Bloatware is a term that is usually synonymous with Android devices. However, iPhones also come up with plenty of pre-installed apps, some of which can be called bloatware. So, does an iPhone actually ship with more bloatware than Android? Find out below.
What Is Bloatware?
Your smartphone will come with a lot of pre-installed apps and services. However, not all of them should be termed bloatware. Some are utility apps like the clock, contacts list, and compass that you may require in daily use.
As for bloatware, they are apps that send spam notifications, silently steal your data, or unnecessarily run in the background and hog precious resources. These apps do more harm than good. For example, your network carrier could pre-install its own app on your phone and keep bugging you with random new offers, irrespective of whether you are interested in them.
Some bloatware can be uninstalled or disabled to make them less annoying, but that’s not true for all of them.
Bloatware on Android Devices
Pre-installed apps are a part of both iOS and Android, though there’s a difference in how both platforms handle them. Android device manufacturers tend to partner with certain companies or developers and pre-install certain apps and games on their devices.
For example, the Facebook app is pre-loaded on most Android phones because Meta has partnered with the manufacturers. Worse, in most cases, you can only disable such apps and not uninstall them for good. Similarly, various Google apps and services are also pre-installed on Android devices since the big G uses the platform to push its other products and services.
The amount of pre-installed apps or bloatware on an Android device will vary depending on the manufacturer and whether you are buying an unlocked or carrier-locked model. Smartphones from Chinese manufacturers are notorious for shipping with many third-party apps and games that can be classified as bloatware.
They’d either run in the background and spam you with notifications or promote a third-party service. You can uninstall or disable some pre-installed Android apps, but not all of them.
Bloatware on iPhones
Out of the box, an iPhone comes with nearly 50 pre-installed apps. However, not all of them can be called bloatware, despite some apps being there to push Apple’s own services like Podcasts, Maps, and the iTunes Store.
Unlike with Android, pre-loaded iOS apps rarely ever send any spam notifications. Additionally, you won’t find any third-party apps or games pre-installed on the iPhone. Thus, they probably shouldn’t be called bloatware.
Yes, an iPhone comes with many pre-installed apps, but if you don’t open or use them, they just sit there. They cannot run in the background, steal your user data, or send spam notifications.
Similar to Android, you can uninstall some pre-installed iOS apps; however, this won’t free up space on the device. So, for example, you can uninstall Apple Maps, Tips, and the Stocks apps from your iPhone if you don’t use them, but it won’t free up any space.
As for apps you cannot uninstall, you can hide them from the Home Screen and just access them from the App Library when needed.
The iPhone Ships With Pre-Installed Apps, But They Aren’t Bloatware
While both iOS and Android devices come with plenty of pre-installed apps, there’s a big difference between them. Very few pre-installed iPhone apps can be termed bloatware, but the same is not true for Android devices. Apple also does not pre-install any third-party apps on its devices, a practice which is rampant in the world of Android.
Ideally, though, Apple should allow iPhone users to decide the apps they want to install on their phone during the setup process. This way they can save on storage space by not installing apps they don’t ever plan to use.