AT&T and security software maker Lookout announced today that, from here on out, all Android phones the carrier sells will come with Lookout’s security app pre-installed. Which sounds nice enough, but is really a lousy idea.
Bloatware sucks. At the very least, it’s a waste of memory. At its worst, pre-installed software can actually ruin a perfectly good gadget’s user experience. Sure, now that we use our phones for banking, filesharing, and storing personal information, adding layers of security sounds like a solid idea, and Lookout is an app we’ve recommended in the past. But as long as you’re sticking with reputable apps and not downloading fly-by-night garbage, you’ll probably be fine without it. If you are downloading shady stuff, hopefully you’re enough of an Android tinkerer to know how to properly protect yourself.
https://gizmodo.com/how-to-banish-bloatware-from-your-pc-and-smartphone-603418033
And anyway, Lookout’s best features require a $3 a month subscription. So for most users, the app will just be sitting there, unactivated, unused, and unnecessary.
Call us smartphone libertarians: carriers should get out of the way and let buyers decide which software they download. [Lookout via The Verge]
