Bloatware

[DTRRT]

I’ve always heard about crazy amounts of bloatware in androids. Seeing as this will be my first is there anything on the 10 I should be ready to delete right away?

 

[Rukbat]

Bloatware is just apps that the carrier adds to the phone, it's not harmful (it just takes up some storage space). If you're buying a carrier-branded phone, there will be some carrier apps on it, but you don't have to uninstall them - right away or at any time. If you want to, ask first, by app name.

If it's an unbranded phone, the only bloatware will be from the manufacturer - Samsung's Internet (their web browser), etc. You usually don't want to uninstall manufacturer apps. (And that's uninstall - the only time you'll see delete, aside from a file manager, is the app shortcuts on the desktop. You can delete them if you don't want to see them, but the app is still there, in the app drawer.)

 

[Golfdriver97]

Most of the bloatware from the OEM may not be removable. Often, if you uninstall the app to the factory version (usually a very small file) and force stop the app, that is good enough in most cases.

 

[Adam Frix]

Most of the bloatware from the OEM may not be removable. Often, if you uninstall the app to the factory version (usually a very small file) and force stop the app, that is good enough in most cases.

My T-Mobile S9+ allowed me to REMOVE the Facebook app. VERY nice.

The only T-Mo apps on it are visual VM, the T-Mobile app, and the Name ID app.

I think "bloatware" is an overblown concern nowadays. This isn't the early 1990s where PC manufacturers were keeping prices low by sticking every piece of crap software in the world on them.

 

[Almeuit]

I think "bloatware" is an overblown concern nowadays. This isn't the early 1990s where PC manufacturers were keeping prices low by sticking every piece of crap software in the world on them.

Well that is literally the same now a days lol... except they don't drop the price. There are some where they install stuff you can't uninstall and the price is not lowered at all.

 

[Adam Frix]

Well that is literally the same now a days lol... except they don't drop the price. There are some where they install stuff you can't uninstall and the price is not lowered at all.

Again, I think people are overblowing the whole thing.

My T-Mobile S9+ came with three T-Mobile apps. Oh, and it also came with Facebook--which I was able to remove completely.

It also came with Samsung's UI customizations, and of course it now has their new One UI on it.

If you think that's "bloatware," you must be wanting whatever people think of as "pure Android"--which really isn't a thing at all.

But it's nowhere near the mind-numbing crap that came on consumer PCs back in the day, that started the whole talk of "bloatware". Those bits were not only installed, they were running--and the average consumer had no idea he was only getting about half the performance he thought he bought, plus any re-load of the PC using the manufacturer's discs meant all that crap went right back on.

I absolutely want those three T-Mobile apps--visual VM, the T-Mobile account app, and Name ID. They aren't unwelcome in the least, and they aren't bloat.

Perhaps other carriers do things radically differently. I don't know, I've never had anyone other than T-Mo. But it's not fair in the least to make the blanket assumption that "carrier branded equals horrible bloatware that robs performance and changes your experience for the worse! You should get factory unlocked!".

 

[filanto]

it would be nice to actually remove unwanted apps. I have never used the installed Verizon message + and the installed Samsung sms app. if you were to force apps, why have redundant ones. I'd love to be able to use the regular phone dialer instead of the Verizon one. they just don't want to have the phone actually use a caller ID service for free when they STILL charge for the same thing. I didn't have much issues when we leased the phone and it wasn't ours until it was paid off, but it's not that way now. I'm thinking of getting the unlocked version instead of the Verizon S10

 

[Theot]

I think the amount of "bloatware" is totally dependent on the manufacturer, the carrier and each person's opinion and use case. There are a lot of people that love Samsung's apps and ecosystem much like iPhone users like their Apple apps and ecosystem. In most cases it's all related to features built into the phone even Facebook because I'm sure they figure most people are going to put it on their anyway but it very well could also just be a blatant money grab.

I think that's a big part of LGs problem. Their software offers nothing compelling and just appears to be a hodgepodge of features much like the early days of TouchWiz. You still get duplicate apps on Samsung phones because of Google forcing them to have all their apps in there like chrome that you can't uninstall (I think the Samsung internet browser is far better personally.

Then the carriers, from everything I've seen and heard AT&T is by far the worst at loading up their devices with apps, with Verizon and Sprint running a close second. I also love T-Mobile for the fact in the two years I've been with them I've only ever had three apps pre-installed I just wish I could disable or delete their app but Android is pretty good at keeping it from running.

Anyway, I think it all depends on your carrier and your perspective/use case.

 

[arunma]

I recently deleted Facebook from my Note 9 (I still have the messenger app though). I got rid of it because it kept pushing me the "suggested friends" notifications, and would do bizarre things like sending me the same notification several times in a row even as I was furiously dismissing it. Turning off the suggested friends feature didn't work so I finally just had to remove the app.

Dang, my battery life has markedly improved!

 

[Almeuit]

Again, I think people are overblowing the whole thing.

