Looking to fix your AT&T-branded Nexus 6? Here's how to fix the top 6 problems

Launching a Nexus with full carrier support never seems to work out well, especially if you want it free of all carrier bloat and add-ons. All of the carriers have done pretty well in keeping things simple with the Nexus 6 thus far, but AT&T decided to take a different direction with their variant. Some folks over at XDA have compiled a list of the 6 most frustrating “enhancements” the carrier has made with the phone, and explained how to each fix of these problems in detail.

So what did they do to the poor Nexus? Let’s take a look at the problems and how to fix them.

• AT&T trampstamp: Take a look at the back cover. See the AT&T globe? It’s ugly. Thankfully, there’s actually a way to remove it if you’re up for doing so, using nail polish remover, a Q-Tip, and a coin.
• SIM locking to AT&T: AT&T’s variant comes SIM locked, meaning you can’t buy this version and switch to another carrier. There’s a way around it, but you may have to fork out some hard-earned cash to do so.
• Carrier bloatware: Of course, they decided to include some of their “super useful” carrier apps on the Nexus 6. Don’t want all of that bloat on your phone? Simply activate the device without the carrier SIM installed, and you’re good to go.
• AT&T boot animation: If you aren’t a fan of AT&T’s boot animation, you can remove it. This one takes a bit more time than the other how-to’s, but it’s possible.
• AT&T default ringtones: The carrier has added in their ringtones to play by default. You could always go through and swap them out, but there’s a way to completely remove them from the device.
• Tethering is disabled without plan: They’ve actually disabled the tethering option on the Nexus 6, unless you have a tethering plan with the company.

You can find the entire list and steps for resolving the above issues in great detail over at XDA. If you need a little more help with the process, though, you can find a pretty detailed walkthrough in the YouTube video below.

AT&T has really branded the heck out of this phone, and it’s awesome to see the Android community work their magic to fix it. Do you have any other ways to fix the AT&T Nexus 6? Let us know in the comments!