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Verizon garbage-ware overload

Recently I changed over 3 phones from Sprint to Verizon. With the change came new devices (two Droid 4 devices and one Droid Razr Max). I was overwhelmed by the amount of garbage-ware installed on the device. Also this garbage-ware is mostly comprised of trial, sign over your kid to use software, or software which must be paid for and all of which cannot be uninstalled without voiding your warranty (rooting/romming). The Droid 4 devices both came loaded with 62 (that's right 62) total apps installed. This number only includes what was loaded in the “App drawer”. Their is no telling the amount of skeletons hiding, tracking, consuming behind the scenes. As an added bonus, when I plug my Droid 4 into my PC I get a Motorola spamvertisement on my desktop.

Although this makes me one of the dumb ones for having just accepted this also, I cannot for the life of me understand how we are at this level of blatant disregard for the customer despite the customer paying through the nose for these devices. It is no wonder why it takes so long to do updates to Android. Once the manufacturers do release the correct drivers for the hardware it must take tons of QA testing to make sure the garbage-ware is up to snuff before you can release. Then we have to wait on the garbage-ware providers to update their software and that to go through QA also. It's just madness. While I would love to see a garbage-ware free device, at the very least let me uninstall the garbage that takes up vast amounts of space and battery life from MY device that I paid for.

Sooner or later, hopefully a manufacturer will break this mold and change the industry or sadly the government should step in and put a stop to this. Reminds me of the old Windows days where you were required to run certain software for Windows to operate. The problem was, it was designed to be that way from the start. It was never that Windows required the software, it was that Microsoft used Windows to integrate the software so deeply that it purposefully could not be uninstalled. Ask the DOJ how that worked out for Microsoft.

In closing I seen an article the other day that was explaining that the end users wanted the garbage-ware installed and that the garbage-ware was used as a plus when the consumer made their purchasing decision. I.E. this phone is better than that one, just look at all the software that comes with this one. If that was true, (their are some ignorant people out there after all) the problem with that argument is that again, I can’t remove it. If the software was such a wanted commodity then why does it need to be forced on me. How about an opt-in style software install or at a minimum let me uninstall it.

Sincerely,

Disappointed Moto/Verizon user...

Comments

Dave-in-Decatur

You haz stepped into it now, friend. Last month a similar complaint was raised (https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/768303), and the resulting debate stopped just millimeters short of an all-out flame war.

FWIW, I'm with you: go ahead, put the stuff on the phone, but let me delete it. However much Verizon gets paid to put the stuff on, it can't be THAT much more valuable to make it undeletable.

Others, however, say "Meh. Doesn't bother me, and I think it keeps the cost of the phones lower."

Ann154

This debate has been ongoing since at least mid 2010. It hasn't changed in that time. So my response is "sigh". I am done for the night.

demmo86rt

Don't think of it so much as 62 garbage apps, more like 62 pieces of flare.

budone

62 apps???? I dont have 62 on my device after having it for a year.

AZSALUKI

i just ignore them. they don't run, i don't open them...and you can hide the icons. sure, it would be nice to get rid of them and if it's THAT important than there are ways to do it that we can't discuss on verizon's forum (however....i only have exactly what i want on my phone). another alternative is to return your devices (if you are in you 14 day return window) and get a Nexus. it will still have a few bloatware apps......but it is the "slimmest" UI out there. no skin over the OS and very few preinstalled apps. and it's not just apps that verizon installs. motorolla (and every other manufacturer) lays their own skin on top of the OS. they design and build a totally different UI that they install on the phone. their own widgets, themes, etc, etc. you can't get rid of that either. you'll notice that while your motorolas look the same as each other......they look nothing like an htc or a samsung....yet they are all androids.

jroal

I certainly hear you. I hope Verizon does as well. As Dave-in-Decatur said, this is a long on-going issue. Verizon finally just blocked the last thread when it hit 186 replies.