My T-Mobile S9+ came with three T-Mobile apps. Oh, and it also came with Facebook--which I was able to remove completely.

It also came with Samsung's UI customizations, and of course it now has their new One UI on it.

If you think that's "bloatware," you must be wanting whatever people think of as "pure Android"--which really isn't a thing at all.

But it's nowhere near the mind-numbing crap that came on consumer PCs back in the day, that started the whole talk of "bloatware". Those bits were not only installed, they were running--and the average consumer had no idea he was only getting about half the performance he thought he bought, plus any re-load of the PC using the manufacturer's discs meant all that crap went right back on.

I absolutely want those three T-Mobile apps--visual VM, the T-Mobile account app, and Name ID. They aren't unwelcome in the least, and they aren't bloat.

Perhaps other carriers do things radically differently. I don't know, I've never had anyone other than T-Mo. But it's not fair in the least to make the blanket assumption that "carrier branded equals horrible bloatware that robs performance and changes your experience for the worse! You should get factory unlocked!".

Nope I think it's bloatware since it's stupid junk that comes installed and on some carrier phones can't be uninstalled. I mean I get you are comparing it from your carrier and point of view but you gotta open your mind and remember that not everyone is on T-Mobile. Also just because you want some apps installed doesn't mean everyone goes by that definition lol.

 

[Adam Frix]

Well, I do like visual voicemail. So you gotta have an app for that. That's not bloatware.

And their Name ID app, with carrier level blocking, is slick.

Beyond that...

Are we really that upset about a carrier putting two carrier-specific apps on a phone?

I get it, if they put major stuff on that can't be uninstalled--it takes up space. But at least it's not running. I mean, I'm not on Facebook--and so the FB app sitting on my phone did nothing to get in my way.

The bloatware in the 90s to try to make PCs cheap was taking up precious disk space AND was running, taking up precious cycles.

 

[103Softail]

Just install Package Disabler Pro....it works well to disable all that google crap too!

 

[Almeuit]

Well, I do like visual voicemail. So you gotta have an app for that. That's not bloatware.

And their Name ID app, with carrier level blocking, is slick.

Beyond that...

Are we really that upset about a carrier putting two carrier-specific apps on a phone?

I get it, if they put major stuff on that can't be uninstalled--it takes up space. But at least it's not running. I mean, I'm not on Facebook--and so the FB app sitting on my phone did nothing to get in my way.

The bloatware in the 90s to try to make PCs cheap was taking up precious disk space AND was running, taking up precious cycles.

Some are upset and don't like it just as much as you seeming to not care.

I just find it odd how you say what can or can't be said yet only go off your own opinion as if we all must follow or can't disagree.

 

[Adam Frix]

I have an opinion, and I hold it firmly. You have one, too, right?

I have never said that I "say what can or can't be said". My opinion is, don't call it bloatware. And I back up my opinion with some context about where the term came from, which has nothing to do with two or three innocuous carrier apps sitting on a phone.

 

[ThrottleJohnny]

In my opinion, bloat on a phone comes from carrier branded apps that you know you'll never use, and they know you'll never use, but they won't let you remove.

For me, duplicate apps isn't bloat. It's the OEM giving you the option to use their brand or Google's.

I appreciate the choice because both can be a mixed bag. Besides, if I wanted all Google and nothing but Google, I'd buy a Pixel... And I have.

If I'm buying Samsung, I at least partially, want a Samsung experience.

I don't get why that's so hard for people to grasp.

 

[ZayMoney]

thats why you order the unlocked version, i will never buy a android from a carrier again

 

[Adam Frix]

If it's that bad with your carrier, I'd say switch carriers.

I like Samsung's SMS app, but Google's lets me message from my computer. It's AWFULLY handy, and frankly is a deal killer for me switching away.

 

[JHBThree]

In my opinion, bloat on a phone comes from carrier branded apps that you know you'll never use, and they know you'll never use, but they won't let you remove.

For me, duplicate apps isn't bloat. It's the OEM giving you the option to use their brand or Google's.

I appreciate the choice because both can be a mixed bag. Besides, if I wanted all Google and nothing but Google, I'd buy a Pixel... And I have.

If I'm buying Samsung, I at least partially, want a Samsung experience.

I don't get why that's so hard for people to grasp.

See I would disagree with that, even though I understand where you're coming from. For me, installing all those duplicate apps by default makes it bloatware. There is no need for a separate Samsung email and calendar app. They should give you the option to download them, but not put them on the phone out of the box.

 

[Adam Frix]

Well, then, for that matter simply don't put ANY default apps on the phone AT ALL.

Make NO decisions on behalf of the end user. He may not even WANT a calendar app, for example.

Let the end user seek out only whatever apps he wants.

 

[EMGSM]

Just install Package Disabler Pro....it works well to disable all that google crap too!

I used Package Disabler Pro but I don't like getting charged for something I've already paid for so I stopped using them.