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How do you fully 100% uninstall an app? (lemmy.world)

submitted 14 hours ago by trymeout@lemmy.world to c/android@programming.dev

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Do you just simply uninstall it from the Android settings? On desktop, when you uninstall and app, it most likely leaves files and directories behind even if they are hidden on your system.

When you uninstall and app on Android, is this also the case? Or does it also delete every single file and directory associated with the app?

Some Android apps (very, very few) Will create files in your Documents or Home directory and I understand these will not be removed when you uninstall an app.

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[–] wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

It's similar to on PC, where it depends on how files were stored by the app and how well they made their uninstall process.

Generally speaking, any data stored in the app specific storage (normally hidden from Android file browsers) will be cleared on uninstall, and any folders in the user-accessible area of storage will stay.

If you're concerned, you can run SD Maid 2 and turn on its uninstall watcher functionality so it can scan for any leftovers and clear them. That said, it's been pretty rare that I've ever seen it detect anything to remove after an uninstall.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 3 points 6 hours ago

It's very different from a Windows PC.

Windows uses an installer database to determine what files are needed and where (source, I did app packaging and deployment for NT4 through Windows 7).

Android: APKs are just zip files that extract to a specific folder - much, much simpler.

When an app is uninstalled the app folder is deleted, though the data folder may be left behind in case the user decides to reinstall the app.

This is the only part that isn't well-defined or well enforced, and why SD Maid is such a useful tool.