Every new Galaxy owner reaches for the uninstall button before the box is even in the bin. Some of those pre-installed apps deserve it. Others do the job better than the third-party pick you would replace them with. We tested eight Samsung stock apps against their most popular alternatives to figure out which ones are quietly excellent and which ones you should actually leave alone. If you are a Galaxy S25 or S26 owner, most of these are already on your phone.
What to look for in a Samsung stock app
Before writing anything off as bloat, check five things:
- Does it work offline? Samsung’s calendar, notes, and reminder apps all do. Some third-party equivalents do not.
- Does it sync across your Galaxy devices? Samsung Cloud handles this for free within limits, no third-party account required.
- Does it need a Samsung account? Some do, some do not. Notes, Internet, and SmartThings need one for sync.
- Does it show ads? Most Samsung system apps do not. A few (Global Goals) opt into ads for a cause but you can disable them.
- Does it duplicate a Google app that already runs well? If Google’s version is already on your phone and does the job, the Samsung version is bloat.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Notes | S Pen notes and PDF markup | Full free | Best-in-class if you have an S Pen | 4.6 stars on Galaxy Store |
| Samsung Internet | Ad blocker + tracking protection | Full free | Chromium-based, extensions supported | 4.6 stars on Play Store |
| Samsung Members | Warranty, diagnostics, community | Full free | Free device tests and repair booking | 4.6 stars on Play Store |
| Samsung Health | Steps, sleep, workouts | Full free | Deep Galaxy Watch integration | 4.4 stars on Play Store |
| Samsung Wallet | Contactless pay + passes + boarding | Full free | Works alongside Google Wallet | 4.7 stars on Play Store |
| Samsung SmartThings | Whole-home smart hub | Full free | Matter and Thread support built in | 4.6 stars on Play Store |
| Samsung Reminder | Location-based reminders | Full free | Cleanest of the stock reminder apps we tested | Built in |
| Samsung Good Guardians | Battery, memory, cooling | Full free | Free Good Lock module for phone tuning | Free via Good Lock |
The 8 Samsung stock apps worth keeping
1. Samsung Notes, best for S Pen users
Samsung Notes is the only reason many S25 Ultra owners keep note-taking on their phone at all. The S Pen latency is the lowest we have measured on any Android device, palm rejection is solid, and PDF import lets you drop an entire textbook in and annotate it page by page. Sync across Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Book, and phone is free through Samsung Cloud.
Where it falls short: Cross-platform sync is limited to Samsung devices. There is no first-party iOS or Windows non-Samsung client, so switching platforms means exporting to PDF or Notion.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free
- Paid: None
Platforms: Android (Galaxy), Windows (Samsung PCs), Galaxy Tab
Download: Google Play Aptoide Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: Perfect for Galaxy Ultra owners with an S Pen. Skip only if you use non-Samsung tablets and need one note app across all of them.
2. Samsung Internet, the browser with the best default ad blocker
Samsung Internet is a Chromium fork with a genuinely useful set of privacy tools out of the box: content blockers (AdGuard and 1Blocker have Samsung Internet versions), tracking protection, and per-site permissions in the same panel as Chrome uses for less. Reading mode is cleaner than Chrome’s, and the address bar sits at the bottom on tall phones by default.
Where it falls short: Extension ecosystem is narrower than desktop Chrome or Firefox. Google account sign-in is not first-party.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free, no premium tier
- Paid: None
Platforms: Android (Galaxy first, wider Android sideload possible)
Download: Google Play Aptoide Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: Pick Samsung Internet as your default mobile browser if you want built-in ad blocking without paying for a VPN. Skip if you sync history with Chrome on a laptop and cannot break that habit.
3. Samsung Members, the diagnostics dashboard people forget exists
Samsung Members is the app most Galaxy owners never open, and it is the one that most often surprises them when they do. Free hardware diagnostics run tests on the touchscreen, speakers, sensors, and battery. Repair booking is a two-tap flow, warranty status is on the home screen, and the community forum surfaces One UI-specific fixes faster than Reddit.
Where it falls short: Not useful if you never need support. The community section is quieter outside launch windows.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free
- Paid: None
Platforms: Android (Galaxy)
Download: Google Play Aptoide Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: Keep it for the diagnostics alone. Run the touchscreen and speaker tests when your phone starts acting weird before you call anyone.
4. Samsung Health, still the best Galaxy Watch companion
Samsung Health is the pairing app for every Galaxy Watch and the daily-driver step and sleep tracker for Galaxy phones. Health data is stored locally by default, with optional Samsung Cloud sync. Watch face syncing, workout autodetection, and sleep coaching all live here, and the app talks to third-party services like Strava and MyFitnessPal.
Where it falls short: Interface has grown busy since the 2024 redesign. Some features are gated behind a Samsung Health Premium subscription in some regions.
