Many Android phones now have several applications, including some you may not have heard of. One such app you will likely encounter on your phone is com.dti.folderlauncher.
Com.dti.folderlauncher is a system application that comes pre-installed on several Android phones, especially Samsung ones. It is a centralized game management hub that groups all your installed games in one interface.
Below is everything you need to know about the application, from its role on your phone to the benefits of having it, potential concerns, and more.
What is com.dti.folderlauncher?
Com.dti.folderlauncher is the APK package name for an Android system application that comes pre-installed on some phones. It is also known as Games Hub, Game Launcher, or Gaming Hub app.
The Games Hub app has several functions, including:
- Offering a centralized game management hub for your phone.
- Organizing the games on your phone, thus making it easy to access and manage them.
- Recommending games and allowing you to discover new game titles.
- Launching your installed games from one central hub.
- Instantly launching (some) games on your phone without needing installation.
- Offering game management features like accessing game information, editing gaming profiles, and muting game sounds.
The application is part of the Digital Turbine Ignite (DTI) platform, which allows manufacturers and mobile network operators to pre-install and update various system applications.
What are the benefits of having com.dti.folderlauncher do on your phone?
Games Hub (com.dti.folderlauncher) offers several benefits. These include:
- Easy organization of games – com.dti.folderlauncher automatically organizes your downloaded games, making it easy to access and launch them. Without the app, you would have to create a folder and manually organize your games.
- Gaming notifications – the Games Hub app offers regular notifications, allowing you to stay updated with your gaming apps.
- Custom gaming profile – you can customize your gaming profile with a profile image, nickname, gaming accomplishments, and more.
- Improved gaming performance – the Games Hub app comes with a game booster that can boost your device’s performance when playing games.
- Game recommendations – the app has a game recommendation feature, which allows you to discover new titles.
- Discord integration – the app allows you to connect to your Discord account so you can interact with your friends and share your gaming experiences with them.
What permissions does com.dti.folderlauncher have on your device?
The Game Hub app is granted several permissions on your Android device, including:
- android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE – allows the application to access your device’s network status.
- com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID – allows the application to access Google Play’s advertising ID for advert display purposes.
- com.google.android.finsky.permission.BIND_GET_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE- allows the app to bind to the Google Play Install Referrer API, thus enabling it to track an application’s installation sources.
- com.dti.folderlauncher.DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION – allows the app to prevent connection to dynamic broadcast receivers without explicit permissions.
- android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE – allows the application to perform operations that are noticeable to the user.
- android.permission.INTERNET – allows the application to access the internet, connect to external servers and send & receive data.
- android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS – allows the app to request to send non-exempt notifications, allowing you to choose whether you can receive notifications.
- android.permission.QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES – allows the app to query and interact with all packages (applications) installed on your device.
- android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED – allows the app to receive a boot completed broadcast by the system after booting, thus enabling it to perform tasks after your device powers on.
- com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE – allows the app to receive messages from Google Cloud Messaging.
- android.permission.REQUEST_DELETE_PACKAGES – allows the app to request uninstallation of other applications on your device.
- android.permission.WAKE_LOCK – allows the application to prevent your device from sleeping or dimming the screen when performing various tasks.
Is com.dti.folderlauncher dangerous?
The Games Hub app is not dangerous or malicious. It is also not a virus, nor have there been any reports of the app coming with viruses. Therefore, it is completely safe to use.
But, while the app is not dangerous, some users have raised some concerns about it. These include:
- It is a pre-installed system app that—while beneficial—does not have any critical roles. Therefore, some users consider it to be bloatware.
- Some users have complained about their phones overheating when using the application, probably due to the action of the Game Booster feature.
- It is not easily uninstalled. In addition, some users have reported cases where the app continues functioning in the background and automatically installing games even after being disabled in the device settings.
Besides these concerns from users, com.dti.folderlauncher comes with a number of permissions that might be alarming. These include access to all your installed packages (and the ability to interact with them) and the ability to request the uninstallation of apps installed on your device.
Can you uninstall com.dti.folderlauncher from your phone?
Com.dti.folderlauncher is not dangerous, so it is not necessary to uninstall it. However, you can remove it from your device if concerned about the app.
Below is a look at how you can uninstall the application from your phone:
1. Disabling the app
Since com.dti.folderlauncher is a system application, you cannot uninstall it like other apps on your device. However, you can disable it from running from the settings.
To do this:
- Open the “Settings” menu on your phone.
- Go to Apps
- Scroll down and locate “Game Hub and Booster” from the list of apps.
- Select “Disable” to stop the app from running on your device.
Depending on your phone’s model, you can also turn off the Game Hub app by going to Settings > Advanced Feature > Gaming Hub and then disabling the application.
2. Removing with a root uninstallation app
If you are uncomfortable with having com.dti.folderlauncher on your phone, you can try uninstalling it. One of the best ways to do this is with a root uninstallation app.
To do this, you will first need to root your device. Rooting gives you root access (administrator access privileges), which allows you to customize your phone in several ways, including uninstalling system apps.
After you have rooted your phone, you can uninstall com.dti.folderlauncher via the following steps:
- Go to the Google Play Store and download a root uninstallation app on your phone (you can try the System app remover or any other root uninstaller with good reviews).
- Launch the root uninstaller on your phone and provide it with the necessary permissions.
- Enter “com.dti.folderlauncher” on the root uninstaller’s search bar to locate the app.
- Tap on the app to view its details, then select “Uninstall”
- Confirm your decision to complete the uninstallation process.
Note: Rooting your phone comes with many risks, such as voiding the device’s warranty, data loss, software damage, increased security vulnerabilities, and, worst of all, bricking your phone (rendering it unusable).
Therefore, carefully weigh your options before removing the Game Hub app via root uninstaller.
3. Uninstalling via the Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
ADB is a command-line tool that allows you to perform various tasks on your Android device (like debugging, installing apps, uninstalling applications, and other advanced tasks) from a computer.
Before using this method, you must download and set up the Android Debug Bridge on your PC.
After setting up the tool, follow the steps below to remove the application:
- Go to Settings > Developer Options > USB debugging on your Android phone and enable the USB debugging mode.
- Connect your phone to your PC using a USB cable.
- Launch the ADB tool and type “adb shell” to get into the shell of your device.
- Type “pm uninstall -k –user 0 com.dti.folderlauncher” to uninstall the com.dti.folderlauncher application from your device.
- Once the command has run successfully, type “exit” to leave the shell.
- Unplug your phone from your computer and check if the application has been deleted.
Note: Like with the root uninstallation, using the ADB tool to uninstall system apps comes with several risks, such as the potential for data loss, software corruption, or device damage (including bricking), especially if you enter the wrong adb shell commands.
Therefore, you should be very careful when using the ADB tool on your device.
