Android 14 will allow you to remove apps from manufacturers and carriers

Early assembly Android 14 for Developers gave enthusiasts a glimpse of Google's new firmware long before the public release. This was exploited by the developer Mishaal Rahman, who told about one of the finds on the XDA website.

In an early build of Android 14, there is a hidden "Apps Installed in the Background" menu. It is not available by default: you need to enable a few checkboxes in developer mode. And even after that, the function is displayed not in the settings application, but in Spa - in fact, the same "Settings" with similar interface, only available exclusively to developers and with the ability to enable experimental functions.

A new menu item allows you to track applications installed by the device manufacturer or carrier. It is noted that such applications are not necessary for the correct operation of the device, therefore the user can delete them to free up memory and limit unwanted background activity.

Screenshots: Mishaal Rahman / XDA

Rahman's list was empty. It is not yet clear why this is so: perhaps Google Pixel does not allow operators to install additional applications, or the author's operator does not impose unnecessary software on subscribers. It is also possible that the function is still in development and does not work as it should, and in an early build only its interface is checked.

It is noteworthy that the new Background Install Control system service is responsible for this setting, which will be responsible for "a number of new features in Android 15." It is not yet known what functions these will be: only this phrase itself was found in the firmware.

It's important to note that the new menu may not make it into the final build of Android 14 - at least not on release. If the feature is not completed in time for the public release, it may very well be transferred to one of the interim updates or even Android 15. Learn more at the Android 14 presentation at Google I/O in May or June.