We need to keep the pressure on the carriers, device makers, Google, and app makers to give us a viable option of uninstalling apps we don't use without affecting the device pricing and revenue streams. I fully believe it can be done and this is a very solvable problem. Read through the other threads and you will see the details there. No sense rehashing it all again on this thread.

jroal

Oh, one other thing. You can get rid of the Verizon pop-up by right clicking the tray icon when you connect your device. A menu will pop up asking what to do when you connect. Select "nothing" instead of the Verizon page.

budone

In the old thread, there is a comment to the affect, 'There is no inherent positive to either the manufacturers, VZW, or the customers' to have the apps on the phone.

Well there HAS to be an inherent positive reason to VZW or Manufacturers or they would not be there. End of story on that. UPDATE: Would like to add, it was also stated all the apps do is upset customers. Well, it upsets a FEW in here. But in general the masses (read as the majority of customers) do not give a flying fig about the added apps.

My opinion is, it must be nice to have so much going great in your life that you can spend so much energy and stress, fretting, getting upset, ranting, whining, moaning, crying, about apps loaded to a device, which can be easily hid and out of mind.

Me? I have a job, family, mortgage, and in general, LIFE which I find MUCH MORE IMPORTANT to spend my energy on than apps from VZW on my phone. Those apps do not use memory you can access and do not use ANY resources if not used.

Let the argument continue................

Message was edited by: budone

jroal

...yet you have the time to engage in the same discussion you are pointing your finger at us for.

Assume nothing. There does not have to be a benefit. You may be surprised how many things can be fixed but too many assume that is how it always has been so that is they way it always will be. That sort of thinking will get us nowhere. The USA was started by people who did not submit to the way things are.

budone

jroal wrote:
...yet you have the time to engage in the same discussion you are pointing your finger at us for.
Assume nothing. There does not have to be a benefit. You may be surprised how many things can be fixed but too many assume that is how it always has been so that is they way it always will be. That sort of thinking will get us nowhere. The USA was started by people who did not submit to the way things are.

I will jump in at times, but then I go on with my day and enjoy life and help others with REAL phone issues

Now what were those who started the ol' USofA fighting???? You can not tie what they did to apps you AGREE TO ACCEPT when you sign a contract with any cell company.

mortb

Beating an old horse. This has been a problem for a long time. I agree that we, the consumer, should have the option to delete those preloaded apps we do not want or need. True, a lot of them are trialware/buyitware. Does it keep the cost of the phone down? I truly don't know. Even so, just like a computer's preloaded apps, we should be allowed to delete, delete, delete.

PhatLakersFan

i pay for my phone and after two years it is mine. why can't i delete the bloatware? i hate verizon for this :-(

Squeekers

Even if there is no way to delete the actual apps we don't want, it would be really nice to be able to delete the icon. My Droid Charge has 4 pages of icons for apps I don't, nor have I ever, used.

mortb

There are apps in the market that you can download which will allow you to hide the icons. One is "Launcher", I've used it and like it. There are a few others. You can't delete these apps, but you sure can hide the icons.

Wildman

mortb wrote:
Beating an old horse. This has been a problem for a long time..

I agree, been beat to death...

Dave-in-Decatur

Absolutely right. On my Samsung Stratosphere, using the stock apps management tools, I've created app folders and stuck unwanted icons in them.

cmhyson

>Post deleted as cross posting and multiple posts are not permitted. Discussion is at the following link.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

cmhyson

but deleting the app isso much better as it frees up space and makes the phone much faster

budone

Another useless petition. It will not change. NEVER.

Ya dont like it, dont buy the stinkin phone.

budone

cmhyson wrote:
but deleting the app isso much better as it frees up space and makes the phone much faster

Considering the apps do nothing unless you use them, there is no difference in performance. No difference in CPU usage, memory load. They just sit there.

cmhyson

Says the Verizon employee

cmhyson

And take up space. So yes they do do something

budone

So said from someone who is NOT, REPEAT NOT a VZW employee. Are you posting the complaint on ATTs, TM, USCC, Alltel's forums also? This horse has been beat to death, buried, dug up,and kicked some more.

As for space, the preinstalled apps are in an area you can not access for your apps. So you have not lost any space to place your apps.

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