The Stupidity Of Installing Bloatware That No One Uses... And Everyone Hates
from the just-a-bad-idea-all-around dept
A new study from Strategy Analytics highlights what you almost certainly already know, that no one actually uses the crappy bloatware apps that Samsung puts on its phones. This shouldn't be a surprise at all. But I actually wanted to highlight a different issue I'd noticed recently: which is that not only do people not use the bloatware apps, by making them both default and unintstallable, Samsung pretty guarantees that everyone hates those apps.Now, I can imagine the execs at various app developers who got all excited when they had a chance to become a default app on a Samsung flagship phone like the S3, S4 or S5. After all, Samsung sells a ton of these phones. So if Samsung approaches you and offers to make you a default, it's got to be hard to say no. Because what they're offering is to put your app in front of many millions of potential users. And given the big hurdle of getting people to even download free apps, that must seem like a huge victory.
Until you realize that everyone hates unnecessary and unwanted bloatware. Beyond the study above showing that no one uses those apps, I recently looked at the Google Play Store reviews of many of the Samsung choices for bloatware. And pretty consistently, the large majority or reviews are about how they don't know why the app is on their phone and they're pissed that they can't delete it. Take, for example, Blurb Checkout, part of Samsung's near-totally-useless "book-making app." People absolutely loathe it almost entirely because it's a bloatware default app. Out of over 22,000 reviews, it has over 16,000 one star reviews. And nearly all of the reviews look like the "highlighted" ones on the page:
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I rooted my old Galaxy S and removed the bloatware manually. My phone performance improved fairly. If these apps were only taking my precious memory space it would be not as bad but they are often consuming my resources too, even when I deactivated them.
At some point they will stop wasting money bundling such crap with the hardware. Till then we root.
As a side note I'd also love app developers to assume their apps are important enough they want the full internal memory speed and won't allow you to move them to external SDs. I should be the one deciding it, not the developer. Again, we root.
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Re: lol
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Just because Samsung makes the phone, it's still a Google device. When users start up the device for the very first time, it's a Google account request which shows up, not a Samsung request. This doesn't happen until one actually opens a Samsung app.
As for being unable to uninstall, what difference does this make? These apps aren't invasive, nor do they interfere with anything else, and the file sizes aren't even an issue.
I can understand the argument if people didn't have control on what apps they can use, but this isn't the case. Instead, we see 250 people being monitored because they bought a phone to connect their Google accounts, not their Samsung accounts.
I'd be more concerned if people are making an issue out of nothing because they haven't figured out how to customize their device.
The other extreme has figured it out, and that's rooting the device and flashing the OS to remove the bloatware.
*holds up Galaxy S2 with Cyanogen mod.
Heh. >:]
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Bloatware=advertisng=money to the company that puts it in front of customers.
or
Bloatware=Spyware=better able to put adverts in front of customers.
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If given a choice which device would the typical user purchase, one with crapware or one without?
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It's an Android phone. Android phones are specifically advertised to be fully customizable. They're for people who don't want the walled garden of the iPhone. When you get apps forced upon you, it goes against everything that Android stands for.
I won't even go into the fact that probably 90% of people can't/don't want to root their phone.
I do want to say that the Samsung keyboard sucks compared to the one in Cyanogen Mod.
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If they're going to adapt Apple's good ideas to make better phones, more power to them. But blindly copying Apple's mistakes along with them is just stupid. More phones with real keyboards, please!
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I think it might be a Google account first, and then a Samsung account second. You have to have a Samsung account to start the phone.
As for being unable to uninstall, what difference does this make? These apps aren't invasive, nor do they interfere with anything else, and the file sizes aren't even an issue.
The issue is that the apps are running in the background, at device startup, and you probably can't turn it off.
People shouldn't have to Root in order to use their phone.
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Opinions, everyone has one
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I own three Samsung devices. I do not, nor have I ever, had a Samsung account. This just isn't true. While two of the three Samsungs are rooted (can't root the third as I do not own it, and my employer might be a little miffed if I do,) at no point in the process did I ever have to log into or create a Samsung account.
The only time I've ever saw a request to create an account it was when I actually started one of the Samsung bloatware apps, before the phone was rooted, and it allowed me to exit the app without creating an account.
