Android brand-up is coming soon: how to get rid of it

Smartphones are powerful tools. able to keep in touch with the world, manage home gadgets which to manage which to manage and much more. Unfortunately, your phone has few features without carrier support.

Major phone carriers like Verizon and AT&T are constantly hated by users, and it’s not hard to see why. Carriers make smartphones much worse adding viruses, throttling your data, and all sorts of other nonsense.

Verizon recently announced their plans to introduce a new form of annoyance on their Android phones. Let’s take a look at this «proprietary software» and what it means for Android users.

What is branded equipment?

If you know about Android phones (or Windows computers), you must have heard about the virus. A colloquial name for any unwanted software, Android viruses usually refer to pre-installed apps that the user doesn’t want but can’t uninstall. This is common with manufacturers like Samsung and HTC, but also with carriers like Sprint or AT&T. Clean Google Nexus Phones by Google (as well as the new Pixel) generally do not suffer from virus problems.

Bloatware apps are generally either useless, such as the stock Samsung apps that duplicate Android’s built-in features. or annoying, such as apps full of ads or other low quality junk.

Brandware, on the other hand, refers to an application specifically designed to promote a company. Using proprietary software, Verizon plans to load apps from companies such as Burger King, Coca-Cola and Taco Bell onto its new phone. Of course, companies will pay Verizon a fee to include their apps in phones, allowing the carrier even more money.

While similar fast food apps are quite useful it’s annoying to have them installed for you on a new device.

Installing Bloatware

The reason viruses are such a pain is because manufacturers install them on the device’s system partition. This space is reserved for system apps like Google Keyboard. keyboard App and Phone, so the user won’t be able to uninstall them until you root your device If you have malware on your system partition, the best you can hope for is to disable it.

Burger King Android

Google has responded to this trend by creating a new section for vendors of new versions of Android. This allows vendors to pre-install branded apps or download them from Google Play when the device is set up in a separate section. However, this new space allows the user to remove apps they don’t want. While we wish that viruses didn’t exist at all, this is the best solution because it at least gives the user some control.

For proprietary software, this can also mean a waste of time for brands. If the McDonald’s app is installed on your new phone and you don’t want it, you will delete it. This means that McDonald’s wasted the money it paid Verizon to put this app on your phone. However, it also increases the number of app downloads on Google Play. making it more popular than it is.

Removal of branded and malware

If branded dishes hit, it will not be difficult to remove them. You can uninstall it like any other Android app.

The process may be slightly different depending on your version. Open the application » Settings» and scroll down to » Applications» . Find the app you want to uninstall; You may need to scroll left or right to find the column All, if it was previously installed. Click on the app’s name when you find it.

uninstall android app

On the screen that appears, you can click » Delete», to remove it. If you don’t see this option, or if it’s greyed out, the app is most likely in the system partition. you can click disable, not to launch the application. This won’t delete it, so it will still take up space on your device, but it won’t waste resources in the background either.

If you want to use a more advanced method, our guide to removing viruses without We also discussed ways to remove malware if you don’t mind rooting your phone.

Avoid carrier phones

In the future, a great way to avoid this ridiculousness is to stop buying a phone from a carrier. When you buy an HTC phone from Verizon, you have to deal not only with HTC software, but also with Verizon. Luckily, buying an unlocked phone doesn’t just save you money. but also headaches.

One great way to do this is to join an MVNO which for example, Republic Wireless These operators charge lower prices than large companies and use the same networks to provide services. Apart from software specific to their services, they rarely load junk phones like big carriers. If you want to use a Nexus or Pixel phone, we are big fans of Google Project A: This is a great way to get a bloat-free phone for a great price.

Even if you still want to use Verizon’s services, you don’t need to purchase your phone through them. As long as the device is compatible with its network, you can buy an unlocked phone directly from HTC, Samsung, or even Amazon. Then take it to Verizon and ask them to activate it. This avoids the use of branded and malware while still providing services to your phone.

Why doesn’t this happen on the iPhone?

Too bad Verizon is abusing one of Android’s greatest strengths: its openness. Apple’s iOS is locked down, so carriers can’t set it up the way they do with Android. Whether you buy an iPhone from Verizon or Apple, the same apps will be installed on it. You might be interested in Android if you don’t want to stay in Apple’s walled garden, but that’s where carriers come in.

Verizon or AT&T can take advantage of Android’s simple setup just as easily as you set up your setup. It’s not a problem to add a few apps here and there to their stock image so everyone can deal with bloated software. Android experts can always install a custom ROM and get rid of it, but the common man doesn’t want or shouldn’t do it