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Should You Remove KLMS Agent From Samsung?
You should not remove KLMS Agent from a Samsung phone if it doesn't restrict actions you would like to take or use more storage space than you can afford to lose to a system app. It serves an important privacy protection function on android devices.
Still, you should know how to uninstall or disable the agent. That way, if you ever decide to get rid of it, you know how to.
But first, here are a few things you should know about the KLMS Agent.
- KLMS Agent is not a spyware or a third-party application if it comes pre-installed on your phone.
- Fake apps of the same name can be created, so you should not download them from an APK website.
- KLMS Agent allows you to remotely delete confidential data (wipe your phone) if your phone gets stolen.
- KLMS Agent protects the data your send and receive over WiFi and Bluetooth so it cannot be read by hackers trying to intercept it.
- KLMS Agent keeps apps from being modified or accessed by unauthorized individuals.
If you believe there's nothing worth peeking into on your phone, then you can remove the KLMS agent. But if you have mobile banking apps or work email passwords saved on your device, it is advisable to keep the Samsung KLMS agent on your device.
How to Remove KLMS Agent on Device?
Samsung KLMS Agent removal methods vary by model, but fortunately, there aren't too many variations. Mobile devices including and prior to Galaxy S7 and tabs/notes including and prior to Note 5 use a currently phased-out method of KLMS Agent removal. The recent devices (2017 onward) require the following steps.
- Open settings - Do this by tapping the gear(s) icon.
- Navigate to "app list" or "apps" - In some phones, this is titled "app management."
- Click the menu icon on the top right - This should be visible when the list of applications opens in the settings window.
- Activate option to view system apps - It will read "show system" or "access system."
- Scroll down to the KNOX app - the KNOX app uses the KLMS agent.
- Individually open and disable all KNOX-related apps - This will uninstall the KLMS agent.
You might find the disable option untappable. This happens when the android system limits users' choices to protect them. To get past root access limitations, you'll need to root your device. But before exploring that, let's cover old Samsung devices' method of KLMS agent removal.
Steps To Remove KLMS Agent From Old Samsung Devices
- Open the app drawer and scroll to the KNOX app
- Open the KNOX app and navigate to settings within the KNOX app
- In the settings window, open the KNOX settings
- Uninstall KNOX from on-screen options
- Click backup when prompted to backup KNOX data
- Click OK and then restart your phone
The odds of having root protection against KLMS agent removal in older phones are lower than in new smartphones. If you have confirmed by following the recent Samsung phones' KNOX disabling steps that you cannot remove or disable the app as a standard user, you might need to consider rooting your device.
How To Remove the Samsung KLMS Agent if It Keeps Coming Back?
Whether the phone doesn't allow KNOX removal or simply brings it back with each reboot or update, you have the same issue: root access limitation. Recent Samsung phones are allowing users to control fewer options.
If you can't disable the KLMS agent from settings, then you need to root your smartphone. Here's a gist of how you can do that, alongside the steps to take after that to get rid of the KLMS agent.
Step 1 - Root Your Android Device
To root an android device, you need to download and install root-enabling software on your computer, connect your smartphone to the computer with a USB and use the on-screen instruction of the root enabler to give yourself root access.
Dr. Fone-Root, SuperSU, and RootMaster are the most trusted apps for rooting an android phone with a computer.
The following video shows how to root a Samsung phone:
Step 2 - Download Titanium Backup on Your Samsung Phone
Now that you have root access which grants you the ability to change, modify, or delete any apps, including system apps, you have to be very careful not to install a malicious app. Titanium Backup is a trusted app for removing specific apps and backing up your phone.
Step 3 - Open Titanium Backup and Search for KNOX
KNOX is the manifestation of the Samsung KLMS agent. Your goal is to find anything KNOX related so you can remove it, deleting the agent in the process. The search bar and lookup process are similar to standard in-app searches.
Step 4 - Remove KNOX-related Apps
You must locate and remove the following apps in order to delete the Samsung KLMS agent:
- KNOX Notification Manager
- com.sec.enterprise.KNOX.attestation
- KLMS Agent
- com.sec.KNOX.events manager
- KNOX
- KNOX Store
Step 5 - Reboot the Smartphone
Finally, you need to restart your phone so KNOX and KLMS tasks are permanently withdrawn from your device's system. At this point, you can also remove the Titanium Backup app as it serves no immediate purpose.
Is Removing the KLMS Agent Worth It?
On average, the KLMS agent does more good than harm. It doesn't take up as much space, and though it uses processing power, the fact that it keeps one safe should warrant some credit. If you still want to extend your battery life by removing the agent, you can decide how much effort you're willing to put into removing the tool.
Disabling it without root access makes sense, but if the phone won't allow you to remove the protective tool without rooting the device, the effort is not really worth the benefit (and the liability) of not having a KLMS agent. But you can decide for yourself based on these pros and cons.
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