Pricing:
- Free: Full step and sleep tracking, Watch pairing, workout logging
- Paid: Samsung Health Premium in some markets adds coaching plans
Platforms: Android, iOS (for Galaxy Watch pairing)
Download: Google Play Aptoide Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: Non-negotiable for Galaxy Watch owners. If you use a Fitbit or Garmin, use their app instead.
5. Samsung Wallet, an actual Google Wallet complement
Samsung Wallet merged Samsung Pay with Samsung Pass into a single vault. Tap-to-pay works on almost every terminal (including older ones via MST on supported models), boarding passes and event tickets from Walletpass import cleanly, and student and vaccine IDs are supported in a growing list of regions. It runs alongside Google Wallet without conflict.
Where it falls short: Not every bank issues Samsung Wallet cards, especially outside the US, UK, and Korea. Some regions do not have Wallet at all.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free
- Paid: None
Platforms: Android (Galaxy)
Download: Google Play Aptoide Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: Keep it if your bank supports it. Boarding passes and loyalty cards alone justify the space.
6. Samsung SmartThings, best Matter and Thread hub on Android
SmartThings grew up. It is now a Matter and Thread controller with dashboards that finally look like they belong in 2026, and the Galaxy phone acts as a Thread border router on Ultra models. Automations use a Home Assistant-style trigger and condition builder, and Aptoide’s version stays current for people who avoid the Play Store.
Where it falls short: The migration from the old Groovy platform sunset some third-party device handlers. Not every legacy Z-Wave device has a first-party integration.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free
- Paid: None
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play Aptoide App Store Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: If your home has Matter devices, this is the free option that already runs on your phone. Skip only if you are all-in on Home Assistant.
7. Samsung Reminder, the best stock reminder app on Android
Samsung Reminder is small, offline, and pleasantly quiet. Location-based reminders trigger reliably (“remind me when I get home”), Bixby routines integration surprises when it works, and the widget takes almost no home-screen space. It syncs across Galaxy devices for free without any third-party account.
Where it falls short: No web client. Sharing lists with a partner needs a Samsung account on both sides.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free
- Paid: None
Platforms: Android (Galaxy), Windows (Samsung PCs via Reminders)
Download: Google Play Aptoide Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: Nothing fancy, but every feature you actually use in a reminder app works well. Keep it.
8. Samsung Good Guardians, phone tuning from the Good Lock family
Good Guardians is the Good Lock module that bundles Battery Guardian, Memory Guardian, Cooling Guardian, and App Booster. It gives you visibility and manual control that Android hides behind long menu paths: identify apps waking the CPU overnight, drop excess background processes, and warn when the thermal envelope is close to throttling. It is free through Samsung’s Good Lock hub.
Where it falls short: Requires Good Lock as a base install. Good Lock only runs on Samsung Galaxy devices.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free via Good Lock
- Paid: None
Platforms: Android (Galaxy)
Download: Samsung Galaxy Store
Bottom line: Grab this the first time you notice unexplained battery drain. It surfaces the culprit within minutes.
How to pick which stock Samsung apps to keep
- If you use an S Pen, keep Samsung Notes and never look back.
- If ads on the mobile web bother you, keep Samsung Internet and turn on the content blocker.
- If you have never used the diagnostics tools, open Samsung Members at least once and run the touchscreen test.
- If you wear a Galaxy Watch, Samsung Health is not optional.
- If your bank supports it, Samsung Wallet replaces a small stack of physical cards.
- If your home has any Matter or Thread devices, keep SmartThings instead of installing another hub app.
- If you use reminders at all, keep Samsung Reminder rather than replacing it with Google Keep’s checklist mode.
- If your phone runs warm or drains faster than it used to, install Good Lock and then Good Guardians to figure out why.
FAQ
What Samsung stock apps should I not uninstall?
The eight above earn their spot. Beyond those, keep Phone, Messages (if you use RCS with other Samsung users), Contacts, Camera, and Gallery. Uninstall Bixby-branded apps you never trigger and any regional shopping apps you never opened.
Is Samsung Internet safer than Chrome?
Samsung Internet supports content blockers and tracking protection out of the box, which Chrome on Android does not. If you care about ad blocking without a VPN, Samsung Internet is safer by default.
Do I need a Samsung account for these apps?
Samsung Notes, SmartThings, and Wallet need one for full sync. Samsung Internet, Reminder, and Good Guardians work fine without.
Is Samsung Wallet the same as Samsung Pay?
Samsung merged Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass into Samsung Wallet in 2022. If you still have both apps installed on an old device, migrate to Wallet.
Does uninstalling Samsung stock apps free up much space?
Not usually. Most Samsung apps are 40 to 200 MB each. The bigger reason to uninstall is decluttering the app drawer.
Are these apps on non-Samsung Android phones?
Samsung Internet installs on any Android phone from the Play Store. Most of the others (Notes, Members, Health, Wallet, Reminder, Good Guardians) are Galaxy-only.
