.

Will disabled apps mess up anything in the Kitt Katt update process?

Sent from Droid Maxx

No disabling apps will not affect anything. Don't pay attention to the guy who quoted you and replied. This is NOT like freezing bloatware in the past using titanium backup and/or root explorer to change the suffixes. You do not have to re-enable the apps either when the update comes. One of my brothers just got the SGS4 update and he has about 50 apps disabled and after the successful update the apps were still disabled. This will most likely be the case for Kit Kat as well. Using a feature that Google bakes in to their OS will not prevent you from getting their updates. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[GMasonDragonDad]

The MotoX forum has a similar thread that points to Motorola's help board for the same issue. To those who think it is not a big deal.. Well I paid $300 for this "premium" phone after having two other bad experiences with previous Motorola droids. If crapple gets bigger screens that fit my clunky hands.. They may get my next upgrade dollars. You can only P- off customers a limited amount before they feed your competition.

Sent from Droid Maxx

 

[CrazyRussian007]

The MotoX forum has a similar thread that points to Motorola's help board for the same issue. To those who think it is not a big deal.. Well I paid $300 for this "premium" phone after having two other bad experiences with previous Motorola droids. If crapple gets bigger screens that fit my clunky hands.. They may get my next upgrade dollars. You can only P- off customers a limited amount before they feed your competition.

Sent from Droid Maxx

What exactly are you talking about? What issue?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Masheen]

He must have posted on the wrong thread. Haha

Posted via Android Central App