How to Disable Google Play Services on Android

Are you feeling overwhelmed by Google's omnipresence on your Android device? Maybe you're looking to reclaim some digital privacy or simply want more control over your smartphone?

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Nerdizen.xyz — Whatever your reason, disabling Google Play services can be a game-changer. But before you dive in, it's crucial to understand the process and potential implications.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to disable Google Play services safely and effectively, helping you make informed decisions about your device's settings.

My personal reason to disable Google Play services

Well, me personally can outline why I wanted to disable Google Play services, especially on my cheap ASUS ZenFone Live L2:

1. Saving Space : The Google Play Services can take up to more than 600 MB.
2. Saving battery and performance: Of course, Google Play services run on the background all the time doing lots of things.

Aside from that, disabling Google Play services, or more precisely the Play Store, may also save bandwith data as Google Play services is set to be always automatically updated without exception.

Steps to disable Google Play services on Android

Deactivating apps that rely on Google Play services

First thing first, we may want to disable applications on our Android device that heavily relies on Google Play service such as Google's app family like Play Store (of course), Gmail, Youtube, etc:

1. Access the App info page. Go to our device's Settings → Apps & notifications → App info, tap the app's name. Or, most Android launcher has the ability to long press the app icon/name, then the shortcut to the app's info usually will appears.
2. Tap "Disable".

Why? Because once we disable the Google Play services, the app that depends on the service will spam us with repeated notifications.

If that happens, we can turn on the Do Not Disturb/Silent mode to mute all notifications. Or, we can also tap and hold on the notification itself, then tap the appeared switch to disable notification for missing Google Play services for that app.

Disabling Google Play Services

1. Open our device's Settings → Apps & notifications → Special app access → Device admin apps.
   
   
2. Uncheck "Find My Device" and "Screen lock service".
   
   
3. Go to the Google Play services app info. We can do this through the Settings → Apps & notifications → App info, then find the Google Play services app.
4. The Google Play Services app should be able to be disabled now.
   
   

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Disabling Google Play services isn't for everyone, and it's important to weigh the pros and cons before taking this step. While it can provide more control over your device, it might also impact the functionality of many apps you use daily.

Always make sure you have a backup plan and understand that some of your favorite apps might not work as smoothly afterward. If you're comfortable with these trade-offs, follow the steps we've outlined.

Remember, technology is about empowering you, so choose the settings that best suit your needs and comfort level.