yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Fire General] buddimanv:
Home Button & Recent Menu

LauncherHijack is good but it still shows me the fire launcher for few seconds. Also, BBC Iplayer did not work for some reason. So I uninstalled it.

I have been using pm hide com.amazon.firelauncher & pm hide com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe along with uninstalling most of the amazon apps (see https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=73219437&postcount=57) but that has been giving me parental error '"The requested action is not permitted. Check Parental Controls settings and retry." Was using com.phoenixstudios.aiogestures as a workaround.

Installed LauncherHijack v3 again and kind of worked although the parental error was there - less than before. So went further and did: pm uninstall --user 0 com.amazon.firelauncher. I think its a better solution as home button is working. However, it (1) Logs you out when you clear all items from the recent menu when accessed via the recent key button and/or (2) Press Recent Menu and then the back button

Seems like uninstalling com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe does not make things worse. Would be a good solution if some improvement can be made to fix this log off issue. Perhaps, some how map the recent key to use com.android.systemui.recent.RecentsActivity, just like it has been done for the home key?
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Well...I've been able to decompile, modify to add permission from /etc/permissions/android.software.live_wallpaper.xml, recompile and **SUCCESSFULLY** install the Live Wallpaper apk with ALL modifications holding!!!!

Everything appears to be right, however they still won't work :( I've added:

WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
WRITE_SETTINGS
SET_WALLPAPER

You have to grant the secure settings permission manually, which I did and it is holding. However for the Live Picker, I can't get the tablet to accept the commands to manually grant the Picker BIND_WALLPAPER and SET_WALLPAPER_COMPONENT

C:\ adb shell pm grant com.android.wallpaper.livepicker android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER_COMPONENT
Operation not allowed: java.lang.SecurityException: Permission android.permission.SET_WALLPAPER_COMPONENT is not a changeable permission type

I get the same error for the Live Wallpaper APK too. Isn't that some BS?
[Fire General] savvytechwinner:
Nope, the tablet is protecting itself, mainly from malware and etc...

Basiclly saying that it isn't BS at all, but Amazon and maybe even android itself just won't let you write some changes due to self protection of the operating system.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
I actually meant it as a good thing. Amazon covered their tracks good on this one so far.

I don't think its the system. In the framework there is an entry to disable system wallpapers marked as 'true'. These are stock live wallpapers so its possible that's what is blocking them. Another entry to enable regular wallpapers is also marked as 'true.'

EDIT: I have a wallpaper on my tablet now that is really cool. I thought I was tripping yesterday. Sometimes when I swipe close apps and Fire Launcher appears for that one second, the wallpaper will migrate ever so slightly to the left or right. This was really funny because the wallpaper is water dripping down a window.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
I learned a trick. But this only works if you still have Prime Photos enabled. If you set your wallpaper using settings > display > wallpaper, it will change both the desktop wallpaper and your lock screen wallpaper. If you want to uninstall Prime Photos, set your wallpapers before doing so, because it will be the only lock screen wallpaper you'll see. If you already uninstalled Prime Photos, there is no way to change your lock screen wallpaper. Any of the Apps I tried have not been successful. Uninstalling Prime Photos also stops the lock screen wallpaper from rotating.
[Fire General] krsmit0:
I think I have mentioned at least once prime photos was needed to set lockscreen wallpaper.

Use prime photos to set lockscreen wallpaper, then a different app to set regular wallpaper if you want them to be different.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Yeah I figured that out after the fact though lol. I did manage to get the lock screen wallpaper changed before I did though.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
Did you create a diff of /data before and after the lock screen change?
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
I am sorry I did not. I was playing around and had figured it out after I had already changed, then uninstalled Prime Photos.

