Android and iOS devices have a system application called BadgeProvider that runs in the background continuously. Most users don’t know if it’s an important application or bloatware.
BadgeProvider is a preinstalled system application on Android and iOS devices that displays notification badges on top of apps to notify users about pending notifications that haven’t been viewed yet.
This app is present in almost all Android and iOS devices but the name of the app may be different for different device manufacturers. It is present in all Android devices including Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and others as well as on iOS devices including Apple iPhones and iPads.
The application package name of the badgeprovider.apk file on Samsung Android devices is com.sec.android.provider.badge. The package name of the app will be different for other device manufacturers.
In this article, I will explain what is BadgeProvider used for, why does it keep stopping, how to fix the stopping issue and how to disable it.
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What is The BadgeProvider App Used For?
BadgeProvider is a built-in system app that runs in the background to provide badge notifications when the users receive a new message, email, missed call, push notification, app update, or voicemail. The badge notification is used to indicate that the user has some unread information or pending notification.
Badge notifications are represented differently for Android and iOS devices. On Android devices, a badge notification is represented by a small colored dot in the upper right hand corner of the app icon.
The color of the badge notification dot varies with the color scheme of the app. For example, the badge notification for Whatsapp is a green dot whereas for the Messages app it is a light blue dot.
On iOS devices, badge notifications are represented by a white number inside a red background located in the upper right hand corner of the app icon. The number represents the number of messages, calls, notifications, etc. that haven’t been viewed.
The badge notifications appear automatically when there is a new pending notification and it disappears when users view the notification.
In Android devices, users can view the current pending notifications by long pressing the app icon that has a badge notification. When users long press the app icon, a popup appears displaying the unread notifications which can be read by tapping on it or dismissed by swiping it.
BadgeProvider Has Stopped?
The BadgeProvider app stops working at times and an error message pops up saying “Unfortunately, BadgeProvider Has Stopped.” The app stops working because the cache files and the app data become overloaded and corrupted.
When you receive a lot of badge notifications, the cache files of the BadgeProvider app increase and if you don’t clear the app cache and data then there comes a time when the size of the cache and data files become more than the amount of data that could be stored in the cache file storage folder so the cache files become overloaded and the app crashes resulting in the stopping error.
The best way to fix this error is to clear the app data and app cache. If that doesn’t fix the problem you could try force stopping the app or factory resetting the device. All of the methods are mentioned below in detail.
1. Clear Data of BadgeProvider App
Follow the steps below to clear the app data and app cache of this app.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap the Ellipsis icon (3 vertical dots) in the upper right corner.
- Tap Show System Apps.
- Find the BadgeProvider app and tap on it.
- Tap Storage.
- Tap the Clear Data button.
- Tap the Clear Cache button.
2. Force Stop the BadgeProvider App
Force Stopping an app can fix malfunctioning apps. Here are the steps to Force Stop the app.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap the Ellipsis icon (3 vertical dots) in the upper right corner.
- Tap Show System Apps.
- Find the BadgeProvider app and tap on it.
- Tap the Force Stop button.
3. Factory Reset Your Device
A Factory Reset erases all the data from your phone and restores your phone to its original state so it will remove this error message for sure.
Before factory resetting your device, you must backup your data in your Google Drive account. Once the backup is complete, follow the steps below.
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Factory Data Reset.
- Tap the “Reset” button and you may need to enter your PIN or password.
- Tap Delete all or Wipe Data and your phone will be reset.
Disable BadgeProvider App
If you can’t fix the “BadgeProvider has stopped” error message using the methods mentioned in the previous section then your best bet is to disable this app. Since BadgeProvider is a system app, you cannot disable it simply, you’ll have to use a Package Disabler app or the Titanium Backup app to disable it.
Both these disabler apps require rooting so you should first root your Android device. You can check our Android rooting guide here.
But remember, disabling this app will remove the badge notifications feature which can be started only by re-enabling the app.
Disable BadgeProvider Using Service Disabler
Package Disabler apps allow you to disable selected system applications that cannot be disabled normally. Here are the steps to disable this system app using the Service Disabler app.
- Download and Install the Service Disabler app on your device.
- Tap on the Search button on the top bar and search for “BadgeProvider“.
- Select the BadgeProvider app and tap on the Disable button.
