Owner of the operating room Android systems is the IT giant Google. This explains the fact that most Google services, including Play Market built into mobile devices, running on the Android platform and integrated into the main menu of the operating system.

True, in fairness it is worth noting that not all users of Android devices are happy with this. After all, it is quite possible that someone uses other proven and familiar sources to meet their needs, while others simply do not need the Google Play application store.

Speaking about software from Google, it is necessary to highlight the “Services” application Google Play", which is pre-installed software on almost all Android devices. What is it for, and is it possible to get rid of such a “gift” imposed by the digital giant? To answer this question unambiguously, let’s take a look at everything in order.

The main task of GP services is to ensure stable operation of the following key functions:

• Authentication in Google services
• Contact synchronization
• Access to latest settings privacy and energy saving
• Updates Google applications and G.P.
• Accelerated application search (including offline mode)
• Other.

Removing Google Play Services may result in application malfunctions and even complete termination of their operation.

However, there is another side to the coin. You suddenly began to notice that the battery charge of your device began to drop ungodly, not allowing the device to remain in working condition even for a day. In this case, it’s worth checking which software has become so actively “eating” the energy of your Android. The fact is that more and more complaints are being received from users specifically about Google Play Services. The situation sometimes develops in such a way that they manage to use up to fifty percent of the charge. Why does this happen?

The fact is that Google Play services are activated automatically (and, accordingly, all applications from Google), and then continue to constantly “hang” in random access memory devices, receiving and transmitting data to the corporation’s servers.

Based on the above, each user must decide for himself how much he needs this or that program and its normal functioning, and only after that draw conclusions whether Google Play services can be removed or not. If you decide that you don’t need this software, then the continuation of the article is just for you.

Google Play Services - can it be removed?

Yes, you can, but you just need to understand that uninstalling any program must be approached responsibly, with an understanding of what you are doing to the gadget.

In general, we have written a lot on this topic, so if you are not quite ready for the procedure, then it is worth looking through, or how in general. In addition, it will certainly be useful to know.

If, after our 1500th Chinese warnings, you definitely decide to delete Google Play services, then we follow the special instructions.

If your device is not yet rooted, then first you need. Next you can use MyPhoneExplorer program, which you need to download from the developer’s website and install on your PC and .

The application allows the user to simply connect his smartphone (or tablet) to the computer via USB or Wi-Fi and organize comfortable work with contacts, sort out SMS correspondence and deal with things in the calendar.

I'm glad that MyPhone supports the Russian language, so working with this software will be quite easy. Once you start working, you will be asked to synchronize everything, and after that your communicator will be under complete control.

In addition to all sorts of useful things, we will be able to work with file system and even call any of installed programs. When working with applications you will immediately see:

• Version
• Size
• Installation date.

In addition, as for Google Play services, like other applications, it can be saved to your computer as apk file, completely remove it from your device or install new programs.

Another powerful tool for working with applications. Having installed and launched the program, we will see a system request for “Superuser” rights, allow it.

Then we will see a list installed applications. I would like to immediately draw your attention to this important point. If you are not completely sure of the need to remove any program, then it is better to “freeze” it rather than completely uninstall it. In this case, unnecessary this moment application for operating system will be completely hidden. At least if something goes wrong, you can restore the application.

So, after launching and granting root rights, go to the “Backups” tab:

Then, we find the program to be “frozen” (in our case, “Google Play Services”). By the way, for convenience, you can use filters, for example “Only system applications”:

Click on the name of the program and press the “Freeze” button:

If you come to the conclusion that you need to return this or that application to work, then go through all the steps described, and the last step is to click on “Defrost”.

In case of decision complete removal program, again we go the same way, but after “tapping” on the name, click on “Delete”.

At the end of the material, to help our readers, video material:

Introduction

What is Google Apps

• GoogleBackupTransport.apk - synchronizes data from installed applications, Wi-Fi passwords and some settings;
• GoogleLoginService.apk - connects the device with a Google account;
• GooglePartnerSetup.apk - allows third party applications gain access to Google services;
• GoogleServicesFramwork.apk - a framework with various auxiliary functionality;
• Phonesky.apk - Play Store (oddly enough);
• PrebuiltGmsCore.apk - Google Services, as the name suggests, is the core of the entire gapps suite;
• Velvet.apk is a Google search that includes a desktop search bar and Google Now.

Method number 1. Disabling through settings

Most Google applications can be disabled painlessly through the settings: “Applications -> ALL -> desired application -> Disable”.