I've been trying to 'reinstall' it from APKs on the web, but the only one it accepts is a copy of the 'uninstalled' one, but it doesn't reinstall even though it says it does. I was hoping to use an older version of Prime Photos, to try it:

adb install -r -d com.amazon.photos

That would replace the APK (-r) and allow the version to be downgraded (-d). In theory, something along those lines should work, but I haven't been able to find a working APK aside from stock. If it was this 'easy' to uninstall them, there should be a way to reinstall them. Like this method, I think it's literally staring us in the face.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
No problem. ;)

I'm using the root rights to reenable the apps.
[Fire General] savvytechwinner:
Root rights? Can you explain please?
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Indeed...please do.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
If you install Google Contacts 1.1 you can import your contacts via vCard. If you install Google Contacts Sync 5.1.1-1965118 Contacts will link you and sync contacts to each device with a Google account. Uninstall Amazon Contacts and Amazon Contacts Sync when you complete those steps.

This allowed you to further be able to personalize your Fire...but I didn't know it would happen. When you have Contacts setup, open it and create your profile. Add some info and a picture. Tap the back arrow at the top left when done, it will save automatically. Your profile appears at the top of your contacts. Now click the power button so your lock screen comes on. Look at the top right of your Fire. Thank you very much.

Now if you still have Activity Launcher, open it, tap the top left and select all activities, scroll to settings and tap it. Then scroll to Users and tap it. You should also have your profile listed as owner, the picture you added to Contacts which showed up on the lock screen, and likely a number next to that. Tap your profile and edit your 'nickname'. It should save. Swipe out of everything when you save it and click to your lock screen. Look at the top right again. Tap the profile. Thank you again. ;)

BONUS: Swipe down your status/notification bar. Look at top right :D

EDIT: I have no clue if any of this will hold upon a reboot.
[Fire General] krsmit0:
Screenshot
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
See here.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
If you delete the line with the package name and inst="false" the app will appear again.

For some apps a restart seems to be necessary.

As mention before, this is only possibly with root rights.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
I'm still lost lol. Nonetheless, at least there's a way...if you have root.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
You need root or at least system rights to edit the file, that is the problem with this solution.
[Fire General] Provided:
Okay, so if OTA updates reset the apps, will downgrading do the same?

I have uninstalled firelauncher(yes i knew it would disable home button) in another process, and got the home button to work again, but there are a few side affects. Can I reinstall these apps, or the firelauncher specifically? I hope its as easy as downgrading, because I'm on 5.4.0.0 still thanks to a firewall.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Anything you 'uninstall' using this method, can't be reinstalled unless you do a factory reset or have root.
[Fire General] joe7dust:
I'm having a problem with this command "pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.amazon.kindle.kso" it keeps telling me "Failure - not installed for 0" and I have also tried 1/2 with same results. I don't need root to do this right?

I don't understand why we don't have the normal android option of choosing whether to have a lock screen or not, how are we even supposed to password protect the device? I have all my devices with lock screen completely disabled as that is a huge time saver. Would love to be able to do it on my 5th gen Fire 7 as well, especially since it seems to have a very slow processor and there are all kinds of live data that uses network on the default amazon spammer lockscreen.
[Fire General] DB126:
Several native Android features are disabled in the absence of a secure lock screen. Amazon opted to dispense with swipe access in FireOS which is of course their choice. Can't speak to the motivation; might be pure marketing (for advertising) or a legitimate technical concern.
[Fire General] aaaabcccc:
Just a quick question: my Fire 5th Gen 7" just updated to FireOS 5.6.0.0 a few days ago. Will this tool work with it?

Thanks.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Unfortunately it will not work on anything with FireOS 5.4.0.1 or later. If on 5.4.0.1, you can downgrade back to 5.4.0.0 and the tool will work. It's not yet known if you can downgrade from 5.6.0.0.
[Fire General] spocko:
I don't think that is correct for the Fire HD 10. I just opened a new Fire HD 10 2017 purchased recently at Target. It came with Fire OS 5.4.1.0, build date June 2, 2017. Contrary to the info in the OP, the pm uninstall method seems to work on this OS version.

shell@suez:/ $ pm list packages | grep ota
package:com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe.forced.ota
package:com.amazon.device.software.ota
shell@suez:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.amazon.device.software.ota
Success
ll -k --user 0 com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe.forced.ota <
Success
shell@suez:/ $ pm list packages | grep ota
1|shell@suez:/