- Confirm your decision by selecting “OK” or “Yes”.
Disable BadgeProvider Using Titanium Backup
Titanium Backup allows you to freeze/disable system applications once your Android device is rooted. Follow the steps mentioned to disable this app.
- Download and install the “Titanium Backup” app.
- Launch the app.
- Search for BadgeProvider and tap on it.
- Tap on the “Freeze” option.
Is BadgeProvider Safe Or Is It a Virus/Spyware?
BadgeProvider is a totally safe and secure application. It doesn’t cause any intentional damage to your device. Some users believe that it notifies your data to third parties but it’s false. This app is not Spyware.
It is an important system application that shows unread notifications in the form of badges or dots. This is very useful to quickly check new notifications.
This app consumes your system resources to run in the background and show notifications but it is not a form of bloatware.
What Permissions Does BadgeProvider App Require?
The BadgeProvider app doesn’t require any permissions to operate on your device. If you check the permissions section of this app, you’ll find “No Permissions Required.”
Every app requires users to accept permissions before they can function but there are some system apps that don’t require any permissions.
To check the permissions of BadgeProvider go to Settings > Apps > Show System Apps > BadgeProvider > Permissions.
Can You Uninstall BadgeProvider?
It is possible to uninstall the BadgeProvider app using the Android Debug Bridge(ADB) software or using the System App Remover Android application.
BadgeProvider is a preinstalled system application that serves a very important purpose of providing unread notifications directly on top of the app icon so uninstalling this app isn’t recommended. Removing it will mean that you won’t get badge notifications for apps.
If you don’t want the badge notification feature on your device, you can uninstall the app using the methods mentioned below.
1. Uninstall BadgeProvider Using Android Debug Bridge(ADB)
ADB allows you to bring up a Unix shell so you can issue commands directly on the Android device. You’ll need a Windows PC to use ADB. This method doesn’t require you to root your device.
Step 1 – Go to Settings > System > About phone.
Step 2 – Tap on the Build number 7 times to activate Developer Options.
Step 3 – Go back to the main Settings menu and tap on Developer Options to open it.
Step 4 – Enable USB debugging by tapping on it.
Step 5 – Download ADB on your PC.
Step 6 – Extract the ZIP file into a folder.
Step 7 – After extracting the ZIP file, open that folder.
Step 8 – Press and hold the shift button and right-click in a blank area.
Step 9 – Click on “Open Powershell window here.”
Step 10 – Enter the command adb devices.
Step 11 – Connect your Android device to the PC using a USB data cable and set the USB mode as File Transfer.
Step 12 – You will receive a USB debugging notification on your phone, tap on OK to allow debugging access.
Step 13 – Re-enter the command adb devices.
Step 14 – You should now see the Serial number of your device on the Powershell window.
Step 15 – Run the command adb shell pm uninstall –user 0 com.sec.android.provider.badge and wait for a few seconds. You’ll notice the app has been uninstalled from your device.
If you’re using an Android device other than Samsung, you’ll have to use the BadgeProvider package file name for your device manufacturer.
2. Uninstall BadgeProvider Using System App Remover
System App Remover is an application that allows you to uninstall system applications. This app requires you to root your device.
- Download and install the System App Remover application.
- Launch the System App Remover application, search for the BadgeProvider app, and select it by tapping on the checkbox next to it.
- Tap on the Uninstall button to completely uninstall the app.
Does BadgeProvider Consume Too Much Battery?
The BadgeProvider app continuously runs in the background to provide notifications so there is a significant amount of battery consumption. It consumes your CPU and this is why you see the high battery usage.
Sometimes, the battery consumption can surpass normal levels and you have to take certain steps to reduce the battery usage. To reduce battery consumption, you can try the following solutions.
- Turn off Badge Notifications by going to Settings > Apps > Show System Apps > BadgeProvider > Force Stop.
- Disable the BadgeProvider app using a Package Disabler app.
- Uninstall the Badge Provider app.
Conclusion
BadgeProvider is a system application on Android and iOS devices that shows unread pending notifications in the form of badge notifications in the top right corner of the app icon. It is represented by a colored dot on Android devices and a white number inside a red background on iOS devices.
This app stops working sometimes which can be fixed by clearing the app cache and force stopping the app. If the problem persists, you can disable or uninstall the app.