Get rid of the annoying new Facebook icons on your rooted HTC EVO [Updated]
Those who know me well know that I'm a total Facebook addict. I post too many status updates, I constantly "like" everything my friends say, and I don't even want to know how many hours I waste on the site each week. So I'm always really excited when updates to the official app come out, because they're always bound to make my Facebook experience on my HTC EVO 3D better … right?
Not really, apparently. The last two updates have added new Camera and Messenger icons to the app drawer, which has driven a lot of people crazy. I'm not sure why a Facebook camera app is even necessary in the first place, since Facebook sharing is already integrated into the stock camera. And why create a Messenger shortcut when there's already an official Facebook Messenger, essentially creating two shortcuts in the app drawer that both do the same thing?
Luckily, if you're rooted, there's an easy way to fix this: head over to the Google Play Store and download Facebook Icon Remover. Open it up, and make your selection to disable or enable the extra app shortcuts. Grant it Superusers permissions when it asks, and that's it!
I should tell you that it does act a little wonky on my EVO 3D: rather than disabling both icons at the same time, I had to go in and do each one individually. The app also sometimes hangs at the disabling screen, but I confirmed that the icons were indeed gone after hitting the back button and returning to the app drawer. I also confirmed that this sticks after a reboot.
So what are you waiting for? If you love Facebook as much as I do, but also hate clutter, give this a try,
Download: Google Play
Update 5/08: A few days ago, Facebook released yet another update that addressed this concern: the extra icons are now gone, so there's no need for special apps or other tweaks to get rid of them. Now, if only we could get the Facebook execs to listen to us about the new Timeline…
