10 Android Apps You Should Avoid At All Costs

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Never install them. And if you have them, delete them.

1. Flashlight and other flashlight programs

There are hundreds of similar flashlight apps on Google Play. And these are simply fantastic programs in their uselessness: now there is a button for turning on the flash in the shutter of any Android firmware.

At best, programs like Flashlight are pointless. At worst, they can spy on you and leak your personal data, since such utilities were churned out by hackers in batches.

Alternative. Swipe your finger across the screen from top to bottom, find the "Flashlight" button in the curtain that opens and press it.

2. CamScanner and other scanner programs

This application is used to take snapshots of documents and convert them to PDF. Unfortunately, it does not deserve trust: its creators were caught by introducing a dropper Trojan into the program code, which could fill a smartphone with advertisements and even issue paid subscriptions without the knowledge of users.

Alternative. Forget about CamScanner and its many from obscure developers. Use and. The chances that Microsoft and Adobe products will be hacked are many times less.

3. Phone Booster and similar memory cleaners

Programs running in the background take up RAM, forcing the smartphone to slow down, and consume a lot of battery power. Apps like RAM Booster are designed to fix this by systematically shutting down background processes.

Sounds great in theory, right? This may have been the case on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but a lot has flowed under the bridge since then.

On modern smartphones, Android is able to independently manage RAM and knows better when it is better to keep the program in RAM and when to unload it.

So all these RAM Booster, Battery Saver DU and Task Killer are useless and even harmful. They close some process, the system does not find it in the RAM, and as a result, it has to load it again. This only increases the load on the processor, memory and battery of the smartphone - the effect is exactly the opposite of what is expected.

Alternative. Let the system decide which processes it needs and which it doesn't. If Android lags, uninstall a few programs from it that you don't use, instead of downloading new ones.

4. "Music Player" and other unnamed applications

It seems to you that the built-in player on your smartphone is not very good, and you run a Google Play search on the keywords "music player" or "music player". And you see a bunch of programs with the same icons called "Music Player".

Not only do some developers call their program Music Player, they also subscribe the same way. There is only one reason: there are more chances that when you search, you will get this particular application.

But there is a regularity: if an application does not have its own name, it is highly likely that it is no different from dozens of clones and is made very badly. And this applies to all programs in general, not just music players.

Alternative. The most convenient way to listen to music is through numerous streaming services. But if you prefer to store it in the memory of your smartphone the old fashioned way, pay attention to paid or free. They are better made and have a good reputation, and their names are on everyone's lips.

5. Easy Uninstaller and other uninstallers

Dozens of uninstaller programs can be found on Google Play for “uninstaller”. They are supposedly capable of deleting any unnecessary programs so that there is no garbage left after them. Some also guarantee that they can erase unused apps from the smartphone manufacturer that only take up memory.

Everything is fine, only there are a couple of inconvenient moments. First, Android is able to uninstall user programs by itself. And secondly, no uninstaller will remove any preinstalled programs without root rights.

Alternative. If you need to delete a custom program, go to the smartphone settings and find the "Applications" item there. Select the one you want and click Remove. If you want to get rid of the built-in programs without root-rights, use our instructions.

6. UC Browser and other questionable browsers

UC Browser is the most popular Android web browser in China and India. Unfortunately, like many Chinese apps, it spies on you by leaking your personal information to Alibaba. Among them are the IMSI number, IMEI, Android ID and Wi-Fi MAC address, as well as data on the geolocation of users - longitude, latitude and street name.

Another once well-deserved browser, Dolphin, lost credibility when it was caught leaking a user's browsing history, even in incognito mode.

In general, at the request of "browser" Google Play gives out just tons of equally clumsy web browsers, against the background of which UC Browser and Dolphin look pretty decent. But don't be fooled: this is an ad-crowded useless thing.

Alternative. and - two of the best Android browsers that are much better than any Chinese craft. And if privacy is important to you, choose.

7. ES File Explorer and its many clones

EZ File Explorer - File Manager Android, Clean DYGO Studio

ES File Explorer was once the most popular file management application. And he was really good - about five years ago. But the current version of ES File Explorer is so packed with junk software and ads that there is no desire to use it.

In addition, the creators of the program were convicted of distributing malicious code through ES File Explorer that clicked on advertising links without the knowledge of the smartphone owner. The program has even been removed from Google Play, although it continues to be updated and can still be found at.

After the removal of ES File Explorer, a lot of its clones appeared on Google Play, imitating both the interface, and the name, and the icon. Naturally, these are also extremely dubious programs.

Alternative. If you want simplicity and minimalism, pay attention to. And for fans of advanced functions, we can recommend, and.

8. QuickPic and its copies

Quickpic Gallery: Photos and Videos Quickpic Developer Team

The same story as with ES File Explorer. QuickPic used to be a convenient and simple photo gallery, but then it was bought by the infamous Chinese company Cheetah Mobile. The application was overgrown with ads and began to drain user data, as a result of which it was removed from Google Play.

Now in the store you can find QuickPic, imitating the original to the smallest detail. Naturally, it is better not to install this on your smartphone.

Alternative. If you are not satisfied with the standard Android Gallery, install. It has a photo editor, file manager, themes and many ways to filter, group and sort photos.

9. GetContact and other "caller IDs"

Getcontact Getverify LDA

Programs like Getcontact and Truecaller let you know how unknown numbers are signed in other users' address books. In theory, this should protect you from spammers and phone bullies.

In practice, such applications are a huge hole for personal data. You are invited to voluntarily give access to your confidential information, with which the developers will act as they please. For example, they might sell numbers from your address book to advertising agencies.

If your number is on the GetContact lists, here's how to remove it.

Alternative. Any application that shares your address book with a third party is potentially dangerous. So, forget about such "qualifiers".

10. Antivirus

antivirus, security - Super Antivirus SUPER ANTIVIRUS

Antivirus on Android is a dime a dozen. But according to a study by AV-Comparatives, few of them do anything useful. Most antiviruses from Google Play in AV-Comparatives' experiments found less than 30% of all malware installed on test smartphones.

Roughly 138 antiviruses out of 250 tested, according to AV-Comparatives, were not aimed at protecting smartphones, but at serving ads and building a user base. Only the most famous products like AVG, ESET, Kaspersky, McAfee and Sophos have performed well.

But even they are mostly redundant. If you do not install programs from third-party sources and do not open links on dubious sites with messages like “Your Android is out of date! Click to update”, it is quite possible to do without an antivirus, because it only consumes system resources.

Alternative. Leave the "Allow installation of applications from unknown sources" checkbox unchecked and you will be fine. The built-in "Google Play Protection" will cope with everything else.