Edit:

Some interesting version info from build.prop:

ro.build.mktg.fireos=Fire OS 5.4.1.0

ro.build.version.fireos=5.3.5.0
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
You might be able to root. Look in the HD 10 forum for instructions
[Fire General] spocko:
Thank you. I had seen the rooting instructions and was planning to root because I thought the pm uninstall method would not work on my OS version 5.4.1.0. Just for kicks I tried pm uninstall anyway. I was quite surprised that it worked, since your OP and other info I had seen said that pm uninstall stopped working in OS version 5.4.0.1 and later. It might be helpful to add a note about this OS version in the OP.

Since the pm uninstall method is working for me, I may hold off on root because I don't really trust Kingroot.

Edit:

See build.prop version info that I added in my post above. Maybe the explanation is that version 5.4.1.0 is really the same as version 5.3.5.0? This is confusing.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
It is confusing and I don't recall if anyone ever figured out what that meant. My HD 8 says something similar.
[Fire General] krucesky:
Just tried on my 2016 HD8 (5.6.1.0, unrooted).

All calls to the modified "pm" just result in "Aborted".
[Fire General] ashjas:
i get Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR] error when i issue the command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.amazon.client.metrics

any help?
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
If on FireOS 5.4.0.1 or later, this won't work.
[Fire General] antoniocaser:
App continues to appear

App continues to appear as "not installed".

How to remove App from the list? Thanks ...
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
You have to be on FireOS 5.4.0.0 or lower for this to work. I believe there is a new method coming soon.
[Fire General] Deeco7:
Any news on the new method for FireOS 5.6+?
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Please see: https://xdaforums.com/hd8-hd10/general/a-t3820744
[Fire General] mole62:
My Fire 7 / 7th Gen reports Fire OS 5.3.6.4 but I'm getting the same error as mentioned above:

shell@austin:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.amazon.device.software.ota

Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]

1

It's pretty standard apart from adding a few apps through the Amazon store and clearing /cache to prevent an update file installing

Any ideas, is there anything else I could try? Keeping it offline for now, although Auto Update was disabled.

Edit: also fails for other system apps:

shell@austin:/ $ pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.amazon.weather

Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]

1|shell@austin:/ $

Also have tried 4 different USB cables on two different Linux boxes, no change.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Because this method doesn't work anymore. See here: https://xdaforums.com/hd8-hd10/general/a-t3820744
[Fire General] mole62:
Thanks for the link - that's working :) I'm still unsure why this method doesn't work for FireOS 5.3.x.x but maybe it's a 7 - 7th Gen issue.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
If you are on the latest fireOS it's probably 5.6.X.X. the recent 5.3.X.X updates are a typo if you can call it that. The build prop has specified 5.3.X.X for some time and might be a echo of it IDK.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
It's a quote in the second line of the post :P
[Fire General] Hallo32:
Are you sure that this is enough to remind some users at the auto updates? :confused:
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
If you uninstall the applicable Amazon packages, there will be no updates. I believe the two are Download manager (I have two of those and both seem to do the same things at the same time. I am going to experiment at somepoint with a 3rd party manager) and DeviceSoftwareOTA. From what I gather, the rest just connect to the web unless it's Videos or Appstore, which I believe most of us nuked first. Content Manager might do somethings with files though. Haven't figured that one out yet, though I uninstalled it yesterday,
[Fire General] Mario119:
Whenever I go to uninstall an application, ADB Shell provides the following error (Failure - not installed for 0). Any advice?

Using a Fire 7 2017 on 5.4.0.0

EDIT: Seems to be working now for some reason...
[Fire General] krsmit0:
you can install google contacts by going to apkmirror and downloading google contacts sync 5.1... and google contacts 2.10. this will give you google contacts.

this has given new life to my kindle. now if someone could figure out how to kill the fire launcher with this, that would be almost as good as root.

its only a matter of time before amazon patches this.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
You can install your launcher of choice then uninstall firelauncher. You may have a problem with the home button not working though. If that's an issue for you, don't use a custom launcher. So far I've not found a fix. There are home screen settings tied into firelauncher that unfortunately tie into the home button though some report to not be effected, it seems Fire 7s aren't affected.

