Hot Take Bloatware pushes the Galaxy S23 Android OS to an incredible 60GB

[HarborFront]

Bloatware pushes the Galaxy S23 Android OS to an incredible 60GB [Updated]

Samsung's Android build is 4x bigger than Google's.

arstechnica.com

Quote

Several users report the phone uses around 60GB for the system partition right out of the box. If you have a 128GB phone, that's nearly half your storage for the Android OS and packed-in apps. That's four times the size of the normal Pixel 7 Pro system partition, which is 15GB. It's the size of two Windows 11 installs, side by side. What could Samsung possibly be putting in there?!

Samsung sells space in its devices to the highest bidder via pre-installed crapware. A company like Facebook will buy a spot on Samsung's system partition, where it can get more intrusive system permissions that aren't granted to app store apps, letting it more effectively spy on users. You'll also usually find Netflix, Microsoft Office, Spotify, Linkedin, and who knows what else. Another round of crapware will also be included if you buy a phone from a carrier, i.e., all the Verizon apps and whatever space they want to sell to third parties. The average amount users are reporting is 60GB, but crapware deals change across carriers and countries, so it will be different for everyone.

Unquote

I'll be getting the S23 Ultra with 1TB storage direct from Samsung. Will debloat once I get the phone.

 

[Thigas]

Typical Samsung stuff.

But thankfully there is some (limited) ways to debloat the system, disabling/uninstalling the apps on Settings (requires ADB 99,9% of the time because some of them just cannot be disabled), using a script or even rooting your device/installing a custom ROM (if you want privacy and security, I'd probably avoid that)

 

[dinosaur07]

That's indeed a lot of bloat. Unbloat is a must for 128 GB storage phones.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Unbloat is a must for 128 GB storage phones.

I have 32GB storage, 24GB usable, currently 9GB free.

 

[brambedkar59]

Just on the surface, Samsung's 60GB system partition looks bad compared to the Pixel 7's 15GB, but it's actually worse than those two raw numbers. Samsung isn't even using one of the big, storage-hungry Android features that you would normally get on Pixel 7: A/B system partitions. The Pixel 7 (and most other flagships) can actually have two copies of the operating system, one that is online and being used, and another that is offline and sitting in the background.

Wow it gets even worse than it looks.

 

[HarborFront]

Pictures taken from another site where the user just bought the new S23 phones

 

[roger_m]

My phone only has 32GB storage, with often less than 2GB free.

 

[brambedkar59]

My phone only has 32GB storage, with often less than 2GB free.

I had to get my father new phone cause the last one only had 32 gb storage and it would hang/lag horribly with low free space.

 

[Trident]

Apart from all these potentially not useful apps, many of which require additional subscriptions, there is a sheer amount of duplicated apps (unless it has been fixed now). Such as Google Messages and Samsung Messages. Samsung Gallery and Google Photos.
Being pre-installed is not the real problem but most of them can’t be removed.

Disabling them is not great as they stop getting updates and if at one point you re-enable thek for some reason, they may be vulnerable.

 

[xaroteg]

I think it's not about the bloat, but about how the system calculates the storage capacity. It may say 512 GB, but in reality it may have a net 476 GB of 2-bit storage capacity, and therefore it shows "60 GB reserved by the system".

 

[TairikuOkami]

My phone only has 32GB storage, with often less than 2GB free.

Droid Optimizer sure helps, not just with storage, but also saving battery. I did not even know that Telegram downloads all media and never removes them by default, there went 10GB.

 

[roger_m]

Droid Optimizer sure helps, not just with storage, but also saving battery. I did not even know that Telegram downloads all media and never removes them by default, there went 10GB.

In addition to my phones included cleaning app, I use the paid Pro version of SD Maid. I've tried many different cleaning apps and I've found SD Maid to usually be able to clean the most junk. I've rooted my phone and SD Maid is able to clean more junk on rooted phones.

 

[HarborFront]

In addition to my phones included cleaning app, I use the paid Pro version of SD Maid. I've tried many different cleaning apps and I've found SD Maid to usually be able to clean the most junk. I've rooted my phone and SD Maid is able to clean more junk on rooted phones.

What phone are you using and which rooting app? Do I need to unlock bootloader before rooting just for rooting and not to flash custom ROM? How do you handle official OS/security updates?

Thanks

 

[brambedkar59]

In addition to my phones included cleaning app, I use the paid Pro version of SD Maid. I've tried many different cleaning apps and I've found SD Maid to usually be able to clean the most junk. I've rooted my phone and SD Maid is able to clean more junk on rooted phones.

Only reason I stopped rooting my phones anymore is that banking apps can detect it and refuse to run.

 

[roger_m]

What phone are you using and which rooting app? Do I need to unlock bootloader before rooting just for rooting and not to flash custom ROM? How do you handle official OS/security updates?

Thanks

My phone is a Redmi Note 4X with Magisk. You do need to unlock the bootloader. My phone no longer receives any updates, so that's not an issue.

Only reason I stopped rooting my phones anymore is that banking apps can detect it and refuse to run.

Magisk lets you hide the fact that the phone is rooted from apps that you choose.

 

[HarborFront]

My phone is a Redmi Note 4X with Magisk. You do need to unlock the bootloader. My phone no longer receives any updates, so that's not an issue.

Magisk lets you hide the fact that the phone is rooted from apps that you choose.

Thanks

Mine is Huawei Mate 20X. Also, no more receiving updates, so likely going to take a chance to root it. However, I'll need my new phone to arrive early next month before rooting.

Will going through the rooting process requires wiping out all my installed apps and data? How many times you need to do a successful root?

FYI, the Mate 20X is my work phone

Thanks again

 

[roger_m]

Thanks

Mine is Huawei Mate 20X. Also, no more receiving updates, so likely going to take a chance to root it. However, I'll need my new phone to arrive early next month before rooting.

Will going through the rooting process requires wiping out all my installed apps and data? How many times you need to do a successful root?

Nothing will get wiped. Here are instructions for your phone.

Easy Method To Root Huawei Mate 20 X Using Magisk [No TWRP needed]

Here in this guide, we will help you to flash the magisk to root Huawei Mate 20 X (EVR-L29 / EVR-AL00). Read our step by step guide properly !Who

www.getdroidtips.com

 

[brambedkar59]

Magisk lets you hide the fact that the phone is rooted from apps that you choose.

Two of the Indian banks (SBI and Axis Bank) are notorious for going out of their way to detect if the device is rooted or not. It's a hit or miss even with Magisk hide option.

 

[roger_m]

Two of the Indian banks (SBI and Axis Bank) are notorious for going out of their way to detect if the device is rooted or not. It's a hit or miss even with Magisk hide option.

That's a shame. It works with the banking app for my bank in Australia.

 

[Ink]

My phone only has 32GB storage, with often less than 2GB free.

Pixel 6a is your friend for less than $300 (sale price). Only downside is no microSD card expansion.