Many Facebook users find themselves frustrated when they try to delete the Facebook app from their phones, only to find the app reappears after being “deleted.” There are a few reasons why you may be unable to fully delete the Facebook app from your device.
The Facebook app comes pre-installed on many Android devices
One of the most common reasons you can’t delete Facebook is that it comes pre-installed on your Android device. Facebook pays phone manufacturers to pre-install the app on Android phones and tablets. Since the app is installed at the system level, regular users don’t have permissions to fully delete system apps.
You’ll notice when trying to delete pre-installed Facebook that it only gives you the option to “disable” it, not uninstall. Disabling the app removes the app icon and stops it from running, but the app files remain on your device.
Phone manufacturers with Facebook pre-installed
Here are some of the major phone brands that often come with pre-installed Facebook apps:
- Samsung
- LG
- Motorola
- HTC
- Huawei
- ZTE
So if you have a phone from one of these manufacturers, chances are the Facebook app is deeply embedded in your Android OS. Unless you have root access to your phone, you likely won’t be able to fully uninstall it.
Facebook installs updates in the background
Another reason the Facebook app reappears after you delete it is that the app has the ability to automatically update and reinstall itself in the background. So even if you manage to remove the app, it can quietly reinstall the next time you use your phone.
Facebook engineered its Android app to take advantage of the Android operating system’s ApplicationRestoreService. This is an Android service designed to help apps restore their state when they are updated or reinstalled. But Facebook abuses this service to reinstall its app without requiring any user action.
How Facebook reinstalls itself
Here are the technical steps of how Facebook leverages Android’s ApplicationRestoreService to reinstall itself after being deleted:
- User deletes Facebook app
- Facebook registers for ApplicationRestoreService callbacks
- ApplicationRestoreService automatically reinstalls Facebook APK
- Facebook app data and state are restored
So in this way, Facebook manages to work around users trying to delete it by using Android’s own backup features against you.
Clearing app cache and data isn’t enough
If you notice the Facebook app reappearing after you try to delete it, you might think clearing your app cache and app data will do the trick. Unfortunately, this is not enough to get rid of Facebook.
Clearing the app cache removes temporary files stored by Facebook, while clearing app data removes files like your login info and preferences. But neither of those actions deletes the core Facebook app files.
To really get rid of it, you need to go to your Apps list in Settings and uninstall updates, then disable or uninstall the app. This removes the current version of the app from your phone, stopping it from running.
How to delete pre-installed Facebook app
Now that you know why the Facebook app sticks around, here are the steps to fully delete a pre-loaded Facebook app from your Android device:
- Go to Settings > Apps & notifications
- Find Facebook in your list of apps
- Tap Facebook, then tap Disable
- (Optional) Tap Storage & cache, then Clear storage
- Go back to Apps list, long press Facebook and uninstall
Disabling the app first prevents Facebook from backing itself up. Clearing the storage deletes any of your cached data. Finally, uninstalling removes the app files from your phone’s storage.
Will this work on any Android device?
These steps to uninstall system apps require that:
- Your device runs Android 5.0 or higher
- You have software navigation buttons (no hardware home button)
- Your phone is not locked by your manufacturer
So if your Android version is too old or your phone has limited software, you may not be able to fully uninstall Facebook this way.
Use ADB to uninstall system apps
If the above method doesn’t work, you may need to connect your phone to a computer and use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) commands. This is an advanced way to delete system apps that require some technical know-how.
Steps to use ADB to remove Facebook
- Enable USB debugging on your Android device
- Install ADB on your computer
- Connect phone to computer with USB
- Open command prompt/terminal and type: adb uninstall com.facebook.appmanager
This will uninstall the Facebook App Manager that reinstalls the app if you try to delete it. After uninstalling this, you should then be able to fully delete Facebook using the above methods.
Other options for removing Facebook
If you can’t fully uninstall the pre-loaded Facebook app, here are a couple other options:
- Disable the app – Prevents Facebook from running or updating
- Clear data & cache – Erases your local Facebook data like login info and caches
- Turn off notifications – Stops Facebook from distracting you with notifications
- Remove from home screen – Hides the Facebook app icon from your home screen
While not as good as deleting it altogether, these steps can help reduce the presence of unwanted Facebook app on your phone.
Facebook bloatware hurts user experience
In summary, Facebook takes advantage of its partnership with phone makers to pre-install its app on Android devices in a way that makes it difficult to remove. This behavior negatively impacts the user experience and raises larger questions around app privacy and permissions.
Most users do not want unusable bloatware forced onto their phones. Facebook’s aggressive reinstallation techniques show a lack of respect for user choice and ownership over devices. Without root access, there is frustratingly little Android users can do to remove unwanted system apps.
Consumer advocates argue that phone manufacturers should not make deals that allow apps like Facebook to embed themselves so deeply into the operating system. Users have a right to decide which apps they want to install on the phones they own.
Have you experienced issues trying to remove the pre-installed Facebook app from your Android device? Let us know in the comments below.