Precision Debloat & Systemize for Rooted Android
Cut the bloat. Elevate your apps. Zero risk.
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Scalpel is a system app management module for rooted Android. It does two things: debloat — removing pre-installed apps you don't want — and systemize — promoting user apps to run as system apps with elevated privileges. Rather than locking you into a single removal method, Scalpel auto-detects your device capabilities at every boot and selects the best available strategy: kernel-level VFS interception, overlayfs whiteouts, or package manager commands.
The result: bloatware gone, your apps elevated, your device safe. A 3-strike bootloop guard protects against bad configurations, deferred operations ensure your data is never destroyed prematurely, and a self-healing background monitor repairs any drift between reboots. Everything is managed through a WebUI inside your root manager — no terminal needed.
This is not
pm disable. Scalpel's multi-mode engine goes beyond simple package manager commands. When your kernel supports it, apps are hidden at the VFS level — invisible to the system entirely. On stock kernels, overlayfs whiteouts provide persistent removal across reboots. Package manager commands are the last resort, not the only option.
🛡️ Bootloop-Proof — Three failed boots auto-disable the module and restore your config. You can always recover.
🎯 Multi-Mode Debloat — VFS interception, overlayfs whiteouts, or pm disable — auto-detects the best strategy for your kernel.
📦 Systemize Apps — Promote user apps to /system/ with proper permissions. Your original data is preserved until the system copy is verified.
🎛️ Full WebUI — Browse, search, select, and manage apps from your root manager. No terminal needed.
🔄 Self-Healing — Background monitor detects and repairs broken debloats automatically between reboots.
📱 Universal Root — Works with Magisk, KernelSU, and APatch out of the box.
Debloat Engine
- 3 debloat modes — VFS interception, overlayfs whiteouts, or package manager — auto-detected per boot
- App scanner — discovers all system apps across partitions with 5-category risk classification
- Default debloat — volume key prompt during install for immediate cleanup on first boot
- Raw whiteout support — advanced users can supply a plain-text package list
Systemize Engine
- App promotion — elevate user apps to
/system/appor/system/priv-app - Split APK support — handles multi-APK bundles and native libraries
- Permissions XML — auto-generates privileged permission allowlists for priv-app targets
- Deferred uninstall — original app data preserved until system overlay is verified working
- Demote & rollback — reverse any promotion with pending state tracking across reboots
Safety & Recovery
- 3-strike bootloop guard — auto-disables module and restores config after repeated boot failures
- Deferred operations — never removes original app data before confirming the replacement works
- Post-boot verification — confirms every debloated and systemized app is in the expected state
- Self-healing monitor — background daemon detects and repairs broken debloats automatically
- Config backup — automatic backup before risky operations, restored on boot failures
WebUI
- Full dashboard — status overview, debloat manager, systemize manager, settings
- Category browsing — apps grouped by risk level with search and batch selection
- Context-sensitive actions — floating action button adapts per tab (reboot, nuke, promote)
- Themeable — light, dark, accent colors, glass effects
Scalpel evaluates your device at every boot and selects the best available mode. You can override this in Settings.
| Mode | How It Works | Requirement | Trace Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| VFS Interception | Whiteouts synced to kernel VFS driver — apps vanish from the filesystem entirely | Custom kernel with VFS hooks | None — invisible to mount tables and stat |
| Overlayfs Whiteout | Character device whiteouts with overlay xattr in module directory | Stock kernel with overlayfs support | Low — overlay metadata visible to root |
| Package Manager | pm disable-user removes app from user space |
Any rooted device | Visible — apps disabled, not hidden |
Auto-detection fallback: VFS → Whiteout → PM. The best available mode is always selected automatically.
Important
Scalpel works on any rooted Android 9+ device out of the box. No custom kernel needed. For VFS-level app hiding, a kernel with VFS redirection support is recommended — but overlayfs and pm fallbacks work everywhere.
You need:
- A rooted Android device (Android 9+) with an unlocked bootloader
- A supported root manager (see compatibility below)
| Manager | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| KernelSU | ✅ Tested | Full lifecycle support |
| APatch | Boot hooks present but not verified on device | |
| Magisk | Boot-completed polling and magic mount fallback present but not verified |
More devices and root managers will be tested as development continues. If you test on an unlisted combo, let us know!
- Download the latest module ZIP from Releases
- Install via your root manager (Magisk, KSU, or APatch)
- Choose default debloat during install — Volume Up to apply, Volume Down to skip
- Reboot your device
- Open the WebUI from your root manager to browse and manage apps
$ scalpel --operate
██████╗ ██████╗ ███████╗██████╗ █████╗ ████████╗███████╗
██╔═══██╗██╔══██╗██╔════╝██╔══██╗██╔══██╗╚══██╔══╝██╔════╝
██║ ██║██████╔╝█████╗ ██████╔╝███████║ ██║ █████╗
██║ ██║██╔═══╝ ██╔══╝ ██╔══██╗██╔══██║ ██║ ██╔══╝
╚██████╔╝██║ ███████╗██║ ██║██║ ██║ ██║ ███████╗
╚═════╝ ╚═╝ ╚══════╝╚═╝ ╚═╝╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚══════╝
[✓] SIGNAL ──→ t.me/superpowers9
[✓] UPLINK ──→ debloat tips · bug triage · feature drops
[✓] STATUS ──→ OPEN — all operators welcome
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.
🔪 Precision mode — cut the bloat, keep the edge.