Most of the users are still unaware that even when the apps are not in use, the phone can still track and collect data without them being aware. Fortunately, there is a solution to prevent this from happening.
One may have ten, twenty or even thirty apps on their phones, and there is a possibility that many of these apps remain unused.
In regards to this, the cybersecurity giant – Kaspersky – warned that apps on a user’s phone that are not being used could still be collecting data about the device owner even if they are not using it.
A recently published memo from the company urged users to delete their old apps, stating: "You probably have apps on your smartphone that you haven't used in over a year. Or maybe even ones you've never opened at all. Not only do they take up your device's memory, but they can also slowly consume internet traffic and battery power."
The security memo continued: "And, most importantly, they clog up your interface and may continue to collect data about your smartphone - and you."
While spring cleaning the phones might not be on the priority list of people, it does not take away its significance. In case a user is concerned about ‘over-sharing’ their data, Kaspersky has shared a ‘one-day rule’ to ease the task of removing unused apps on phones.
According to the experts, following the practice of merely uninstalling one useless app each day will greatly increase phone performance and free up storage space. By doing this, users will be able to control how their data is used and prevent data harvesting.
To delete an app on the iPhone, users need to find the app on the home screen, touch and hold down the icon and tap “Remove app.” Android users, they need to go to the Google Play store, tap the profile icon in the top right, followed by Manage Apps and Devices > Manage. Tap the name of the app they want to delete and click to uninstall.
Users can still disable pre-installed apps on their phones to prevent them from operating in the background and taking up unnecessary space on the screen, even if they cannot be fully removed from the device.
