There’s no denying that mobile apps make our lives easier. At most, we get to do things quicker and in a more efficient manner. Thanks to social media and messaging apps, we get to stay connected with our colleagues, family, and friends. Need directions to a specific destination? Want to be entertained or informed on the latest news and trends? There are apps for those too.
But in case you didn’t know, some apps may be causing more harm than you think. Unfortunately, certain apps could be putting your security at risk, while others could be destroying your phone’s battery. The bottom line is, it’s important to be aware of these apps so that you can make an informed decision as to whether you will delete or keep them.
To find out what apps are ruining your phone, we reached out to tech experts Robert Welch, CEO of Projector1, Daniela Sawyer, founder and business development strategist of FindPeopleFast.net, and Eric Florence, Cybersecurity Analyst at Security Tech. Keep reading to know more.
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With almost 3 billion users as of January 2022, one of the biggest social media platforms in the world may just be an app you'd want to avoid using. According to Welch, "[Facebook] always runs in the background as it requires access to most things on your phone like photos and contacts. This makes it one of those apps which consumes the highest storage space, clogging up your phone with junk." As an alternative, you can opt to use Facebook through a desktop browser. That way you'll save battery and your phone can perform at its optimal capacity.
Snapchat
All those filters may seem cute, but in the greater scheme of things, Snapchat is really zapping your phone's battery. Welch confirms, "It is quite repulsive for your phone's battery health. The numerous notifications that you receive can alone suck out your iPhone's battery in a go. Besides, it uses a location tracking service that runs in the background all the time. In turn, draining your battery and killing your iPhone's efficiency slowly."
If you're trying to save space on your iPhone, WhatsApp might be an app you'd want to get rid of. "[It's] one of those utility apps that leaves your phone dry filled with cache files and phone junk," Welch says. He adds, "It becomes an enemy to storage optimization."
FaceTime
This video conferencing app has proven itself to be very useful, especially during times when physical hangouts are limited. However, Sawyer notes that "bugs and performance problems with Apple's FaceTime application, which is used to conduct video conversations, are well-known in the industry."
She shares, "Attackers may eavesdrop on the receiver's smartphone and hear anything the user is saying into the device's microphone due to a notable flaw in this program. While dealing with this bug, Apple recognized another problem in the FaceTime app itself—part of the same set of vulnerabilities. This bug had to do with Live Photos, though Apple did not release details about this problem. Several customers have reported having difficulty placing FaceTime calls, as well as occasional call dropouts." Similar to the other apps previously mentioned, FaceTime also drains your battery which Sawyer believes is a cause for it to become "less efficient over time."
Google Maps
A good navigation app is definitely an essential to any mobile phone. Sadly, Google Maps is "a surefire way to dwindle your smartphone battery down to nothing in no time at all," says Florence. "The iPhone just isn't designed with Google Maps in mind, and vice versa. Of course a Google-made phone will run Google Maps better."
In addition to this, Tim Robertson, Founder of inVPN.com, also explains that "Google Maps uses a large amount of data, processing power, and battery." It puts you at risk in such a way that it "grabs business information, [looks] for your location, and many more." If you really must use Google Maps, try disabling the app when you don't need it. Unless necessary, only then should you consider bringing it back.
