Removing an app from your phone isn’t as simple as it sounds. Deleting apps that take up precious space on your phone is always a good idea, especially for those who could be spying on you. But for some apps, you’ll need to do more than simply hit the “delete” button. While you may think you’ve dumped it, deleting an app doesn’t mean it’s uninstalled, and its remnants could still lurk in the background, leaving your device vulnerable or causing other issues.
How are apps putting your personal information at risk?
Many of us regularly use a variety of apps throughout the day, implementing them automatically into our daily routines without giving them much thought. Without a doubt, they can make our lives easier and save us quite a bit of time. But this convenience can have a downside.
Although we share our data hoping the app’s creator will keep it safe, that is not always the case. Many apps fail to use encryption or other security features, leaving our private information vulnerable to criminals and hackers.
What type of information is at risk?
Your data doesn’t magically disappear when you delete an app. Apps are often part of an intricate web of interconnected tools, products, and sites that track and share your information, likely without you even realizing it. Think about a dating app, for example. Typically, these are linked through a Facebook account (with your permission) that enables the app to access pictures, friends lists, and other information about yourself available through your Facebook profile.
We caution app users not to assume that their private information will be protected. Most applications are insecure, and developers do not follow security best practices when developing an application. Applications are designed for functionality, not security. Security is difficult and time-consuming, often delaying product launches and revenue-generating activities.
How to delete apps the right way.
Multiple steps are involved in ensuring an app is entirely disconnected from your phone and other accounts. We recommend following this process before deleting an app:
- First, try to delete all your data on the app. While the instructions for erasing data will be different for each app, and they’ll make it as difficult as possible, you might be able to find an option to delete stored data under menu titles like “privacy,” “account settings,” or “security.” From there, follow the prompts to remove account data or stored history on the app. If you can’t find this function, search the help pages or contact customer services and demand in writing that they delete all your data.
- If possible, you should also log in to your account through a web browser. Sometimes, you’ll find additional settings available through the app’s desktop version. Mobile apps are often skinny versions of a full-featured application you use on the web or your desktop. So, it’s a good idea to log into the app through a web browser to ensure you did not miss any additional settings that may not be available in mobile versions of an app.
- Unlink or revoke any Facebook and Google integrations you may have enabled by going to the app’s settings tab, finding the “linked accounts” option, and removing the app or link you want to delete. You can also remove integrations through the linked account.
- For Facebook: Click on your profile picture, then select Security & Privacy > Settings. Scroll down to Your Activity > click Apps and Websites. You’ll see all the accounts you’ve linked with via Facebook login. Click “Remove” next to each app you wish to unlink (you’ll need to select the right-facing arrow first on mobile).
- For Google: Sign into your Google account and navigate to the third-party apps and services page. Click the right-facing arrow next to the account you want to disconnect. Select “Delete all connections” at the bottom.
- Now, you’re ready to delete the app.
- On an iPhone: Touch and hold the app on your home screen until a pop-up menu appears. Select “Remove App” from the dropdown menu. Select “Remove App from Homescreen” to keep it in your app library or “Delete App” to remove it entirely from your phone.
- On Android: Open the Google Play Store app. Click the Profile icon in the top right. Tap “Manage Apps and Devices” > “Manage.” Select the app you want to delete and click “Uninstall.”