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If you’re scrolling through your iPad unable to find the app you need because you have too many to count, it may be time for a quick cleaning. Deleting apps from time to time helps you clear out storage and, depending on the app you delete, can make you less vulnerable to malware attacks and privacy breaches. Tech Expert Rachel Mars at Technographx spoke to SHEFinds.com about the six apps that Apple employees say that you don’t really need on your iPad in 2020.
Deleting the Facebook app can help with storage and battery draining issues, but that’s not the only benefit of quitting it cold turkey. Getting rid of this app can also keep your data and privacy safe from hackers.
“Being the largest platform , there's also chances of data getting hacked,” Mars says. “This app almost knows everything about us. There are many loopholes where our data can be extracted and maybe used for some non commercial purposes.”
FACEBOOK MESSENGER
Similar to Facebook, the Facebook Messenger app has raised major privacy concerns. “It is a platform for communication through text/ voice messages so it's end-to-end encrypted,” Mars says. “But the U.S Department of Justice appealed to the court to remove the E2EE to keep an eye on criminal activities. So, if this happens your messages won't be secure anymore.”
WHATSAPP MESSENGER
Unfortunately, if you’re searching for a messenger app to replace Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp is not the most secure option. “It is the biggest social messaging application,” Mars says. “The hacking started in May ’19 injecting malware through call on targeted phones. This app is also the target for spreading fake and fraudulent news.”
FLASHLIGHT
Sometimes seemingly innocent apps like Flashlight are collecting more data on you than you might think.
“We all know the purpose of this application, so it shouldn’t ask permission for location, contacts and other personal information,” Mars says. “Despite being a simple app, it unnecessarily attempts to know more info about you than it needs, which makes us feel suspicious.”
DOORDASH
Doordash is a delivery service company that is convenient when you want food at your doorstep, Mars says, but despite being the largest delivery service in the world, it has failed to keep users’ data safe.
“In mid-2019, a third party accessed users data which includes names, email address, phone numbers and encrypted version of passwords,” Mars says. “In some cases they accessed the last 4 digits of cards and bank account numbers as well.”
GOOGLE MAPS
Navigation apps can be incredibly helpful when you’re driving, but not all of these apps are created equal. Mars recommends deleting or not downloading Google Maps.
“It has mountains of user data, which Google doesn't sell directly but uses for ads for their revenue generation,” Mars says. “As iOS users have their own navigation app which is much improved through a major 2019 update, you don't need Google Maps and I don’t recommend you to download it.”
Deleting these six apps is a good first step toward securing your device and freeing up storage.
