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Copyright © 2022-2023 TubbyCat

See CREDIT and MIT files for elaborated copyright information.

Android Debug Bridge Commands for Debloating.

This is a summary. The upstream documentation, in my opinion, is needlessly dense and could have been better written by a gibbon fed a steady diet of beatings and neurotoxic research pharmaceuticals.

NOTE: Gather info on a package prior to removal. Backup all extant packages and settings prior to execution of adb

TO USE: Download android debug bridge on PC (or equivalent) and enable developer-mode + debug bridge on android device

  • If you cannot figure out the above, pay someone to do all this for you -- preferably not someone standing in an alley wearing a tan tenchcoat. Your phone will last longer.

The following commands are essential for android debloat and consequent install of desired software.

Note: For commands listed bellow "adb shell" can be excluded if you are already inside your phone's commandline shell and are executing commands therein.

Adb shell $command is useful for scripts executed outside of the phone's shell.

Listing Packages

  • list packages in format "package:com.hopefully.a.backdoor"

    #for running outside your phone's CLI shell
adb shell pm list packages

#if already inside your phone's shell by manually running "adb shell" once
pm list packages

  • List all packages without "package:"

    adb shell pm list packages | cut -f 2 -d ":"

  • Create prettied list by keyword

    adb shell pm list packages | cut -f 2 -d ":" | grep #keyword
#e.g.adb shell pm list packages | cut -f 2 -d ":" | grep com.google

  • List user installed packages. Grep-able.

    adb shell pm list packages -3

  • List package location

    adb shell pm path com.foo.bar

  • List users on a system

      adb shell pm list users   # executed outside phone's shell. Preferable for scripts.
  pm list users             # executed within phone's shell

Uninstalling Packages

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0

# if NO ROOT ON PHONE: must specify --user 0
# this removal is temporary, such that Over-The-Air updates / factory reset can restore removed package(s)
# therefore, having a debloating script is useful. Post-update simply run the script to remove bloatware.
  • Uninstall While Preserving User Data & Cache
pm uninstall -k 
# inside shell
adb shell pm uninstall -k 
# Outside phone's shell
# as above can specify --user 0. e.g. adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0

If root available simply su to root user and remove permanently

Installing APKs

#from OUTSIDE phone's shell 

adb install ./abc.apk 
adb -d install ./abc.apk
  #ideal for USB based android debug connection.

Moving Data to and from your Phone

adb pull dirPhone dirPC
#move data from dirPhone to dirPC. use full paths e.g. /home/Johnny/Desktop

adb push dirPC dirPhone
# move data from your pc to your phone

Backing up your Phone

Can be done somewhat selectively using adb pull or if most of your data is on an SD card, simply copy that to 2° storage, depending upon your needs.

A traditional backup can be achieved using "adb backup"

adb backup [-f file] -apk/-noapk -obb/-noobb -shared/-noshared -all -system/-nosystem [optional_list_of_apks]

Opts:

-f file. Outputs backup to backup.ab, by default in current working directory

-apk & -noapk(default) selects whether to backup installed packages

-obb & -noobb(default) selects inclusion of apk expansion files associated with installed apps

-shared & -noshared(default) whether to backup shared storage

-all backs up ALL installed apps

-system & -nosystem selects backup of system apps. Subsumed by -all

[optional_list_of_apks] as above = optional list of packages. Rendered irrelevant by -all / -shared

Recommended use for Pre-Debloat Backup

adb backup -f filename.ab -all -obb -shared

Restore a Backup. In Case of Oopsies.

adb restore filename
e.g. adb restore backup.ab

Package Analysis

adb shell dumpsys package com.foo.bar
adb shell dumpsys package com.foo.bar | grep $ofinterest #accepts regex