Bloatware on VZW Devices?

[akleopard]

Hi everyone!

I just had the great privilege of unboxing my S3. Coming from the OG Droid, it's something that I haven't done in a long long while. After charging up the battery and activating my phone, I linked up my Google account.

My contacts imported just fine, but I wanted to see if my apps were transferred over as well, and when I opened up the app drawer (for the first time), it was damn full of junk that seems to me like bloatware. Sadly, my apps didn't import, but that's fine (I barely had any) as I'd like to purge my phone before I install my apps.

My question is, does anyone have any tips on how to remove these awful apps from my device? If this is not possible, then surely there must be some way to hide it from the stock launcher?

Also, if removal is possible, does anyone have any suggestions as to what apps to remove and what not to remove? Which ones would you get rid of?

Thanks in advance!

-Leo

[Debian Dog]

Never REMOVE anything from an Android phone or you will not be able to take an update. Only real way is to root your phone and freeze the apps you do not want running with Titanium Backup or similar app.

Here is how to get root currently but if you are new to this you may want to wait a few days for a better/cleaner method.

I haz teh R00tz! - I got root on my Verizon S3

[SB50]

You can also just disable the apps in the Application Manager. It stops the app from running or showing up in the drawer without having to root.

[Debian Dog]

You can also just disable the apps in the Application Manager. It stops the app from running or showing up in the drawer without having to root.

No you cannot stop Verizon apps . Well not all of them anyway ...

Sent from my SCH-I535

[greevedogg]

I rooted last night...super easy with Odin, following the directions here:[GUIDE][VZW GS3 Edition]Installing a Rom/CWM recovery/Root or going back to Stock - xda-developers

Took less time to actually root the device, than it did to download the files...
I chose to install the full file with bloatware and all but with root, and then I did like Debian Dog says, froze those unslightly VZW apps with Titanium Backup...

The apps that I froze were:
FWUpgrade 1.2.0--hopefully, that's what we need to disable to keep VZW from updating our phones and losing root
Guided Tours 1.1
My Verizon Mobile 10.0.285
My Verizon profile 0.2
Setup wizard 1.0
V CAST Tones 4.5.17-3
VZ Navigator 8.0.1.176

There's a few other ones in there that I have questions about:
Verizon SSO Engine 1.0.31
VZW Package Installer

I have not froze those last two, but am wondering if I could/should?