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I've used S-Voice on my Galaxy SIII, which doesn't require an account. It is a decent Siri clone. If there was a better one out there that I was aware of, I'd use it instead. Haven't tried the health app but CardioTrainer does everything I want it to do.
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Untrue, or do you have a specific example to back up your words?
As for being unable to uninstall, what difference does this make? These apps aren't invasive, nor do they interfere with anything else, and the file sizes aren't even an issue.
As above.
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I think it makes a huge difference. The apps are invasive (they often begin background processes running on bootup, taking up resources), and being unable to remove them means that you have to put up with permanent garbage in your apps drawer.
Besides, and most important of all, their mere presence is irritating. Even if they had no effect at all, that would be enough to complain about them.
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I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. Not only have I had issues with the apps in terms of performance, but some of them carry...interesting...requirements.
An app from one of the social sites, for example, came with a good set of rights requirements. But after I had the phone a while, they wanted to upgrade the app, and the new rights list would have boggled your mind. They would even be able to send emails and dial calls on "my behalf," for example; not to mention using my camera anytime they wanted.
The only thing you can do with one of those problem children is to disable it, because of the no uninstalls rule.
(Sony phone.)
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". Not everyone has the technical know-how to flash alternative OSes onto their device. That doesn't mean they haven't the right to expect that once they've paid over their money, the device is theirs and not the hardware manufacturer's, whether or not they root it.
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I pity those with higher end phones. My friend got a samsung with 16gb internal memory ... Of which 11gb is filled with unremovable bloatware.
Now, I felt OK with both installing a custom rom and rooting, and I imagine both void my warranty, but my friend will not risk it. So he has an extremely expensive piece of hardware that is outperformed by inferior hardware from other brands, all because the inferior hardware is not carrying the tons of extra processes samsung likes to install in everything. Heck, just uninstalling them nearly gave me a repetitive strain injury, poor CPU!
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If you piss people off to the point where they won't buy your brand, it doesn't matter how much revenue they make from preloaded bloat. Everyone should just boycott the perpetrators.
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If you piss people off to the point where they won't buy your brand, it doesn't matter how much revenue they make from preloaded bloat. Everyone should just boycott the perpetrators.
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READ CAREFULLY WHAT YOU HAVE AGREED TO AMOUNTS TO FULL USE IN ANY MANOR DECIDERED BY OTHERS OF FULL USE ,DIVERSION AND CHANGE TO YOUR INFORMATION AT SOURCE (yOUR EQUIPMENT).
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bloatin' down the river..
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Re: bloatin' down the river..
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That's what I've done with each and every Android device I've ever owned. It's like AdBlock for your apps!
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So you're right, but the term has changed over the years to include phone OSes.
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It's a damn shame that a vendor for supposedly FOSS software can't learn the lessons being taught by Windows over a decade ago, but there you go. Commerce beats common sense in corporations every time. From what I've read, the profit margins for these apps is often worth the risk of losing paying customers by using them.
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the new payola?
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What?
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Even annoying apps like Facebook that you can't remove is bloatware.
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I most vehemently concur.
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Re: I most vehemently concur.
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When I got my Droid Razr Maxx HD I had to root it to delete over 50 different applications.
The bloat on phones is getting out of control and it's to the point that people are just as pissed about bloat on their phones as they are about pre-installed bloatware on their new computers.
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Lest we forget the carriers ...
Just last night I was "turning off" bloat apps under dire warnings of functionality problems, which did not come to fruition. But I should not have to muck with it at all.
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Devil's Advocate
While I'm not arguing for the bloatware Samsung forces on you on their devices (I myself immediately flashed CyanogenMod the moment I got my S4), they do have a reason to do so - in case the relationship with Google sours.
Google has been steadily improving their own branded closed-source propriety apps while leaving the open-source AOSP apps mostly alone, and encouraging developers to use their Play Services Ecosystem - which is also propriety.
Those who actually fork AOSP are ones who rely on power users that are willing to root and flash the fork, or Amazon, who is big enough to support their own ecosystem. The rest of the smartphone manufacturers have to play by Google's rules (except for China).
Still, CarrierIQ was an awful mess.
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Also it's a security risk
The best solution to this is a 3rd party build such as cyanogenmod. Installing it is the first thing I do to any purchased cellphone.
