I am very selective about loading apps onto my phone. My reasons include:
- Functionality – Many apps are poorly designed and offer less functionality than websites.
- Tracking and Permissions – I’ve often begun to install an app, but after realizing that installing it would require giving the app my location, contacts, personal data etc, I aborted the install. Often times I thought, “Why the hell would this app need to know where I am or have access to my address book?”
- Cluttering up my phone – I’m a minimalist. I like a clean interface. I like having just what I need and no more.
- Need – With few exceptions, I don’t need many apps. I use apps for mail, maps, music, podcasts, library access and a few other regular services.
Many websites I occasionally visit try to force app usage. They “encourage” downloading their app with a floating pop up that covers the entire screen with a big bright button to install the app and a super small grayed out “continue in browser” link.
Does anyone really think this is appealing to users? I doubt it. It is appealing to the company because they can monetize, track and sell the data of app users.
Some sites have moved to a forced App download. Reddit, certain real estate sites, news sites and review sites block the screen entirely and will not allow “mobile browsing” unless you use their app.
Whenever that happens, I do my best to never visit those sites again. It’s unfortunate that Google often ranks them highly in my searches, but I skip them and move on to other sites. Or, I decide that whatever I liked on is simply not that important.
Homie don’t play that.