Settings Google account
Google Settings

Method number 2. Cleaning the official firmware

• Books.apk - Google Books;
• CalendarGoogle.apk - Google Calendar;
• Chrome.apk - Google Chrome;
• CloudPrint.apk - cloud printing system;
• Drive.apk - Google Drive;
• GenieWidget.apk - news and weather widget;
• Gmail2.apk - Gmail;
• GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk - contact synchronization;
• GoogleEars.apk - Google Ears (similar to Shazam);
• GoogleEarth.apk - Google Earth;
• GoogleHome.apk - home screen with integrated Google Now;
• GoogleTTS.apk - speech synthesis system;
• Hangouts.apk - Google Hangouts;
• Keep.apk - Google Keep;
• LatinImeGoogle.apk - keyboard with gesture support;
• Magazines.apk - Google Magazines;
• Maps.apk - Google Maps;
• Music2.apk - Google Music;
• PlayGames.apk - Google PlayGames;
• PlusOne.apk - Google+;
• QuickOffice.apk - QuickOffice;
• Street.apk - Google Street;
• SunBeam.apk - SunBeam live wallpaper;
• Videos.apk - Google Movies;
• YouTube.apk - YouTube.

• CalendarProvider.apk - stores calendar data;
• GoogleFeedback.apk - sends a report about using Google Play;
• GoogleOneTimeInitilalizer.apk - installation wizard for additional Google applications;
• SetupWizard.apk - setup wizard on first launch;
• Wallet.apk - Google Wallet;
• talkback.apk - voice notification about events on the device.

The Gapps kit for KitKat, among other things, also includes a proprietary camera with support for spherical shooting and a proprietary desktop with integrated Google Now.

But that is not all. Google Apps depends on several frameworks, which are located in the /system/framework directory. These files are com.google.android.maps.jar, com.google.android.media.effects.jar and com.google.widevine.software.drm.jar. There are also many libraries in the /system/lib directory that are used exclusively by Google applications. It is not at all necessary to remove them, but it is possible. Just to clean up the trash. You can find a list of them on the website ][. In previous (and future) versions of the system, the content of Google Apps is different, so before uninstalling I recommend downloading gapps the required version from the site goo.im/gapps, unpack using WinRar and view the contents. You should also take into account the dependence of some applications from the market on Google applications, I will talk more about this later. This is only a part of the libraries included in the gapps kit

Method number 3. Custom firmware without gapps

Method number 4. Google Play and nothing else

Changing the search engine to DuckDuckGo

Third party market

• Amazon Appstore is the most famous application store after Google Play. Contains more than 75 thousand applications (compared to 800 thousand on Google Play), the quality of each of which is manually checked, just like iTunes for iOS. You can pay using credit card or Amazon Coins, which are given as a gift for a purchase Kindle tablet Fire or as a gift from another user. One of the most interesting features of the store is the daily free distribution of one of the paid applications.
• Yandex.Store is a store from the Yandex company. Contains more than 85 thousand applications, each of which is scanned by Kaspersky antivirus. It doesn’t particularly stand out, but it has a killer feature in the form of the ability to pay for purchases using the Yandex.Money service or a mobile phone account.
• 1Mobile Market is the largest third-party repository of Android applications, including more than 500 thousand software. It differs from others by the presence of exclusively free applications (not to be confused with pirated ones), which is why it allows you not to go through the account registration stage and maintain anonymity.

Open Source Market

Solving the problem of application dependence on Google Apps

• Network Location is a Wi-Fi based geolocation service and base stations GSM. Based on Apple's IP address database and open base station database;
• Maps API - replacement of the interface to Google Maps based on OpenStreetMap;
• BlankStore is an open alternative to the Play Store client. Allows you to install free applications from the Google store, but is not recommended for use due to possible sanctions from the search engine (this is prohibited by their rules).

conclusions

I haven’t parted with my Nexus 4 for a year and a half now, and it just so happens that the battery life is worse than before. Of course, you can order a new one, but it takes time, fuss with replacement, etc., so it was decided to conduct an experiment to completely get rid of Google Apps, which often took first place in terms of battery consumption and always had a not very good reputation in terms of energy saving.

I have been familiar with kernels for a long time, but there was no desire to experiment with enthusiast builds, so Cyanogenmod 11 was chosen as a test subject. Yes, it was the 11th version based on KitKat, for the simple reason that during the “experiment” (December 2014-January 2015) many criticized LolliPop for being gluttonous, and there was no adequate third-party firmware based on 5.0 at that moment.

