Android Question: Unwanted Google Hangouts?

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My tablet said several updates were available; I let it do them, but it is also wanting to update something called Google Hangouts. As far as I can see this isn't even installed on my tablet, so when I click this "update" it actually wants to install the application from scratch. As this is a tablet not a phone, I don't want that app - I gather it is for sending SMS and MMS messages which I don't want to do nor are they included in my internet wifi plan (there is a cost for each SMS sent).

How to get rid of this unwanted upgrade (which isn't really an upgrade)? Every time I turn on the tablet there is 1 update available - how to make it go away for good? There is no mention of Google Hangouts amongst all the zillion pre-installed apps.

I have a droid 4 instead of a tablet but I got rid of that & other unwanted apps on it by rooting my phone which is something companies don't want you to do that violates the warranty. Rooting allows you to have the droid like version of administration access for a computer. I'm not sure if tablets can be rooted but someone here may know more than me about it. You could try looking it up & I'd recommend reading a few guides on the process for your tablet model before attempting to be safe.

I've not even agreed to installing Google Play on my (getting on a bit now) 'droid phone, despite being prompted for certain things, so I've missed out on all this... fun.

Might this be a way of stopping it?
http://www.androidpit.com/how-to-disabl ... -play-apps

Rooting, as nick007 suggests, opens up a whole new world of control and on phones, with their otherwise non-removable crapware, it's almost essential - but I'd be very wary of doing it on (as I think you described it) a cheap tablet, unless you can find specific step-by-step instructions for that exact model, and hopefully a forum full of of "yay - it works fine!" detail to back it.
It's all too easy to convert these things into an interesting paperweight...

I'm not sure that rooting would help this particular situation because if you're using that Google service, it will try to shovel stuff at you and short of options to ask it not to, the only other escape would seem to be to not use it.

I did not have it (hangouts) installed on my android phone either. But it mysteriously installed itself and it seems to be a rather large memory hog. I am rooted and will play a bit with freezing it and see if there are any consequences of doing so. If not, I will attempt removal of it as well. I tried to remove it the conventional way and there was no joy. So I will go this route of freezing it via Titanium Backup and if nothing bad happens I will back the app up to my external SD slot and then delete it with Titanium. If it trashes it I can then restore it but I am hoping I won't have to. As Cornflake stated, if you can root your device it is the preferred way. I would get Titanium backup if I were you just for the ability and piece of mind of backing it up locally. I REFUSE to subscribe or put my files out there on the cloud or whatever. Titanium Backup is one of those "must have" apps for me along with Ghost Commander (similar to old Norton Commander). If you are an old timer like myself, that is another worth-while app. I will report back soon on what happens with Hangouts. Worst case it will nuke my CM11 partition and I will have to re-install.

Thanks for the responses everyone. Let me know how you get on KB8CWB. Looks like I'll have to root the tablet sooner or later. I'll put it off for as long as possible to get myself more familiar with the technology - and to see if there are verified foolproof steps to root this particular machine.

The tablet is described as:

It only cost ?45 but I've had to pay an extra ?15 for a 32 GB CD card. It is quite a nice bit of hardware for the money, it just seems pre-bloated with lots of software I've never heard of.

Agree totally - one of few apps I would call "essential" and along with rooting, I used it to remove a shedload of crapware.
Absolutely.

OK I froze hangouts and no I'll effects noted. Backed it up and then removed it. Everything running normally as of right now and freed up a bit of memory. Also the Google icon now only brings up mail. Before it presented a choice between the two. I will give it a day or two and make sure there are no ill effects.

Edit: let me know make and model of yourtablet and iI will nose around a bit for info on rooting. Currently out and about and posting from my phone.

This is the one:
http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00ARBAXGI/ref=pe_386181_40444391_TE_item

I'm afraid the page is in French, but the model details are language independent.

Here is a link for the procedure to root the A13 based tablets Tallyman. If I can be any help let me know. It looks rather straight forward.

A13 Root Procedure XDA

Also found a firmware upgrade to go to JellyBean should you wish to.

A13 JellyBean upgrade

Just drop me a pm and I will help all I can

Edit: Looked over the procedure and it looks nearly bullet proof. Just make sure the tablet is 100% charged before you do. Back it up before hand if you can. The procedure is pretty much automated through the use of a batch file. I have used XDA batch file upgrade and flashes before with zero problems. I had to flash my razr from verizon to use it on Page Plus. Very useful site!

It has been a full 24 hours since I nuked Google Hangouts on my Razr. No ill effects thus far. I am a fairly heavy user so I would expect any problems would have cropped up by now. Hope the information is of use to you Tallyman!

Thanks. I had a look at the details in that link to root my tablet. I'm still a bit nervous in case it goes wrong and bricks it or otherwise doesn't work properly. So I've decided to stick with it as is for the moment and if all the crapware becomes too much of a problem or I run low on internal storage then I'll take another look at rooting it. For the moment it is a nice little tablet and I don't want to risk wrecking it.