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apologies
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Not just Samsung, not just phones
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Re: Not just Samsung, not just phones
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This issue is why I started rooting
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Re: This issue is why I started rooting
Just thought I'd put that out there if people wonder why I start laughing sometimes
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best alternatives
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Re: best alternatives
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Bloatware Reason to Not Buy
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not analogous to PC bloatware
I have a Galaxy S4. I installed Nova Launcher and never launched any of the default Samsung apps, and didn't even realize until yesterday when this ridiculous story became "news" that those were still on my phone (over a year later).
It's like whining over Chrome including a PDF viewer when I already use Foxit to view PDFs.
And while I rarely agree with users who say, "What is this doing on TechDirt?", I have to ask, "What is this doing on TechDirt?"
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Re: not analogous to PC bloatware
You might not find bloatware to be an issue worth objecting to. That's fair. But it is an issue that many people find hugely annoying. That's just as valid.
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Re: not analogous to PC bloatware
- uses up available memory space
- is a potential vector for malicious attack
- is registered as the default for a function, despite the fact that you may prefer the core Android option, or an aftermarket download
- become part of your update queue, causing you to be prompted and spend time thinking "what is this", "do I want to update this", when really you just want it deleted
- updates cause you data traffic
and many bloatware apps also:
- communicate, causing data traffic
- uses processor time, slowing your usage
- are hard coded to hardware buttons, or long-press of buttons, in a way that WON'T allow you to program the buttons to the functions YOU want.
- ARE ONE OF THE REASONS OUR NON-NEXUS PHONES DON'T GET ANDROID UPDATES IMMEDIATELY, because Samsung (or other) need to re-build, re-test, re-integrate, and re-deploy their bloatware layer onto the udpated Android codebase.
Tell me, Michael, does Novi launcher protect you from ANY of the above?
Painting over a cancer does not cure the cancer.
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Re: not analogous to PC bloatware
I for one do hate that. I also dislike the inclusion of audio and video players into browsers.
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How is this different than what cell providers preinstall?
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Re: How is this different than what cell providers preinstall?
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This is one reason I don't own a Samsung phone
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Th at's the direction I'm going, even if it does lack an microSD card slot (that's a major downside). Cyanogenmod preinstalled!
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Re: Re: This is one reason I don't own a Samsung phone
One thing I haven't seen in this discussion is comments on HTC Sense. I'm not wild about bloatware either, but Sense really slimmed down in the v4 and v5 iterations, and v6 is supposed to be good too. I must confess, it's one of the reasons why I choose HTCs, and I don't mind a few 'bloatware' apps, especially as I often see suff on Play and go "but it's on my phone already... oh wait, it's Sense".
Therev are some apps like All-In-One Toolbox that have had some functionality for removing 'built-in' apps - although I think that's been moved now to a root-only function - I'd need to check my apk backups.
(As an aside, All-In-One Toolbox is really good for backing up even so-called 'protected' apks, as is Simple App Backup)
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You can disable preinstalled apps
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Re: You can disable preinstalled apps
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Actually a lot of people still don't realise how much gAPPS now take up, especially G+ and maps. For older phones the new updates can go over their internal storage size. Which is why I try to get people to at minimum root the phone, downgrade (uninstall updates) of the gAPP they want and then MOVE it to SD card and update it again if they want to use the thing. Then uninstall all the useless stuff they would never use (Hangouts comes to mind) especially if they have an older phone.
Personally I don't see the benefit in the S5 over the S4 (basically same phone) and lately if people ask I am advising them to either stay with what they have (kitkat isn't all that great unless you go to new quadcore phone) or purchase a HTC One over the S5. Better phone IMHO.
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Just a clarification
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Re: Just a clarification
They work together to develop and test the final ROM that ships. Each installs their own bloat. There are some negotiations, some give and take, some strategic forces. Google is not usually consulted, but their Android terms do apply. You, the consumer, are never consulted.
Because of this, it is very hard for updates to roll out to our phones, because it requires another round of these negotiations, and technical updates of all the customizations. So our phones get updates late, we miss some Android updates, and eventually get completely orphaned.
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I really do wonder why everyone doesn't immediately replace the stock ROM with a nice, real Android one. It lets you bypass all of that badness -- no bloatware, no stupid carrier restriction (pay extra to tether? Ha!), and no delays getting OS updates.
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Cuz the OEMs lock the bootloader to prevent you, they void your warranty for doing it, you have no one to ask for support or complain to when it doesn't work, certain hardware functions and buttons may cease to work (ex: camera features), and certain ROM functions will not work on your hardware.
