For reference, here is the FAQ part of the automatic response for our
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) email on our Play Store account to answer most questions people have about the Android ANT HAL Service, ANT Radio Service, and ANT+ Plugins Service that are often pre-installed on ANT enabled phones:
***What do the ANT Radio Service and ANT+ Plugins do?***
The ANT Radio Service and ANT+ Plugins are similar to the system components that enable other forms of wireless connectivity on your device (e.g. WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth). These ANT services run in the background when other apps request to communicate with the ANT wireless hardware in your device or USB stick similar to “Windows drivers”. They do not have a user interface and they do not have launcher icons.
For more information about the ANT Radio Service, please visit
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dsi.ant.service.socket
For more information about the ANT+ Plugins, please visit
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dsi.ant.plugins.antplus
***How did these apps get installed on my phone/tablet?***
The ANT service apps may have come pre-installed on your device or were added as part of an Android update from your carrier and/or device manufacturer.
***Why were these apps installed on my phone/tablet?***
Your device’s hardware supports the ANT wireless protocol which your device manufacturer enabled as an additional feature for it’s customers. ANT is a flexible ultra low power wireless protocol which allows your device to connect to many other devices or sensors.
For more information about ANT+, please visit
http://www.thisisant.com/consumer/ant-101/what-is-ant/
***How do I uninstall these apps?***
When the ANT services are factory pre-installed into the Android firmware as system services by the device manufacturer, Android does not give users the option to uninstall them as it does with apps that you download from Google Play or any other app store. If you do not use any apps that take advantage of ANT wireless connectivity, these services will never be enabled and they will have no impact on your device’s performance.
However, if you still desire to remove these system apps, Android does allow you to 'disable' apps in the Settings>Application Manager options (Warning: disabling apps will prevent the app from running or updating - disabling the ANT services will prevent all ANT enabled apps from using ANT features until the services are re-enabled). Instructions to disable system apps are available here:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/3123922
