Smartphone owners should delete seven popular apps or face risks ranging from battery drain to identity theft and banking fraud, an expert has warned.
Technology expert Sam Crawford, of By Crawford, says the apps you download while on holiday can cause post-holiday blues in more ways than one.
“If you downloaded apps specifically for your vacation, it’s wise to delete them afterwards,” Crawford explained. “These apps may no longer be needed and could pose privacy risks if they continue to collect data. By deleting them, you can extend battery life, save storage space and protect your privacy.”
The fewer apps you have, the fewer opportunities hackers have to steal your personal or payment information.
“If an app is compromised in a data breach, your information could fall into the hands of malicious individuals who may misuse it for a variety of reasons, including identity theft,” Crawford added.
Crawford notes that the seven apps to delete include:
- Train and bus applications
- Ticket booking applications
- Taxi applications
- Bike rental apps
- Event applications
- Translation applications
- Currency conversion applications
“The main risk with currency conversion apps is that they may store sensitive financial data,” Crawford explained. “They can access payment information, which could be exposed if the app’s security is compromised.”
This applies to any app that stores your payment details.
Another big reason to delete these apps is “unwanted surveillance,” according to Crawford. “These apps may continue to collect location information even when you’re not in use. The app may collect your location data to build a detailed profile of your behavior, preferences, and routines, which is then used for targeted advertising,” he says.
But all this tracking actually drains your battery, as running an unnecessary number of apps in the background consumes battery power and slows down your device.
According to Crawford, “spring cleaning” your apps can improve your device’s battery life by up to 20%, and reduce the amount of data it consumes.
“By deleting these apps, you can reduce unnecessary background activity such as data syncing, updates, location tracking, and notifications. These apps may use your mobile data, consuming battery power and some megabytes from your data plan,” he added.
Crawford recommends reviewing the list of apps installed on your phone and deleting unused ones every three months.