Spring clean your tech

Experts advise you delete apps you don't use

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – How many apps do you have on your smartphone? The average American has about 32.  Many applications have access to your social media accounts, your location and other personal information. Because Caryn Bailey keeps lots of photos in her phone, she often deletes unused apps to make room for pictures. But, she didn't worry about any other implications, like her privacy, until recently. 

"Twitter sent me a message and told me that one of the apps that is connected to Twitter was actually hacked, and so somebody had compromised my password. So I had to reset my password.  It was a little bit unnerving," she said.

Recommended Videos



Bailey says unnerving because it reminded her some apps she downloads have permission to access her social media, her contacts, and other personal information. 

"I should probably go through that list and start removing permissions," Bailey added.

Experts say going through all your apps and taking a look at what you've given them permission to see, save and send to others, is one step you should take as part of a regular "spring cleaning" of your tech. 

"You do have control over applications and the access that you're granting that application to your personal information, to your location, to your contacts, and take the time to understand that and then decide what you're most comfortable with," said John Walls with CITA The Wireless Association

"With some apps it's the developers that have access to this information, and with other apps they actually have agreements with third parties, whether data brokers or advertising companies where they send this information to them," added Adi Kamdar with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

In reviewing all your apps, Kamdar says you should delete anything you don't use. He says spring cleaning should happen often. 

"Go through your apps maybe once a month or so and figure out, do I still need this?  The apps that you don't use anymore may still be collecting information about you whether you know it or not.  Sometimes these apps run in the background," explained Kamdar

If you're concerned about permanently deleting an application you paid for, Kamdar says not to worry.

"Usually when you buy an app or when you install an app, you have it forever on the store so you can just download it again without paying any more," he explained.

While you're purging apps, Walls says it's always a smart practice to change your passwords.

"It's good to have that backup protection," he advised. "These days, you know, we have so much personal information in our devices.  They're carrying our life story basically."

Bailey is all for cleaning up her phone and making space for more of what she actually uses.

"There's some apps that I downloaded like when I first joined Twitter.  So, those apps I don't even hear about anymore and I probably should nix them," she said.   

Experts add that when you download new apps, be sure to  pay attention to what permissions they're requesting and be sure to understand exactly what you're giving the application access to.  Also, while you're "spring cleaning" you're tech, it's a good time to review your contacts list and get rid of anything you no longer need.