Ask Slashdot: What Makes You Uninstall Apps? 243
jones_supa writes "One of the most important measuring sticks for the success of any software is how long a user keeps it installed after first trying it. Intel has an article about some of the most common reasons users abandon software. Quoting: 'Apps that don’t offer anything helpful or unique tend to be the ones that are uninstalled the most frequently. People cycle through apps incredibly quickly to find the one that best fits their needs. ... A lot of apps have a naturally limited lifecycle; i.e., apps that are centered around a movie release or an app that tracks a pregnancy, or an app that celebrates a holiday. In addition, apps with limited functionality, for example, “lite” games that only go so far, are uninstalled once the user has mastered all the levels.' Some of the common factors they list include: lengthy forms, asking for ratings, collecting unnecessary data, user unfriendliness, unnecessary notifications and, of course, bugs. Additionally, if people have paid even a small price for the app, they are more committed to keep it installed. So, what makes you uninstall a piece of software?"
They pop up and notify me they are running. (Score:5, Insightful)
If there's one thing I can't abide, it's apps running in the background, poking their noses into my affairs.
Re:They pop up and notify me they are running. (Score:5, Insightful)
The concept on Android of listing app permissions is a good one - although it needs to be MUCH more detailed, and you need to be able to filter in the app store based on permissions.
Right now, to find a suitable app that won't do something you dislike - e.g. running in the background - you need to install it, see if it does the bad thing, then uninstall it. If those attributes were clearly listed, and searchable, then you could only install and try out the ones that aren't instantly annoying.
Depends on platform (Score:5, Insightful)
On a PC there's no pressing need since I have lots of disk space, and it's easy to keep apps from running in the background.
On Android is another story. Very limited space, and apps can run in the background very easily and are hard or impossible to kill in some cases. I recently uninstalled outlook.com app since I never used it (I installed it intending to, but never did) and it was sucking battery life. I also uninstall apps which provide duplicate functionality that I already have in an app I prefer. Large apps have to really be persuasive to stay as well.
In-Game Purchases (Score:5, Insightful)
The fastest way to get me to uninstall an app is in-game purchases (other than a one-time payment to purchase the full version straight up, with no further fees).
Give me a lite version to evaluate it, then let me buy it straight up. I loathe and detest in-game purchases for gold, gems, or anything else necessary to continue a game, or to speed it up.
Background bull**** (Score:2, Insightful)
I uninstall things that install "services" or "autoupdate" crapware (Java, iTunes, and Google's apps all do this)
I uninstall things that continue to run after I've closed them (Office suites, MMORPG launchers are guilty *glare NCSOFT*)
I uninstall things that I have given up on (more games)
I uninstall things that serve only a single purpose and that purpose has passed (data retrieval/recovery/formatting/rescue)
My "core apps" on Windows or MacOS X are:
VLC x64 or MPC x64 (I use both, latter more often because it doesn't nag for updating)
No web browser doesn't annoy and nag the user, MSIE actually is the least annoying for this, and it'x x64 mode is more secure than the 32bit browsers. Firefox, Chrome and Opera are very annoying about updating.
Steam (Games are installed or removed by Steam or GOG. Uplay and Origin are exceptionally annoying)
Adobe CS4 Suite.
Spybot S&D (It has an annoyance about not running a scan every so often though.)
Avast (It likewise is very annoying unless you run it in game mode all the time.)
Past that, I never install Flash or Java, and when something explicitly "needs" Java I have it as "click/prompt to run"
If apps want to stay on the system and be used more often, they have to be usable WITHOUT BEGING NAGGED TO DEATH AT LAUNCH. If there's an update, download the update silently and then install it when the app is next closed. Prompting to update at the beginning costs time. Most apps don't need to be updated at all at launch unless there is a critical problem that the user is in fact experiencing.
Re:They pop up and notify me they are running. (Score:5, Insightful)
The concept on Android of listing app permissions is a good one - although it needs to be MUCH more detailed, and you need to be able to filter in the app store based on permissions.
Right now, to find a suitable app that won't do something you dislike - e.g. running in the background - you need to install it, see if it does the bad thing, then uninstall it. If those attributes were clearly listed, and searchable, then you could only install and try out the ones that aren't instantly annoying.
I was greatly dismayed to see how many apps expect access to my email, location and contacts directory, most with no need whatsoever for such information. I don't install a lot of apps. I'd rather develop them.
Notification spam and excessive updates (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Doesn't work (Score:3, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Sourceforge. (Score:5, Insightful)
Bundling shite with them, like your sister site Sourceforge does.
Other than that, if it survives a day, it stays on my computer forever. I never worry about disk space, and if I've downloaded something that fulfilled a purpose once, I keep it around in case I need it again.
About the only apps I've "uninstalled" have been ones that lasted literally seconds after I realised that they bundled tons of unnecessary shit in their installers and/or weren't what I was after.
Re:They pop up and notify me they are running. (Score:5, Insightful)
The concept on Android of listing app permissions is a good one
NO IT IS NOT!
A good system would let you fine tune permissions per app (+ spoof data if you so desire), and not a hostage of "I need to read your contact list" game.
Re:They pop up and notify me they are running. (Score:5, Insightful)
I was greatly dismayed to see how many apps expect access to my email, location and contacts directory, most with no need whatsoever for such information.
Yes, that is really annoying. I tried to install a Flashlight app the other day. I had to go thru about 6 of them before I found one that didn't need any permissions. I mean really, why does a flashligh need permission for the network? Do I really need to see an ad for the 5s seconds I have the flashlight on to find the keyhole to my front door in the dark?
Re:They pop up and notify me they are running. (Score:5, Insightful)
Even worse is network access, that could be everything from "hey, I'm free, gotta send some ads" to "Imma take all of your actions and send them home"
Re:They pop up and notify me they are running. (Score:4, Insightful)
I was greatly dismayed to see how many apps expect access to my email, location and contacts directory, most with no need whatsoever for such information.
Yes, that is really annoying. I tried to install a Flashlight app the other day. I had to go thru about 6 of them before I found one that didn't need any permissions. I mean really, why does a flashligh need permission for the network? Do I really need to see an ad for the 5s seconds I have the flashlight on to find the keyhole to my front door in the dark?
No.., but the NSA wants to see what you are snooping around with a flashlight for. 8o)
Yeah, that was where I initially saw the ludicrous access garnering, a flashlight app. Seriously, what does a damn flashlight need to know about my contacts or location? Too much free or even pay-for apps are up to no good.
Ability to deny permissions (Score:5, Insightful)
Why not add the ability to revoke permissions to an app?
Great, so the flashlight app wants to read my contact list: how about NOPE? 2D game wants to access my camera? How about NOPE? Other OS's include the ability to reject permissions to an app.
Why not Android?