Typically, efficiency and speed are associated with computers in general, especially tablets, and smartphones, but regrettably, that’s not always the reality. You’ve probably personally discovered that your device sometimes gets strangely slow or that suspicious apps are operating in the background.
Typically, one of the causes of such problems is bloatware, a frequent but annoying problem for tech users. Bloatware tends to use up lots of useful resources. It impairs performance while running in the background of your smartphone, uses up memory and storage, and reduces battery life.
In essence, bloatware takes up space in your phone and uses up precious system resources, without delivering any value to you. As such, it slows down your device.
What is Bloatware in a phone?
Bloatware is essentially unwanted, obsolete software that makes your device slower (also known as potentially unwanted programs, or PUPs). It can also refer to installed but unused apps that consume a lot of storage space, memory, and power. These obsolete pieces of software are sometimes quite large, which makes them more of a liability than utility.
How to identify bloatware
Bloatware can be introduced into your supposedly secure device via one of two methods. On the one hand, it might be pre-installed on your tablet, PC, or smartphone by the manufacturer. It could also appear through applications that you have downloaded from the internet.
Pre-installed Bloatware
Devices are frequently sold by manufacturers with preinstalled software. By promoting extra products to you, like file managers, security suites, music apps, or other third-party software you might find interesting, their goal is to increase revenue.
Although pre-installed bloatware mostly just displays unpleasant adverts and is often harmless, you might not feel compelled to delete it straight immediately. However, the possibility of software like this being vulnerable to outside attacks exists as well.
Bloatware from Internet Downloads
Since part of it is designed to harm a device or its user, this kind of bloatware is regarded as being more harmful than the pre-installed software. Although the security risk is greater, note that not every downloaded bloatware is necessarily harmful.
Bloatware of this kind may merely cause your computer to run slowly or to display advertisements all the time. On another level, it might also open the door for more dangerous actions like espionage, man-in-the-middle assaults, or remotely controlling your mobile device.
This bloatware frequently originates from harmful websites, dubious links, or advertising. It might also be packaged with applications that you specifically requested to download.
How to Remove Bloatware in Mobile Phones
As we described above, bloatware manifests in different forms on mobile devices. Now, if at this point, you’ve discovered that your mobile device contains bloatware, it’s not the end of the world. Finding the cause of the symptoms is simple once you’ve identified the usual symptoms. You can also locate and manually remove it from your device.
How to Remove Bloatware in Android Phones
To remove bloatware in your Android device:
- Go to Settings on your smartphone first. Either the App drawer or the Home Screen will help you get there.
- Find the Apps submenu by scrolling, then tap on it.
- Click on the app you wish to remove after finding it. Note that some applications, particularly those pre-installed by the manufacturer, cannot be removed.
- Slide the Switch to uninstall or disable the app after you get into the settings of the specific application you’ve identified as bloatware
Manufacturers will typically want some of those pre-installed programs to remain on your device, so this procedure we’ve described may not totally remove bloatware from your device. However, it should suffice to make the programs vanish from your device’s Main menu and stop them from running in the background even though they may still take up space on your phone.
How to Remove Bloatware in iPhones
To remove bloatware in iPhone or iPad:
- In Settings, select General.
- After that, check iPhone Storage.
- Click on the appropriate application.
- Select Offload App if you want to maintain the app’s user settings while removing it. If not, select Delete App to remove it entirely. Keep in mind that removing will always free up more space than offloading.
Even though iOS does not typically have as much bloat as Android devices, it is still a good idea to look for unneeded apps that are using up your phone’s precious resources from time to time.
In summary, besides identifying and getting rid of bloatware, it’s also good practice to take preventive measures. For instance, always make sure to download programs onto your device from official and trusted sites such as the Google Play store for Androids and the App store for iPhones.
Also, when you download something and begin the installation procedure, carefully read the material before clicking Agree. Additionally, make sure you are just installing what you require by reading the content in the checkboxes before ticking them.
We hope that you’ve found this article helpful, so make sure to apply all the instructions carefully to properly optimize your mobile device. Also, don’t forget to recommend it to your friends and loved ones so they can also benefit from it.
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