Amazon recently started offering Prime Exclusive Phones which are basically regular smartphones that are sold for $50 off their list price… and which come with ads that are displayed on the lock screen and in the notification tray. They also come bundled with a bunch of Amazon apps including the Amazon shopping, Kindle, Video, and Music apps.

But unsurprisingly it looks like it’s pretty easy to remove all the Amazon features from at least one of the first two Prime Eclusive phones.

RootJunky has posted instructions for removing all signs of Amazon software from the Prime Exclusive version of the Moto G4, which Amazon offers for $150 and up.

moto g4 no ads

Update: AFTV News has instructions for disabling ads on the Amazon Prime Exclusive BLU R1 HD smartphone, which sells for just $50 and up with ads. The steps are simpler, but you still end up seeing an ad if you reboot your phone.

Update 2: There are some reports suggesting the method for removing ads on the BLU R1 HD doesn’t work anymore. 

The instructions are pretty easy to follow if you’ve ever rooted a phone, unlocked a bootloader, or flashed custom firmware before.

Basically what you’re doing is replacing the version of the software that ships with Amazon’s variant of the phone with something a bit more like the software you would get if you bought the phone from another source.

But if that all sounds like too much work, it’s not like the ad-free version of the Moto G4 is particularly expensive. Motorola sells it for $200 and up… no hacking required for an ad-free experience (until you open an ad-supported app or website on the phone).

via xda-developers

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14 replies on “You can remove the ads from Amazon’s Prime Exclusive Moto G4 (or pay $50 more to just get the ad-free version) Update: Blu R1 HD too”

  1. Great value for money in term of what you pay for it. For that price point and what you get, their shouldnt be complain

  2. i followed the AFTVNews directions for stopping ads on the BLU phone but it didn’t work. I got an update on the phone this morning, prior to trying the adb command work around. I’m guessing they updated something that killed this.

    now I get the message, as do many other:

    Package com.amazon.phoenix new hidden state: false

    1. Good to know, thanks!

      Since that method didn’t rely on root access, it always seemed more like a loophole waiting to be closed.

  3. Imagine someone trying to sell their phone to you off Craigslist “why is there ads on the phone?”

    “Oh that’s a feature. It also tracks your whereabouts”

    No deal.

    1. you sound retared. you are being tracked with every phone you use. ads or not. like iphones and android phones dont track your whereabouts

      1. Yes… but this is like the next step.
        Going further and we have Big Brother scenario.

        1. Phones can be tracked even when powered off. When you use any search engine you are tracked. Why do you think you can search something or by something then go to facebook or just browsing an ad from that same company magically appear.

          1. You do not understand, at all.

            You CAN be tracked.
            But not all websites, and all companies try to track you.
            And from those that do track, NOT all of them use your data.
            And the ones that do use your metadata or data, not all of them is to target you.
            Some sell your metadata for Statisticians, others for Ads.

            But some companies do use certain websites which can track you and do track you and do use your data and use it to target you.

            This Amazon online shopping ads on your lockscreen is the next step because its obtrusive.

            1-Now, how appealing does that sound to you as a “feature” ?

            2-Imagine if you bought this device used on the street from someone on Craigslist, do you think they might have objections to this “feature” ??

          2. Do you have the phone? Your argument would be valid if a phone with ad was the only option, the phone with ad is a choice. If the ads are bothersome shell out the extra money and by the one without ad and problem solved easy. You can’t choice to by a product then bitch about it when their are other options. That’s just stupid, you don’t want the ad don’t by the phone. I have the phone and it doesn’t bother me, once I unlock the phone no ads. You don’t own the phone so how can you have a strong opinion

          3. It’s not that I’m a drug dealer, but I do value my privacy.

            What I was alluding to, if you had not noticed, once the phone has served you and you are ready to upgrade… who is going to want your phone?!?!

            A lot of people do value their privacy too. And you’ll have a hard time trying to sell it to someone else.

            It’s not that I’m against choice. It’s that I’m against the precedence we’re setting up for the future, it’s almost like it came out of a novel, almost Orwellian. Does that clarify my point?

          4. It’s a cheap phone paid 60 for it what value would I get from resulting a 60 phone. If you really value privacy don’t get ant device or appliance that says smart. Get off all social network. U don’t even have privacy when u on the streets walking. U have a valid argument but the way the world is their is no such thing as privacy, you just have to pick the evil you want to deal with

  4. mine delivered today. guess i’ll give it a go.
    my BLU R1 HD arrived yesterday and its quite nice. the amazon ads aren’t too bad. i was unable to remove them by installing the Next Lock screen though. Works intermittently, so not really worth the extra RAM and battery drain.

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