HATE FB
December 30, 2013 1:21 AM Subscribe
My HTC One Android phone has somehow become infected with a Facebook app again. I want to delete it permanently, completely and forever. It wont let me, I've checked the forums and googled around. When I drag the icon into 'remove' or 'un-intsall ' it just wont. It doesnt show up in my list of Apps in the App manager menu... its like voodoo...Gah! Is there a way or is Facebook like forever, like Orwell's canonical Boot?
If the is device rooted, you could use something like Root App Delete or Titanium Backup to get rid of it.
I'm just wondering, though, if the app has been uninstalled and something has been left behind. Does the app actually load, or is it just an icon somewhere that's showing up?
posted by Solomon at 2:43 AM on December 30, 2013
I'm just wondering, though, if the app has been uninstalled and something has been left behind. Does the app actually load, or is it just an icon somewhere that's showing up?
posted by Solomon at 2:43 AM on December 30, 2013
Response by poster: Solomon: its just an Icon.
I dont know what a "rooted" device is. I'm in Australia, connected to Telstra and iiNet
posted by evil_esto at 3:38 AM on December 30, 2013
I dont know what a "rooted" device is. I'm in Australia, connected to Telstra and iiNet
posted by evil_esto at 3:38 AM on December 30, 2013
Its probably one of those pre-installed apps you're not allowed to uninstall. Its not a virus, its "working as intended". If its really bothering you, you'll have to root your phone to remove it.
There's plenty of apps I'd like to remove from my phone too but I don't care enough to mess about rooting the phone.
posted by missmagenta at 3:38 AM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
There's plenty of apps I'd like to remove from my phone too but I don't care enough to mess about rooting the phone.
posted by missmagenta at 3:38 AM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: it doesn't
show up in any of those
posted by evil_esto at 3:55 AM on December 30, 2013
show up in any of those
posted by evil_esto at 3:55 AM on December 30, 2013
Best answer: Rooting is where you give yourself full access to the phone's software. Right now, where your phone isn't rooted, you don't have access to the system of the phone. The app is likely installed in the system, which means unless you root, you won't be able to uninstall it properly.
There's a bit of info here about rooting your device. Be warned, though, that it will likely void your warranty.
If it's just an icon, not an actual application that is running or doing anything, I guess you have to weigh up whether or not it annoys you enough to warrant rooting. It's reasonably easy, and if you you watch the video at the above link, you can see if you think you could handle the process. Rooting will likely give you enough access to use something like Root App Delete to remove it, but it depends on whether or not you want to void your warranty over something that seems to be just a visual thing.
posted by Solomon at 3:56 AM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
There's a bit of info here about rooting your device. Be warned, though, that it will likely void your warranty.
If it's just an icon, not an actual application that is running or doing anything, I guess you have to weigh up whether or not it annoys you enough to warrant rooting. It's reasonably easy, and if you you watch the video at the above link, you can see if you think you could handle the process. Rooting will likely give you enough access to use something like Root App Delete to remove it, but it depends on whether or not you want to void your warranty over something that seems to be just a visual thing.
posted by Solomon at 3:56 AM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
You said 'again'. Was it gone at one time and has now returned?
posted by donnagirl at 4:13 AM on December 30, 2013
posted by donnagirl at 4:13 AM on December 30, 2013
Best answer: How are you apps organized in your App Manager/Drawer? If it is set to "Most Recent" then Facebook may not show up if it was pre-installed. If it is set to Custom them Facebook may be in a folder. It is also possible you hid the app from your App Drawer without actually disabling the app.
If you are are looking at the apps through Settings and then Apps you likely need to look at All apps rather than Downloaded apps to see Facebook.
Additionally in addition to the main Facebook app there may be additional Facebook-related apps installed such as Facebook Home or Facebook Messenger or any of a number of third-party apps that work with Facebook.
As others have said if it came pre-loaded you cannot uninstall Facebook without rooting your phone. Solomon's comments on that are good.
You can disable the app though. Instructions for disabling an app on an HTC One. After following this procedure the app will not run and will not show up anywhere except for in this Settings menu.
If that does not work or your problem is something else can you link to a screenshot showing what your issue is?
posted by mountmccabe at 5:17 AM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you are are looking at the apps through Settings and then Apps you likely need to look at All apps rather than Downloaded apps to see Facebook.
Additionally in addition to the main Facebook app there may be additional Facebook-related apps installed such as Facebook Home or Facebook Messenger or any of a number of third-party apps that work with Facebook.
As others have said if it came pre-loaded you cannot uninstall Facebook without rooting your phone. Solomon's comments on that are good.
You can disable the app though. Instructions for disabling an app on an HTC One. After following this procedure the app will not run and will not show up anywhere except for in this Settings menu.
If that does not work or your problem is something else can you link to a screenshot showing what your issue is?
posted by mountmccabe at 5:17 AM on December 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's entirely possible that you aren't actually uninstalling the thing. Dragging the icon to the trash just removes it from your home screen. You have to go into the Apps manager and uninstall it that way. You might even consider going into the Google Play app and entirely remove it from your list.
But if the thing came pre-installed, then yeah, you either root your device or deal with it. No other way of removing pre-installed apps, no matter how annoying. I've got a few Samsung and Verizon apps running around that I never use and have basically turned off, but I can't get rid of them without rooting the device, which I have no intention of doing.
posted by valkyryn at 6:51 AM on December 30, 2013
But if the thing came pre-installed, then yeah, you either root your device or deal with it. No other way of removing pre-installed apps, no matter how annoying. I've got a few Samsung and Verizon apps running around that I never use and have basically turned off, but I can't get rid of them without rooting the device, which I have no intention of doing.
posted by valkyryn at 6:51 AM on December 30, 2013
If your phone is running Android 4.0 or higher, try this.
posted by davcoo at 7:37 AM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by davcoo at 7:37 AM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Here is T-Mobile's support page for the HTC One which describes how to disable pre-installed apps. Facebook does seem to be preinstalled on the HTC One so the only way to supress it is to disable it. It's can't be fully removed.
posted by GuyZero at 4:08 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by GuyZero at 4:08 PM on December 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
I also have a Telstra HTC One. In fact, I got a brand new replacement phone today after the battery died in my previous one. I haven't installed anything yet, so it's pretty close to "virginal", but Facebook is there. And there is no option to uninstall it in the standard Android app manager. I can disable it, but not uninstall it. I don't know whether that's related to Telstra's version of the HTC One, or that it's just part of HTC's Sense interface thing (which I never even look at).
Sorry, I don't have a solution other than going down the path of rooting, as suggested above.
posted by Diag at 2:45 AM on December 31, 2013
Sorry, I don't have a solution other than going down the path of rooting, as suggested above.
posted by Diag at 2:45 AM on December 31, 2013
Any "system" apps on Android can't be uninstalled. Companies like HTC and Samsung love to stick rubbish like Facebook in as a system app (and frankly most non-techie users probably do want Facebook on their shiny new phone I guess).
The disabling that others have mentioned was added in Android 4 to fix this. While it technically hasn't been uninstalled, it won't run and won't show up anywhere.
posted by markr at 3:17 PM on December 31, 2013
The disabling that others have mentioned was added in Android 4 to fix this. While it technically hasn't been uninstalled, it won't run and won't show up anywhere.
posted by markr at 3:17 PM on December 31, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by evil_esto at 2:20 AM on December 30, 2013