And hacks to swap ROMs exist for only certain phones, and usually not until some time after the phone is launched.
Aside from that, only that it takes hours for a competent geek to figure it all out and to ROM-swap. This is a first-time delay and learning curve, the second would be fast...but most of us only do the one.
Other than that, it's pretty straightforward.
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I wish more computer/OS makers in general would design everything in a modular fashion where you can just remove everything you don't need. Part of the reason I stopped using GNOME and switched to KDE is that it wouldn't let me uninstall the few default apps without uninstalling GNOME too (I think I was trying to uninstall gedit, the Notepad-like program because I use jEdit, but no...); KDE unfortunately does that a little bit too by sometimes grouping big handfuls of coreish things together as in Kontact but at the very least I can uninstall the whole group if I don't need any of them.
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Buy phones with application control
In the S5's application manager, there's a page for Turned Off apps. There's a button on every ROM-based app's detail screen labeled Turn Off, since it can't be uninstalled from ROM.
None of the pre-installed apps were set to the default except the text messaging app, because there is a separate setting to choose which messaging app is default to prevent multiple apps from sounding and vibrating and blinking notifications. When I installed my preferred apps, I was offered the Always/Just Once choice to use my app or the previously existing app.
When I look at App Manager's Running page, I can identify everything listed as apps I installed or apps and services that are necessary. The S5 (maybe KitKat) running page has an option to also show cached processes. On that screen, I see several larger apps I use that precache to reduce initial loading time.
Combining apps I've started and precache, there is nothing on the list that I would want to kill. At the moment, cached processes represent 126mb of the 16gb storage, they're outside the 2gb RAM. With 3.5 gig of apps installed, I have 6 gig available.
I've rooted every Android I've had except the last two, a Razr Maxx and an S5. I ran Nova Prime on the Razr. We're now at the point that we have control over what runs, and we don't need Task Killers.
Granted, you shouldn't have to crawl into the innards of your phone settings as an average user to opt out of installed software that may or may not subsidize the cost of your phone. But if you're a user that would normally root, it's well within your realm to look at what kind of control you get from the OS and the stock ROM before dismissing a device you otherwise desire yet it has bloatware, a locked bootloader, and it disables NFC mobile payments if you root.
The tools are in the box now to buy and manage a stock phone.
People who want to root will always root, maybe even /facepalm at people who don't. I thought I always would, but I grew tired of the QA issues that come from five guys in a basement taking over every aspect of the device. I hated Sense and Motoblur, and Go and Nova surgically solved that without instability. Yes, I ran a few ROMs that were daily drivers, but still, oh lawd there goes my pants.
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It's slow to load, features several in-app shops and tries to be your on-stop-messenger-shop.
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Bloatware
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Seriously
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I have over 50 fucking apps that are complete garbage !!!!
It's actually annoying how stupid people are.
I in fact despise HTC and everything they do now and hope whomever made these stupid fucking apps and programs chokes to death , ps you are the worst programmers ever you should quit before you rune anything else with your stupid ideas.
Fuck you !!!!!!
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And leave my photos alone
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aOps already installed
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I was raped by a chimp, still wasn't as bad as bloatware
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Blurb checkout
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Samsung's hardware is like a decent dog which unfortunately craps everywhere.
Got an excellent printer (M2020) and after setup a so called
Easy Capture Manager. Supposed to be an extension of the
PrtScr key. You can't get rid of it because it does not
show up somewhere. It is clumped with the driver as well as
awkward to disable.
How f brash is that?
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The intrusion also includes passive devises installed in foreign machines for ,location, feedback,downloading.
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pfsh
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Bloatware
Scottyrab
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Re: Bloatware
I understand there was a class action against Apple for basically the same thing: Selling a 16GB iPhone that actually had about 6GB of useful space. You should look into the progress of that case, and see if there's any precedent for you.
OTOH, Apple can be held liable because they make the hardware that says 16GB, and the software and OS. And it's obvious they benefit from people filling up there phones, as they are more likely to upgrade to a new phone...and then buy the larger memory - for which Apple charges a dear price. In the case of Google, two companies usually do that, say Samsung and Google. It's harder to hold one liable for the actions of the other.
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Stop Buying Their Bloated Crap!
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Fuck u!
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