
Introduction
LinkedList removeFirst() method is widely used in codes to optimize the bigger problems of LinkedList to smaller ones. LinkedList is a crucial data structure to prepare for your coding rounds. It is widely used and asked due to its dynamic nature, which eases inserting and deleting elements. To access the nodes easily, LinkedList offers various methods, one of which will be covered in this article, i.e., removeFirst() method.
The removeFirst() method removes the first element from the list, which will return the first element after removing it.
Let’s understand more clearly this method with its syntax and pictorial representation.
Syntax
The syntax of this method is:
public E removeFirst()
Parameters: It doesn’t take any parameters. It just removes the element and returns it.
Return Value: Returns the first element of the list.
Example:

This is the LinkedList having three nodes: A, B, C, where A is the Head of the LinkedList and C is pointing to the Null.
After using the removeFirst() method on this list.
Output:
A
[B, C]

This will be the final list after using the removeFirst() method. Now will ‘B’ will act as Head for this new LinkedList.
Code
// Demonstration of removeFirst() method
import java.io.*;
import java.util.LinkedList;
public class Solution {
public static void main(String args[]){
// creating the LinkedList which will taking strings as parameters
LinkedList<String> l1 = new LinkedList<String>();
// To add elements in the list
l1.add("Happy");
l1.add("Coding");
l1.add("Everyone");
// Displaying list before using the method
System.out.println("LinkedList:" + l1);
// Head is removed using removeFirst() method
System.out.println("Removed element is: " + l1.removeFirst());
// Displaying the final list after using the method
System.out.println("Final LinkedList:" + l1);
}
}
Output
LinkedList:[Happy, Coding, Everyone]
Removed element is: Happy
Final LinkedList:[Coding, Everyone]
As you can see first element(head) is removed and returned as the output.
Analysis of Complexity
Time Complexity: O(1), as in the case of LinkedList, the shift is not involved and the removeFirst() method works on the ends of the list so it doesn’t require the traversal.
Space Complexity: O(1), no extra space is required for the removeFirst() method.