How to choose and remove unwanted apps
It’s a self-evident truth that smartphones will never have as much available space as the day they’re first unboxed.
Unfortunately, despite offering quantities of storage which even desktop computers wouldn’t have offered a decade ago, phone storage fills up surprisingly quickly.
In part, this is because operating systems and pre-installed software occupy a significant percentage of the available space.
Many pre-installed apps (such as Facebook) can’t be deleted, and are known as bloatware.
Over time, they’re joined by increasing numbers of user-installed apps.
Yet a quarter of smartphone apps are only used once following installation – a figure which has stayed pretty consistent over the last decade.
That suggests many of us are guilty of downloading programs unnecessarily or spontaneously.
Being able to choose and remove unwanted apps represents a key weapon in the battle to maximise available smartphone storage.
(A device with minimal free storage will run more slowly, hang or freeze more frequently, and download more data than a handset with plenty of available space.)
How to choose and remove unwanted apps
Firstly, investigate how many apps you have by scrolling through your phone screens and exploring subfolders.
Half of UK smartphones contain less than 20 apps, but some handsets are crammed with third-party software.
As you explore, consider two things: how many of these apps add value, and how frequently they’re opened.
A QR code reader might only be needed occasionally, but it’s important to have one.
Conversely, few people would argue the BBC Sport app is essential, yet many of us check it every day for updates on our favourite sports and teams.
If an app doesn’t meet either of these criteria, you can probably live without it.
(It may be worth moving occasional-use apps to a dedicated folder, so they aren’t clogging up your home screen).
Go into Settings > Apps on an Android phone, or Settings > General > iPhone Storage on an iPhone.
Even a cursory glance at the size of these installed files will indicate where your phone’s storage capacity has gone.
The Amazon Shopping and Alexa apps each require 300MB of space, while the Rightmove app consumes more than 200MB and MyMcDonald’s occupies over 150MB.
A waste of space?
If a particular app (a) isn’t undeletable bloatware, (b) isn’t accessed regularly and (c) doesn’t perform a vital service, uninstalling it represents a worthwhile action.
The same is true if the app merely replicates website functionality, without adding convenience or unique features.
Do you really need a 200MB app which shows you the same information you’d see in a smartphone web browser?
Before tapping Uninstall, ensure the app doesn’t contain any significant or sensitive data which will be erased. They rarely do, beyond basic user ID credentials.
Android and iOS will uninstall an app within seconds, instantly wiping any trace of its presence from internal memory.
Finally, if bloatware can’t be uninstalled, it can often be disabled. This won’t save space, but it does optimise available system resources.