Smartphone question from a dumb-ass

[tomteriffic]

I really hadn't much need for a smartphone, but circumstances pretty much forced me into one. Now that I have it I see some handy uses for it, even for somebody who's old enough to draw Social Security. But I've got a question:

In the process of test-driving the thing and learning my way around, I put an app or two on there that were just no-go's for me. I really don't want or need them and these damn phones are so integrated that Google seems to want to know every damn thing in the world about you so they can sell it or pass it on to some shady government agency. Now I want these things off of there.

A check of the manual (yes I did RTFM) gives no clue as to how to remove an app. It's not like I can just drag it to some "recycle bin" or something. So, App Removal 101 for Android for $200 Alex?

And I still ask my younger friends where they are going this weekend to stare at their phones.

[crunchee]

I feel for you, Tom...I use an old-fashioned 'dumb' flip-phone, even then I only got it a few years ago when the benefits of mobility outweighed keeping a landline phone. Ebay keeps pestering me to sell a smartphone that I don't even HAVE. Right now, the only application I ever want to use on a smartphone is a hammer.

[Michael_B]

On my Android phone, you'd drag your finger from the top of the screen towards the bottom. You'd see a screen listing the time, next to an image of a gear, a list of Notifications and some running applications.

Touch the image of the gear and it will get you to Settings.

Using the touch screen, scroll down to "Applications Manager". Again using the touch screen, slide your finger left or right, and you will the applications listed "Downloaded", "SD Card", "Running", "All", etc.

Find the application under "Downloaded" or "All" and select the application that you want to remove by touching the application name in the list.

Another screen with application details will appear. There should be a button there that reads "Uninstall". Select that button.

[Armitage]

You can go to the Google Play Store app and at the top there are three lines, click there and select My Apps, you can remove (most) of them from there.

You can basically remove anything YOU put there.

[Tres Aardvarks]

On most Droids (with at least 4.0 OS), you should be able to go to Settings -> Apps -> Installed, select the app and on its info page there will be an Uninstall button.