How to stop your Samsung phone from automatically downloading apps

If you own a Samsung device, you have probably noticed how it tends to automatically download bloatware apps without your permission. It’s a problem that’s more common on the company’s budget and mid-range devices than on its flagships.

Unfortunately, there is no single button you can press to prevent the Galaxy Store from downloading these apps to your phone. However, there are a number of things you can do to fix this problem. Here are five ways to stop your Samsung phone from automatically installing apps.

1. Remove Galaxy Store app permissions

The first thing you can do to stop the Galaxy Store from automatically downloading apps is to remove its app permissions. To do this, go to Settings > Apps > Galaxy Store > Permissions.

Here, select a permission under Allowed and select Don’t allow. You will receive a warning after that; just press Don’t allow anyway and carry on. Do the same for all other permissions under Allowed.

This will make it harder for the Galaxy Store app to use your phone’s resources and download files. After you remove the permissions and open the app, it will ask you again to grant it permissions. Be sure to type Don’t allow on the pop-up to decline them.

2. Disable all Galaxy Store app settings

In addition to removing permissions, you can also disable all Galaxy Store app settings. To do this, first go back to the app info page (Settings > Apps > Galaxy Store). Here, disable the following settings:

1. Disable Remove permissions if the app is not in use.
2. Faucet Define by default and disable Open supported links.
3. Faucet Mobile data and disable Allow background data usage and Allow data usage when data saver is on.
4. Faucet Change system settings and disable Allow permission.
5. Faucet Install unknown apps and disable Allow from this source.
6. Faucet Application details in storetap the three-dot menu at the top of the app page that opens and deselect Automatic update.

3. Deselect recommended apps when setting up the Galaxy Store

If this is your first time opening the Galaxy Store app, you might see an app recommendation page marketed as “Popular apps to get started”. Be careful here; if you rush through the setup process, you might download a bunch of bloatware onto your phone.

Here’s what to do:

1. Under Your startup apps, you’ll see a list of app groups. Each application group will have one or more applications selected automatically. Faucet Edit next to an app group and manually deselect all selected apps. Do the same for all application groups. When finished, press Continue.
2. On what follows Customize profile page, touch Skip.
3. On startup, you may see a pop-up asking you to select your regional language. At the bottom, uncheck Receive notifications about new and exclusive content from Galaxy Apps and press Do.
4. You may also receive a pop-up titled “Marketing Choice”. If so, press to cancel.

4. Disable Galaxy Store app settings

Next, disable the settings from the Galaxy Store app. Open the app, tap the hamburger menu (the three horizontal lines) and tap the Settings menu (the gear icon) to access the Galaxy Store settings.

Now follow the instructions below:

1. Faucet Automatic app updates and select Never.
2. Disable Receive news and special offers.
3. Faucet About Galaxy Store > Galaxy Store Auto-Update and select Wi-Fi use only.
4. If you are already logged in, press Personalization service; this will take you to the custom apps page. Here, deselect all selected apps. You may receive a warning for some applications; just press Stop Continue.
5. Next, tap the back icon on the screen to enter the customization service page. Be careful here; If you return using the on-device navigation buttons or swipe gestures, it will take you back to the main settings page. You need to tap the back arrow icon at the top. Once on the personalization service page, disable Personalize this phone, Use mobile dataand Personalized ads and direct marketing.
6. On the same page, tap Delete your datafaucet Wipe off again, enter your Samsung account password and tap OKAY.
7. Faucet Stop customizing all devicesfaucet Stop all customization again, and touch Switch off to confirm.

5. Stop using the Galaxy Store altogether

If you are still getting auto-downloaded apps on your device, your last resort is to simply ditch using the Galaxy Store altogether. But before you do that, keep in mind that many Samsung apps are not available on the Google Play Store.

So, if you want to keep your Samsung apps up to date, you’ll need the Galaxy Store up and running. And if you are using Edge Panels on your Samsung phone, you will also not be able to download third-party Edge Panels without them. But if all this does not interest you, get rid of the store.

The problem is that you cannot uninstall or deactivate the Galaxy Store app unlike other pre-installed Samsung apps because it is an integral part of One UI. However, there are still other ways to prevent it from running in the background. To do this, go to the Galaxy Store app information page and follow these tips:

1. Faucet Force Stop > OK.
2. Go Storage > Clear data > OK.
3. You can also select the three-dot menu at the top of the page and press Uninstall updates > OK. This will downgrade the app to its factory version, which is the one that was installed on your device before you received updates. This is a bit risky as the app may interrupt the use of some Samsung services which require regular updates.

Stop Installing Bloatware on Your Galaxy Phone

Nobody likes to see unwanted bloatware apps popping up on their screen out of nowhere, especially on a phone from a well-known company like Samsung. It wastes storage, hogs processing power, and reduces battery life.

It is frankly disappointing to see Samsung resorting to such methods just to earn commission from third-party developers. It’s like using one of Xiaomi’s playbook cheats.

Samsung only recently started removing ads from One UI, so there is reason to believe that the company will also stop this practice of automatically downloading bloatware onto users’ devices in the future. But for now, your best chance of getting rid of it is to follow the tips above.