Few people get through the day without turning to a number of apps on their mobile devices to access some service or another. We have become used to using our mobile devices wherever we are – at work, home, on the street, in bed, and even in our cars. The likelihood is you are reading this very article from a mobile device.
Whether to video chat with friends and family, order groceries and takeaways, or locate an address, we use an ever-growing number of apps, often downloading multiple apps for the same service.
If you consider only video chat, there are a vast number of often free apps with similar features, including:
| Signal | Google Duo | ||
| Tango | Snapchat | Skype | Viber |
| Messenger | Zoom | Hangouts | MicrosoftTeams |
| YeeCall | Discord | JusTalk | KakaoTalk |
| Marcopolo | Glide | IMO | Line |
According to Buildfire statistics in 2021 (https://buildfire.com/app-statistics):
- Apple App Store holds 1.96 million apps, and Google Play Store has 2.87 million apps
- The average smartphone owner uses 10 apps per day and 30 apps each month
So what is the problem with having so many mobile apps on your device? Here are some essential factors to keep in mind:
1. Storage
Most devices store mobile apps on the physical device, which has a limited capacity. Storing too many apps fills the storage space and reduces device performance. Typical issues include being unable to take and store pictures, update the device, or download app updates. Space taken up by infrequently used apps may stop you from using those essential to you for everyday tasks.
2. Security
As you install apps on your device, you are often prompted with questions asking permission to access your data or device features. Most apps are harmless and use this access to offer their services, but others harbour viruses. Installing only the apps you plan to use makes it less likely you will have a security issue.
3. Updating
A benefit of using mobile apps is that they are often regularly updated with new features and bug fixes. However, when you have a large number of apps on your device, the number of notifications and the time taken to update may become onerous.
4. Background apps
As with computer software, many mobile apps run processes in the background. You may not be actively using an app, but it could still take up processing time and slow down your device. This issue is less of a problem on new devices with larger RAM, but older devices can see a reduction in performance that reduces them to being almost unusable.
5. Notification overload
The majority of mobile apps come with automatic notifications. It is possible to turn off notifications for individual apps one by one, but this is time-consuming, and many users fail to turn off their notifications.
6. Locating apps
The more mobile apps you have installed, the harder it is to locate them when needed. Most suppliers have features in their operating systems to enable the grouping of apps under headings or categories for easier retrieval. However, you are still likely to need to remember which category contains a particular app.
Mobile apps are supposed to make your life easier and help you be more efficient and productive, but too many apps can have the opposite effect.
Contact us at HRBluSky today to learn about how we are providing organisations and individuals with a single app for video chat and calls, buying and selling, ordering food, locating the nearest facilities – and so much more.