This is likely the best we could ask for if root doesn't happen. This is pretty much a custom ROM and we have a huge advantage now, we can customize the hell out of it. If you uninstall the OTA packages, Amazon can't do anything. Ever. At least until you reset. Some apps, like the Appstore, may be tied into updates as well. So uninstalling any one of those apps, stops any further software updates.

If I read correctly, this isn't something they can patch. This command line goes beyond any manufacturers grasp. They can only disallow/block certain ADB commands. That's why Amazon went to the extreme in customizing. Makes things like this code much harder to come by.
[Fire General] HaxxorHardy:
simply download a new launcher and then do:

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.amazon.firelauncher

but the homebutton does not work correct.
[Fire General] Adyatan:
Works far till now! But I uninstalled some system and now everything is screwed up. I can't format/reset it from the settings!

Edit: I tried to factory reset it from recovery but the recovery menu didn't showed up then I tried to boot it from adb, it booted up and now I factory reseted it!

+ do the apps still remain in the system partition after using this method??
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Power off device. Then press and hold volume down and power button until recovery comes up. Then factory reset.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
This might get rid of the home issues, launcher blackout and wallpaper issues. I've not tried it yet, so use at own risk. Try uninstalling:

com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe.forced.ota

(It forces an OTA of home when changes are made. Probably through presets in system. May also be tied to lock screen. This may be why launchers can't control the lock screen).

com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe

(Also set to a home activity . Use 'activity launcher' to check its activities to see if you care about them. Uninstalling this will disable a number of other settings I believe.)
[Fire General] Adyatan:
Does this fixes the home button issue and what about live wallpapers and widgets?;
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
I'm not at home so I haven't tried it yet.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
It is easy to patch this, if they don't reference this way in their framework documentation.

Just ignore the uninstall command for system apps should be enough to close this door. The code for "pm" is public available.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
We aren't actually touching the system with this command. All the APKs and there data are still in /priv-app/. That's why a factory reset would revive the apps again.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
I know how it works. ;)

The posting above has been about a way how Amazon could block this in the next FireOS version.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Indeed, but I'm not sure they can in this case. And if enough people use this method, they won't have much to patch. :P
[Fire General] krsmit0:
using 'activity launcher', settings, home, you can select a launcher, but it has the same effect as removing the launcher regardless of what you select. breaks the home button. had to do a restore to correct it.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Uninstalling Fire Launcher breaks the home button. There are home screen settings within the Fire Launcher activity. Activity Launcher > Fire Launcher > Select home settings. Unfortunately that's also tied into the button, which thinks home actually disappeared. I'm looking into a possible fix right now.
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
Sorry uninstalling them did NOT fix the home button or the launcher black screen effect. Looks like, at least for now, if it's a real bother to not have the home button, reinstall fire launcher.

I have not been able to get live wallpapers to work yet. Still trying. However, feel free to add widgets to your home screen through your preferred launcher :D
[Fire General] savvytechwinner:
I actully kind of like the fire launcher, of course, without the bloat. Uninstalling'' the apps will get rid of them on the home screen and delete the sections right? I don't know, but I do like the fire launcher, even though I like Nova more. Uninstalling the ForcedOTA DID fix all the blackouts FOR ME on my Fire 7 5th gen

---------- Post added at 01:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:07 AM ----------

When I uninstalled ForcedOTA the device shut off immetatly and I couldn't turn it on, and I thought i bricked it :crying::crying:

But lord luckly it was just dead

It is working in full state now.

Uninstalling DeviceOTA will work, right?

