Gin-chan07
Eternal Poster
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2016
- Posts
- 720
- Reaction
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Google’s Play Store has frequently
received criticism for its less-than-robust
approach to filtering unsafe content, and if you’re
not careful, you could find yourself being
tracked, häçked, or conned.
With that in mind, we take a look at seemingly-innocent popular apps you shouldn’t
install under any circumstances:
1. ES File Explorer
What it is: Amazingly, it’s probably the most
popular file explorer app out there. That’s
because it used to be really good.
Why it’s bad: The free version has been pumped
full of bloatware and ad-ware, and it endlessly
nags you to download additional apps via non-
disable-able notification bar pop-ups.
What you should use instead: There are loads
to choose from. If you want an open-source
offering turn to OI File Manager ; if you’re more
concerned with design try out FX File
Explorer ; or if customization is your thing, you
can look to Total Commander.
2. UC Browser
What it is: The most popular Android web
browser in China and India. It claims to have a
“fast mode” that’ll save you MBs of data usage
thanks to compression.
Why it’s bad: Tracking. Users’ search queries
are sent without encryption to Yahoo India and
Google, a user’s IMSI number, IMEI number,
Android ID, and Wi-Fi MAC address are sent
without encryption to Umeng (an Alibaba
analytics tool), and users’ geolocation data
(including longitude/latitude and street name) is
transmitted without encryption to AMAP (an
Alibaba mapping tool).
What you should use instead: Where to start? Chrome and Firefox are the obvious choices , but
some people have worries about privacy
concerns there too. A solid all-around privacy
protector is Lightning.
3.CLEAN it
What it is: A “junk file cleaner” that’s been
installed 10 million times and has 85 percent
four- or five-star reviews.
Why it’s bad: Most of what it advertises is
detrimental to your phone. For example, clearing
the cache will ultimately slow your phone down
when it needs to be rebuilt, clearing your RAM
only leads to more battery usage, and killing
running apps does not save your battery as
claimed.
What you should use instead: Greenify is a
much better option for reducing apps’ battery
drain , and SD Maid is a more useful filter for ad files and logs, etc.
4. Dolphin Web Browser
What it is: An ad-free, Flash-supporting, HTML 5
video-enabled browser. It’s got 150 million
downloads and counting.
Why it’s bad: Like UC Browser, this is a tracking nightmare. Worst of all, it saves your incognito
mode website visits in a file on your phone –
go and check. Don’t believe the hype; delete it
now.
What you should use instead: As mentioned
earlier, Chrome, Firefox, and Lightning are your
three best options.
5. Clean Master
What it is: Another insanely popular “speed
booster, battery saver, and phone optimizer”. It
has 600 million users and 26 million five-star
reviews.
Why it’s bad: Firstly, it’s made by Cheetah
Mobile. We referred to them earlier – the
company is renowned for packing ads,
bloatware, and nag screens into their apps.
Secondly, it doesn’t do anything useful; RAM-
saving apps were valuable once upon a time,
but the Android system has developed so much
that they are merely a hindrance . Android now
has its own native handler for assigning RAM
and ensuring it’s all being used in the most
optimal way – in many cases, it even
deliberately keeps RAM loaded to help
performance.
What you should use instead: Honestly,
nothing. If you really insist, SD Maid is your friend.
received criticism for its less-than-robust
approach to filtering unsafe content, and if you’re
not careful, you could find yourself being
tracked, häçked, or conned.
With that in mind, we take a look at seemingly-innocent popular apps you shouldn’t
install under any circumstances:
1. ES File Explorer
What it is: Amazingly, it’s probably the most
popular file explorer app out there. That’s
because it used to be really good.
Why it’s bad: The free version has been pumped
full of bloatware and ad-ware, and it endlessly
nags you to download additional apps via non-
disable-able notification bar pop-ups.
What you should use instead: There are loads
to choose from. If you want an open-source
offering turn to OI File Manager ; if you’re more
concerned with design try out FX File
Explorer ; or if customization is your thing, you
can look to Total Commander.
2. UC Browser
What it is: The most popular Android web
browser in China and India. It claims to have a
“fast mode” that’ll save you MBs of data usage
thanks to compression.
Why it’s bad: Tracking. Users’ search queries
are sent without encryption to Yahoo India and
Google, a user’s IMSI number, IMEI number,
Android ID, and Wi-Fi MAC address are sent
without encryption to Umeng (an Alibaba
analytics tool), and users’ geolocation data
(including longitude/latitude and street name) is
transmitted without encryption to AMAP (an
Alibaba mapping tool).
What you should use instead: Where to start? Chrome and Firefox are the obvious choices , but
some people have worries about privacy
concerns there too. A solid all-around privacy
protector is Lightning.
3.CLEAN it
What it is: A “junk file cleaner” that’s been
installed 10 million times and has 85 percent
four- or five-star reviews.
Why it’s bad: Most of what it advertises is
detrimental to your phone. For example, clearing
the cache will ultimately slow your phone down
when it needs to be rebuilt, clearing your RAM
only leads to more battery usage, and killing
running apps does not save your battery as
claimed.
What you should use instead: Greenify is a
much better option for reducing apps’ battery
drain , and SD Maid is a more useful filter for ad files and logs, etc.
4. Dolphin Web Browser
What it is: An ad-free, Flash-supporting, HTML 5
video-enabled browser. It’s got 150 million
downloads and counting.
Why it’s bad: Like UC Browser, this is a tracking nightmare. Worst of all, it saves your incognito
mode website visits in a file on your phone –
go and check. Don’t believe the hype; delete it
now.
What you should use instead: As mentioned
earlier, Chrome, Firefox, and Lightning are your
three best options.
5. Clean Master
What it is: Another insanely popular “speed
booster, battery saver, and phone optimizer”. It
has 600 million users and 26 million five-star
reviews.
Why it’s bad: Firstly, it’s made by Cheetah
Mobile. We referred to them earlier – the
company is renowned for packing ads,
bloatware, and nag screens into their apps.
Secondly, it doesn’t do anything useful; RAM-
saving apps were valuable once upon a time,
but the Android system has developed so much
that they are merely a hindrance . Android now
has its own native handler for assigning RAM
and ensuring it’s all being used in the most
optimal way – in many cases, it even
deliberately keeps RAM loaded to help
performance.
What you should use instead: Honestly,
nothing. If you really insist, SD Maid is your friend.
..