9 apps to uninstall on your Pixel phone

Key Takeaways

Uninstall unnecessary apps on your Pixel phone to free up storage space and declutter the app drawer.
Use native Pixel features like Google Photos for editing and Now Playing for music identification.
Clean up your Pixel experience by uninstalling apps that you’re not using, carrier bloatware, and unnecessary software that came with the phone.

So, you’re a happy owner of a Pixel phone. Maybe you’re a recent convert, thanks to the excellent Pixel 8 lineup, along with the newest, and probably most incredible, Pixel 8a, or maybe you’re a long-time fan and a few Google-made devices have called your pocket their residence already.

Whatever the case, it’s obvious that aside from the apps that came with your phone, you’ve already managed to fill it up with your usual software. Whether you’ve just had your Pixel for a while now, or you’ve switched recently from another Android phone, or even an iPhone, downloading a range of apps that you’re used to is one of the first things everyone does with their phone. Moreover, the longer you use your phone, the more apps you accumulate, resulting in a vast library of different kinds of software.

8:28

Quirks and all, the Google Pixel 8a is my new favorite mid-range phone

The Pixel 8a is a bit of a conundrum, and my favorite recent mid-range phone launch.

Unfortunately, even though you might be used to these apps, some of them are bound to not be that useful anymore. It’s even more true when using a Pixel, as Google’s phones come with a ton of useful features built right into the operating system or into native apps, eliminating the need for additional, third-party software.

So, whether you want to free up some storage space, or simply check out what the Pixel experience is all about, here are all the apps you can uninstall already on your Google Pixel.

Google Pixel phone essential feature image

11 essential apps I install first on any new Pixel phone

The Google Play Store is filled with high-quality Android apps. From Pulsar to Libby and Yuka, here are my top Google Pixel apps.

9 Photo editing apps

Let Google do its magic

Photo Editing software used to be a must on a phone if you wanted to make your pics pop on social media. Quick adjustment and filters were so much better when made with dedicated apps — but that time has passed.

If there’s one thing Google is known for with its phones, it’s their photography prowess.

If there’s one thing Google is known for with its phones, it’s their photography prowess. What’s even better, with the recent strides in AI, the tech giant made sure that Pixel phones take the best photos but are also the best when it comes to editing them after being shot.

Thanks to tools such as Google’s Magic Editor, you can totally transform your photos after you’ve taken them. Even better, with Magic Eraser, you can even quickly erase parts of the photo that aren’t to your liking, which makes quick adjustments before posting your vacation pics on Instagram extremely easy and convenient. Add to that all the editing options that you have thanks to the always-improving Google Photos, and you get a set of editing tools that can rival the best photo editing software available on Android.

Google Photos Magic Editor: How the AI editor works and where you can get it

Bad Photoshop skills? No worries. Google’s new Magic Editor uses gen AI to erase and replace parts of your photo. But that’s not all it can do.

8 Screen recorder apps

Honey, we have a screen recorder at home

Even though taking a screenshot has been commonplace on Android for many years now, the same isn’t true when it comes to recording a video of what’s on your screen. This, undoubtedly a much more complicated feature, used to be something that you needed a third party app to be able to do, and even then the quality (and privacy) of such a solution was questionable at best.

Android now has a screen recorder built into the OS itself.

Well, not anymore. Android now has a screen recorder built into the OS itself, so you can easily and quickly record what your phone’s displaying without the need for any intrusive software. What’s even better, on Pixel phones, you can access this feature right from the quick settings menu, which makes starting a recording a breeze — an extremely important feature if you need to capture something that’s happening rather suddenly.

How to screen record on Android phones

If you need to record what you’re doing on your phone then follow our guide.

7 QR code reader apps

A relic of a bygone era

QR codes are an extremely handy invention — one quick scan lets you do so many things, from checking out a restaurant’s menu to quickly downloading a bus schedule. However, when they were first getting popular, you needed specialized apps in order to use them at all. Without them, your phone simply didn’t know what to do with all the strange symbols.

Fortunately, times have changed, and your Pixel does not need anything other than its native Camera app to scan QR codes. Just open the camera, point it towards a QR code, and a link will appear for you to tap on and use. What’s more, if you’re an avid Google Lens user, you can use that as well — so your Pixel has two different apps that can scan a QR code for you. No need to use the old, outdated standalone app anymore.

How to scan a QR code with your phone (and why the FCC warns against it)

QR codes are popular ways to scan menus, tickets, and apps. Here’s how to do it from your Android phone or iPhone, and what the FCC says about it.