Well, Cyanogen is installed, but the Google Apps package recommended for installation is not. Less than 5 minutes later, the question arose: where to get applications? A very obvious solution comes to mind in the form of Yandex.Store. Go to the yandex.store website and download the store's apk. It’s worth noting here that the AOSP browser turned out to be quite good. It is unlikely to be suitable for long surfing on the Internet, but for quick search necessary information or checking the university schedule will do just fine.

Let's go back to the store. Yandex.Store is installed and ready to use, but one thing about this very use is terribly repulsive. We are, of course, talking about the design of the application. After Google has spoiled us with tales of ubiquitous Material Design, there is no desire to see an interface a la Android 4.0.

The surprise was the presence of most applications in the store catalog: here you have clients of all popular social networks, And office packages, and even Flappy Bird in the original. By the way, not everything is rosy with toys, there are not many of them, and those that exist are already quite old and do not shine with quality. However, for me, as a person who practically does not play on my phone, this was not a big drawback.

All the most required applications were successfully installed, and those that were not found in the store were downloaded from a well-known forum.

Let's get back to battery life. On official firmware 5.0, and even 4.4 with my use (social networks, calls, WhatsApp and a little Internet), the phone lasted an hour and a half for the screen to work, plus or minus 20 minutes.

Imagine my surprise when, on the first day without Google Apps, I saw in the screen performance statistics that same hour and a half with 45% of the remaining charge. And indeed, by the end of the day the phone had not yet turned off, and the screen operating time stopped at 2.5 hours with 10-15% charge, which could not but rejoice.

There were some drawbacks: for example, there were problems with notifications, many stopped coming, the VK application was especially upsetting, so messages had to be checked manually by refreshing the page directly in the application.

Everything was fine for about two weeks, but then all the disadvantages began to reveal themselves. It became clear that without Google Play it’s really boring, because you often want to check what new applications have appeared and try them out right away. Evernote, which replaced Google Keep, also did not catch on - yet Keep turned out to be more familiar and simpler. Perhaps it’s worth stopping here and talking about what applications I replaced this or that from Google. As mentioned above, Evernote replaced Google Keep for me, but it didn’t justify itself because the interface was too cumbersome. There are a lot of unnecessary and unnecessary functions for me, but there is excellent synchronization in the cloud, without which there is no life at all after Keep.

Google Calendar was replaced by Any.do Cal, but it was removed a couple of days later because an excellent alternative was found in Today Calendar, which I still use. There is a nice Material Design, you can check the weather, and it’s convenient to plan an event.

I haven't been listening to music on my phone lately, so as a music player The built-in CyanogenMod Apollo was enough. It turned out to be convenient to view mail using the Yandex application, but later the choice fell on Mailbox. Still, it turned out to be much more pleasing to the eye than a mixture of iOS and Android interfaces in one program.

I hadn’t used Google maps much before, so I switched to 2Gis painlessly and completely, and Yandex.Transport shows the public transport schedule without any complaints. The choice of browser was obvious; Chrome's closest competitor, in my opinion, has always been Firefox, so I chose it as the main one and was very pleased. The Yandex browser, by the way, turned out to be quite laggy, so after 10 minutes of use it was removed, but the translator helped out, although it lagged behind its Western counterpart in terms of functions.

The app is no longer available on Google Play :(

The app is no longer available on Google Play :(

The app is no longer available on Google Play :(

The app is no longer available on Google Play :(

The app is no longer available on Google Play :(

The app is no longer available on Google Play :(

The app is no longer available on Google Play :(

And so with almost every application from Google, a replacement was found for everything, with the exception of Google Now, but the point here is not that I needed it endlessly, on the contrary, unexpectedly for myself, I noted that the service, of course, is pleasant, but not necessary - It’s quite possible to live without it. Without geolocation, by the way, too.

In general, the author of these lines lasted exactly a month, after which Google Apps were re-flashed, and the phone again began to hold an order of magnitude less. Undoubtedly, I could have tried to hold out longer and, most likely, I would have gotten used to it, but still the ecosystem took over and I got used to using something other than Chrome on home computer Well, it didn’t work out, and where there is Chrome, there is Keep, and Translator, and other Google delights.

To tell the truth, the thoughts of limiting myself from Google applications still haunt my head, especially in view of the latest ones, which plans to expel Google from Android and make its own application store, but without Google’s gluttonous services. All we can do is wait and hope that the guys will do everything well.

Perhaps it is worth drawing a few conclusions and summing up all of the above.

