The case for manually updating your apps
(And only some apps)
Like that good old joke about crossfitters and vegans1, you probably already know that I try to limit my use of Google products. I use Firefox for my browser, DuckDuckGo for search, Zoho for email and calendar, Apple for Maps2. I do (sigh) still have Google Maps on my phone and use it occasionally, and out of curiosity I updated it for the first time in ages last week. And wow, has it gotten So. Much. Worse. It’s cluttered with ads and random pins and junk.
I didn’t see all this cruft for I don’t know how long because I manually update apps on my phone about once or twice a month, generally following these rules:
If it’s a financial app or other app where security is important, I update (banking apps, Paypal)
If I subscribe or pay for the app directly, I update (Notion, Skillshare)
If the app has a way of making money from me or others that is not just attention, I update (Lyft, Airbnb)
I’ve found that if an app does not meet any of these criteria, it gets worse over time, usually because they’re trying to figure out how to monetize. Ads are introduced. They shove recommendations you’re not interested in into your feeds. They want your attention on things that benefit them, not you.
Don’t let them get away with this! Protect your eyeballs! Turn off automatic app updates! (On an iPhone, it’s under Settings → App Store → App Updates. Android users, you’re on your own.) But if you do toggle this off, remember to download updates periodically, especially for criteria 1 above.
First crochety technology post: ☑ Enjoy the weekend!
A vegan, an atheist, and a crossfitter walk into a bar.
I only know because they told everybody.
There are really only two choices right now. Other FAANG companies want a piece of the action: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/26/meta-microsoft-amazon-join-overture-maps-to-vie-with-apple-google.html