Is a rooted phone still required to pass '-k' in ADB's package remove command? I successfully ran pm uninstall --user 0 packagename without the -k argument on my phone which isn't rooted, despite the XDA article saying it's needed.
-k is option to keep cache + appdata:
/data/user*/0/&lt;pkgname&gt;
without that option only the .apk file remains on the device:
/system/app/&lt;pkgname&gt;/base.apk
pm install-existing &lt;pkgname&gt; will re-enable app with/without appdata depending on -k
(explained in section How to Re-Install)