---------- Post added at 01:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 AM ----------

DragonFire what are you using to use the Nova as default

sorry for terrible spelling i don't want to take the time to use spell check cause i don't feel like it i don't know stop reading this
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
How did you get the blackout too stop? I am using Evie for the moment. You can't set Nova, or any other launchers as default, if Firelauncher is installed. At least I never found a way.
[Fire General] savvytechwinner:
The blackouts stop when I uninstalled the ForcedOTA
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
They didn't for me :( I still get them

On Another note:

Ohh...this could be good, or bad.

adb shell
shell@giza :/ $ pm list users
Users:
UserInfo{0:God:13} running
UserInfo{10:Guest:14}

Most of us will have two users, if we don't have multiple profiles set up. I named my 'profile' (though I don't have one) God ;) The other will be 'Guest.' You can't remove that account. Now supposedly, according to the article on XDA that started all this:

If you know me by now, I can't resist trying to take it a step further:

shell@giza :/ $ pm list packages --user 10
package:com.amazon.platform
package:com.amazon.mw.sdk
package:com.amazon.photos
package:com.amazon.precog
package:com.amazon.dp.contacts
package:com.amazon.unifiedsharegoodreads
package:com.amazon.kindle.otter.oobe.forced.ota
package:com.amazon.recess
...
...
...

And the list goes on and on...all the SAME APKs/APPs we are removing from OUR account. So I was curious:

shell@giza:/ $ pm uninstall --user 10 com.amazon.venezia
Success

:eek::eek::eek: Um...aren't we not supposed to be able to do that? Notice I didn't put -k in the command. I uninstalled the Appstore...from the other user.
[Fire General] ZentixZaneic:
Okay, so, if uninstalling Fire Launcher breaks the home button, what's a way you can get back to the home screen on your launcher? I just want to have a sure method before I uninstall Fire Launcher and ForcedOTA. Right now I'm just using Launcher Hijack.
[Fire General] krsmit0:
i have had no success reinstalling a system app after removing one. only thing that seems to work is factory reset.

If you remove Photos, I have found no way afterwards to set lockscreen wallpaper.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
If you have root, you can restore the apps without factory reset.
[Fire General] krsmit0:
the whole point of this is i dont have root
[Fire General] DB126:
Not sure I get the point of this thread. Seems every action has undesirable side effects (basically borks the device). The method used to disable (not uninstall) Amazon apps is neither durable nor does it increase usable storage. Creating a FrankenFire seems to have limited appeal. Is stock FireOS and associated app suite really that bad (retorical question - it's not).
[Fire General] Hallo32:
It is durable till the next factory reset.

Yes, they are so bad. The amazon apps still connect to the amazon server also without a connected amazon account.
[Fire General] DB126:
- or simple action by Amazon via OTA update

- opinion noted

- device and software performing as designed
[Fire General] DragonFire1024:
I find most of the "issues" to be small. I don't expect everyone to be happy. I'd still buy one of these again regardless of what I know now. I knew what i was getting into since day one. If it's not for you, that's understandable.
[Fire General] Hallo32:
The uninstall option should also be able to knock out the OTA update of the system update. But you shouldn't forget to uninstall the package. ;)

Sure, the opinion is only my opinion, other may love the Amazon apps.

I don't think that the software is performing as expected in all cases. I have had a crashes and not expected behaviour of the Amazon apps on an unmodified tablet in the past.

Alexa crashes

Amazon app shop license/DRM problems

Missing apps at the Amazon store (sure, this is fixable as we know ;) )

Dereference(?) null pointer appears in the logcat output.

---------- Post added at 02:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:50 AM ----------

The option to get root rights has been an important point of buyable list.
[Fire General] krsmit0:
Mine is still on 5.3.2.1 so I have kept updates away. This frees up ram, apps launch quicker. I can choose a different keyboard and kill the fire keyboard. So my keyboard of choice stays in memory.

I'm please with the results, now it's about finding the limits for me.
[Fire General] DB126:
Anyone purchasing this device with the expectation of securing root to modify and/or repurpose from its intended function as an Amazon appliance did not do their homework. It does make an, err... 'interesting' project for those new to the Android world - albeit not the best choice given lockdowns.