Dear Ms. Smartphone: My question is about trying out new apps and if you can have too many phone apps. My girlfriend has an idea to download one new app each day, starting in January. She said she wants to do this to stay curious, discover new things, plus learn to code with me. My parents, since I am 15, don’t necessarily think I should do this. TJ
Dear TJ: It’s great that you and your friend want to explore more features on the phone, and learn to code software. So, for that reason, I applaud the idea. But, I wish you were both older and had more leisure time. During the school-year this 365 day habit could interfere with school work.
Apps are very different from academic pursuits that encourage you to stay curious, say visiting the school library. Books sit on the bookshelf, whether you read them or not. Apps are less passive. Each one takes some memory on your phone as well as your own attentional resources. I assume you will delete them if they are not of interest. However, keep in mind that when you download the app, you will usually have to provide identifying data. This data trail, the breadcrumbs, are not so easily deleted, even if you remove the app later on. At the minimum, make sure that when you install each of the new apps, you limit its sharing capabilities. On the Apple Phone and later Androids, limit UID (unique identifier) sharing so that information from your device does not get passed between apps and search sites.
Caution Advised:
Many apps are not well written and they are not private. So, you might also be opening up your phone to hacks and malfeasance. This site, New Era Technology, claims that almost three quarters of apps would not pass a basic security test and 83% have at least one security flaw. Despite the best efforts of Google and Apple, not all apps on their stores are fully tested. So, read the reviews carefully, and for each app that you select, first ask if it needs to belong on your screen.
App reviews will not necessarily keep you safe when it comes to these downloads. I was easily able to find online sites that encouraged me to earn extra beer money by writing positive reviews for apps. Other sites online guaranteed me a ‘five star rating’ and ‘10 app installs’ for a minimal fee. Even when reviews are legitimate, most sites ask for the reviews when the user launches the app- not for a week or month later when the user has real experience and useful feedback.
Code First, Search Second:
So, my overall suggestion is that if you insist on getting started on the “app a day” challenge try to spend more time learning to code and less time searching. And, be particularly wary of gaming apps, even though they are the most popular category of downloads. The “free” version may entice you to purchase add-on time or features. You could easily lose track of how much you are spending and may be more prone to be hacked with that extensive breadcrumb trail.
Finally, keep in mind that despite all their purported benefits- the average person uses only 9 mobile apps per day and 30 apps per month. Seventy-one percent of app users leave an app within the first 90 days of downloading it and Google Research reports that in four installed apps are never used. That would mean that during the 365 day adventure 91 of the apps don’t pan out at all! Do write back with your experience if you go forward.