• Yes, it has been experimentally proven that Google Services eats up your battery with great appetite, but all this, in part, can be justified by the quick arrival of notifications, widespread synchronization and the strong simplification of everyday life.
• Google Play, like any beautiful (can you hear Yandex? Beautiful!), convenient and content-filled application store is a great thing, without which a modern smartphone can hardly be called a smartphone.
• You can find a replacement for your usual application without any problems, but will this replacement be better than that, what happened? In some cases, yes, but if you live somewhere abroad, you are unlikely to agree with me about the usefulness of Yandex services or 2Gis maps.

Which Google services are most important to you? Share with us in the comments what is stopping you from giving up Google Apps?

Basically, all famous manufacturers of phones, tablets and other devices running Android install in their Google devices Play or whatever it was previously called Android Market. However, there are manufacturers on whose devices, due to licensing, Google Play is not installed.

Who doesn't have Google Play

This mainly concerns devices from little-known Chinese companies. Buyers of such devices benefit in price, which is the determining factor for them when choosing, although they often lose in quality and functionality.

After purchasing such a device through certain time, when the owner needs to install an application, a logical question arises: how to install Play Market (Google Play)?.

Where to get Google Play

You can download the Play Market from third-party sites and install it, however, it will not work on all devices due to the fact that the manufacturer has not obtained a license for Google services. It will be possible to install the Play Market, but it will not work.

Applications from Internet sites

You can search for applications on your computer on various sites, download, and install. You can search for applications on third-party sites directly from your phone and install them. This method will not be the most convenient and, in addition, when downloading applications from different sites the risk of catching the virus increases.

Applications from other sources

There is another way to install applications without Google Play, it is just as convenient and the security will be at the same level. It consists of using third-party sources, namely alternative application stores, which are competitors of Google Play in app distribution.

You will find everything in them popular apps which you need. I advise you to use app stores only famous companies, such as Amazon or 1mobile.

Steps for installation

So you decided to install an alternative to the play market, the process of installing stores is the same, let's look at it using the example of 1 Mobile Market. The installation will consist of 3 steps - changing settings, downloading and installing:

Settings

Go to the settings, select the “Security” item in the menu, look for the line “Unknown sources” and mark it to allow installation of applications from unknown sources, because Google considers only its Play Market to be a known source, and we will download 1 Mobile Market from the Internet.

Loading

We open any browser, you can use the built-in one or Chrome, Opera and others. In the browser in address bar enter the website address of 1 Mobile Market - www.1mobile.com.

On the site, click on the word Market at the top of the page, or at the very bottom of the page on the inscription 1Mobile Market, this field should open the download page.

On the download page, select for which device you want to download 1Mobile Market - phone or tablet and click the Download button under the corresponding device. Chrome may display a message “the file may harm your device”, ignore it, click OK and the download will begin.

Installation

Once the download is complete, all that remains is to install the application. To do this, go to downloads and run the file containing 1 Mobile Market in the name, the installation process will begin.

Click install in the window that appears, and when a message appears stating that the application is installed, click the open button and go to the 1Mobile Market store

You can completely disable unnecessary Google services (built-in applications) on almost any device (smartphone, tablet, TV set-top box...) without having divine root rights using free application Activity Launcher, which after its extremely useful work simply removed.

On my Mi Max from Xiaomi, I immediately unlocked the bootloader, installed a custom kernel, got root rights... and got rid of all the unnecessary Google junk, so the screenshots below will be from my youngest son’s phone.

Just yesterday they resuscitated him Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 Duos (we replaced the broken sensor, made full reset and updated the firmware). We have not yet installed an application for creating screenshots on this smartphone, so the article will contain “live” photos of the process of expelling non-deletable Google services.

If you absolutely do not understand what the article is about, if you are afraid of “breaking your smartphone,” if your hands are shaking and there will be no one to save your phone after you delete something that is not possible, the information below is not for you .

So, download and install the Activity Launcher application using the official link from Google Play (it’s at the end of the article)…

After its update the day before yesterday, it became known as “Application Activation”...

...by the way, it now works in the eighth version of Android.

Launch Activity Launcher and click on “Recent Activities”. In the drop-down menu, click on “All actions”...

...find the “Settings” item...

(on my smart it looks like this)…

...and in it we find “Application Manager” (the one with the signature “com.android.settings.applications.ManageApplications”)...

...or “All applications” with the same signature (you can press the line in front of the one highlighted in the screenshot below)…

As I understand it, these differences depend on the smartphone manufacturer or Android version.

...we are not afraid of anything and confirm our actions - “Yes”...

We get a disabled application - the shortcut disappears from the desktop and you will no longer find your “Google Play Books” anywhere on your smartphone. We do the same with all the “leeches” from Google...

No delete button for Hangouts? Then we are coming to you, together with Activity Launcher...