Android’s bloatware needs to go
If you have an Android phone and its full of apps you’ve never downloaded you’re probably wondering why they exist. Android has a bloatware problem — phones come preloaded with apps you’ve never downloaded. For instance on the Galaxy S7 you have Samsung specific apps like S voice and S health, or on carrier branded phones there is a folder full of carrier specific apps. The most frustrating thing is that you can’t delete the apps, which means they’re going to take from your phone’s internal storage.
I’m well aware that the iPhone has a similar problem, they’re all stored in my ‘Not needed’ folder, gracefully. They’re very similar to Google’s pre-installed apps like Newsstand, Google+, or Google Earth. Let’s set those aside and talk about what’s more.
There is a silver lining with Android apps, you can make them dissappear. If you navigate to Aettings> Apps> Find app> Disable/Turn off. Not all bloatware should be disabled, some are useful, for instance carrier apps that track your data plan, but those should be optional to download instead of taking space forcefully. Solutions like rooting or jailbreaking your phone are possible, but certainly not encouraged because of security concers.
There’s a resemblance to when the two dominant OSes were Windows and Mac. Windows would usually come with an anti-virus, an OEM specific communications manager, HP Update, Dell DataSafe, and many more examples of this sort. Not to mention the several stickers on the exterior of the device — the worst. While on the otherhand the Mac would not allow any pre-installed software unless it was made by Apple.
None of these things are insurmountable. But I’m convinced there’s something broader going on here. Lots of small apps are adding up gradually over time, and there is no sign of them slowing down, and it’s putting the Android experience at risk.