6 Notes apps

Google Keep keeps you in the loop

There are many great apps that let you quickly jot down some notes, create shopping lists, or doodle a bit to visualize an idea you had. Many of them have their own strengths, and the one you’re using surely has a lot going for it.

Making shared shopping lists or idea dumps has never been this easy.

That being said, if you’re a Pixel owner, you really should give Google’s own Keep a try. It’s an excellent, rather minimalist app for your casual note-taking. It’s very simple, but its strengths lie in its cloud-based syncing system and in how easy it is to share and collaborate in the app. You don’t need to worry about your notes not syncing across devices, and making shared shopping lists or idea dumps has never been this easy.

Take notes or become an artist with the best stylus pens for Google’s Pixel Tablet

Need a stylus for your Pixel Tablet? Here are your best options.

5 Shazam

Get a song title without moving a finger

If you’re out and about and suddenly hear an awesome song, it’s only natural to want to know its title instantly. That’s where Shazam and other similar apps come into play – it can quickly record a snippet of the song and tell you the author and the title. Well, if you have a Google Pixel, you already have a feature like that, and it’s even easier to use.

You can allow your phone to automatically tell you what’s playing around you.

Thanks to the Now Playing feature of the Pixel 6 and later, you can allow your phone to automatically tell you what’s playing around you. This feature works even if your screen is off, and you can quickly see the title of the song that’s playing without even unlocking your screen — a quick glance is all it takes. It’s an excellent addition and makes the life of a music-lover so much easier.

What’s this song? How to find out what song you’re listening to

If you’ve ever been stumped by what song you’re hearing, this is how to find out quickly and easily.

4 Sound recorder

Google leads the charge here

A sound recorder is an incredibly handy tool to have in your smartphone’s repertoire of apps. It’s really useful when you need to record a lecture to listen to again later, or even in some professional settings when a conversation should be archived and saved. Normally, you’d need a third-party app to do that on your phone, but Pixels have an excellent screen recorder app built right-in.

If you need a transcript of your voice memo, it’s the best and most hands-free tool around.

The aptly named Recorder is an incredible piece of software that not only allows you to record the sounds of your surroundings, but on the Pixel 6 and later has an immensely useful additional feature. It can automatically transcribe your recordings and even distinguish the speakers that take part in the conversation. If you need a transcript of your voice memo, it’s the best and most hands-free tool around.

Two Green Day CD cases, one open and resting on top of the other.

7 reasons I’d switch to CDs from vinyl records

Vinyl records are great, but they aren’t the only popular “retro tech” or physical audio medium.

3 Voice-to-text software

Just rely on your assistant

Google Assistant has many uses, from letting you easily control your smart home appliances to quickly providing you with responses to the most complicated queries, but it can also be a useful accessibility tool. Voice-to-text software that lets you dictate what to input into your text field, is really useful both for people with mobility impairments, as well as for anyone who just doesn’t really like typing. And you don’t need any special software to use it effectively — you can just ask your assistant.

Once you enable voice typing in your Google Assistant settings, you can just tap the microphone icon in any text field and can start dictating what you want to write. What’s more, there are many more features you can use, like a specialized “Fix it” command and other voice-activated symbols, so you don’t have to limit yourself to just words.

Best smartwatches with voice assistant integration: Expert tested and reviewed

Our top five smartwatches with integrated voice assistants for the ultimate in on-the-go convenience.

2 Manufacturer bloatware

You can always find something useless

Even though the beauty of Android lies in its openness and the fact that every manufacturer puts their own spin on it, it also comes with some downsides. One of the big ones is the bloatware that some companies tend to stuff their phones with to lower costs, but in the process, they fill up your storage space and slow down the device itself.

Fortunately, Google is the one manufacturer known for not doing that and keeping unnecessary apps to a minimum. That being said, even on Pixel phones, you can find apps that you won’t be using. If you’re not a big Google Docs fan, you can go ahead and uninstall that app, along with many other Google-developed applications. These are not bloat per se, and you won’t find any apps such as random games or social media apps on Pixels, but you can still declutter a Google-made phone a bit if you don’t care for Google apps.

6 PC programs you can just go ahead and uninstall already

Trust me. You don’t need these PC apps.

1 Carrier bloatware

This bloat makes you want to buy unlocked

Unsplash

Even though Pixels are generally bloatware-free when they come straight from Google, the same may not be true if you got your phone as part of a contract with a mobile service provider. Phones from carriers are infamous for being loaded with unnecessary apps and games that come preinstalled with the device, making for a messy installation right out of the box.

Fortunately, you can uninstall most of the apps that come pre-installed like that, so all the bloat is not permanently stuck on your internal storage. So, if you’re not into all the apps that came with your phone, simply get rid of them for a bit of a fresher look to your app library.