Good News, Android Users! Google Promises Less Bloatware

Just a few weeks after we get the good the good news about Samsung rethinking their bloatware policy

(Samsung To Solve Bloatware Issue In China), here come more great updates. Google themselves have promised to relax pre-installed application requirements for manufacturers – meaning that our Android phones will now come with fewer products from Google by default. Specifically, as you turn on your phone for the first time, you won’t find Google +, Google Play Games, Google Newsstand or Google Play Books on the device.

Before the change, Android phone manufacturers were required to have the Google app pack pre-installed, which, together with the manufacturer’s apps, created quite a hefty layer of bloatware. With certain manufacturers, namely Samsung and One Plus, this has even led to a major anti-bloatware campaign (Samsung And Oppo Sued Over Bloatware Issue), filed by the Chinese Consumer Association.

Users have the right to be unhappy, as pre-installed apps take up the valuable space on the device and can not be completely uninstalled. That means, you are stuck with certain applications whether you like it or not from the very moment you purchase the smartphone.

Giving people the freedom to choose which apps they want (and which not) on their phones seems like a democratic solution. You can still easily find all the Google apps (like Google + or Google Play Books and the rest) at the Play Store and download them at your own convenience.

We remind you that bloatware is no joke. In addition to taking up valuable space on your phone, these pre-installed applications can also sneak around in the background initiating all sorts of battery-draining processes. All of this can turn out to be quite a nuisance in the end, making your beautiful new smartphone act like an overpopulated and overused device.