Bloatware: Difference between revisions
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There are several definitions, and even within those defs it's still open to subjectivity: | There are several definitions, and even within those defs it's still open to subjectivity: | ||
*[[wikipedia:Software_bloat#Bloatware|Pre-installed software]] that's not required by | *[[wikipedia:Software_bloat#Bloatware|Pre-installed software]] that's not required by a system to work | ||
*Redundant or duplicate | *Redundant or duplicate features included on a device | ||
*[[wikipedia:Potentially_unwanted_program|Undesirable programs]] that were [https://www.deceptive.design/types/sneaking never requested by the user] | *[[wikipedia:Potentially_unwanted_program|Undesirable programs]] that were [https://www.deceptive.design/types/sneaking never requested by the user] | ||
*Software that has [[wikipedia:Software_bloat|become bloated over time]] | *Software that has [[wikipedia:Software_bloat|become bloated over time]] | ||
Often, bloat is a symptom of [[enshittification]] | |||
==Why it is a problem== | |||
Most bloatware tends to be pre-installed because the device manufacturer (OEM) has a contract or partnership with another corporation who's interested in "getting exposure" (actually, to advertise itself and collect user data).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glossary#OEM |url=https://github.com/Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation/wiki/Glossary#oem |url-status=live |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Universal Android Debloater next-generation wiki}}</ref> | |||
Bloat, in any of its forms, raises privacy and security concerns<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hubert |first=Bert |date=2024-02-08 |title=Why Bloat Is Still Software’s Biggest Vulnerability |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/lean-software-development |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=IEEE Spectrum}}</ref>. As a rule of thumb, every added line of code makes a program exponentially harder to prove for correctness{{Citation needed}} (ignoring the nuance that some code can aid [[wikipedia:Static_program_analysis|static analysis]] or even completely enforce [[wikipedia:Invariant_(mathematics)|invariants]]), making it impractical (hopeless) to verify that a program is not malicious (such as [[spyware]]) or has an exploitable [[wikipedia:Software_vulnerabilities|vulnerability]]. The problem is exacerbated if the app is not [[wikipedia:Open-source_software|open-source]] (or at least, [[wikipedia:Source-available_software|source-available]]), since [[wikipedia:Reverse_engineering|reverse engineering]] is hard and (in many cases) illegal, forcing the user to be at the mercy of the developers and distributors of the app. | |||
Bloat is known for causing sub-par [[wikipedia:User_experience|user-experience]]: | |||
*Slowness makes users want to exit the website<ref>https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Performance</ref> or uninstall the program | |||
*High memory use prevents users from multitasking; and even if they can multitask, the system will be considerably slow<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrashing_(computer_science)</ref> | |||
*High power usage increases energy bills and reduces battery lifespan | |||
*Overly relying on network connections (such as internet) prevents users from accessing data that could've been cached locally<ref>{{Cite web |year=2019 |title=Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud |url=https://www.inkandswitch.com/essay/local-first |url-status=live |website=Ink & Switch}}</ref>, and can increase cellular-data billing | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
[https:// | |||
*[https://idlewords.com/talks/website_obesity.htm "Web Obesity Crisis"] | |||
*[https://tonsky.me/blog/js-bloat Javascript bloat in 2024] | |||
*[https://tonsky.me/blog/disenchantment "Software disenchantment"] | |||
==References== | |||
<references /> | |||
[[Category:Common terms]] | [[Category:Common terms]] | ||
Revision as of 20:19, 21 November 2025
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There are several definitions, and even within those defs it's still open to subjectivity:
- Pre-installed software that's not required by a system to work
- Redundant or duplicate features included on a device
- Undesirable programs that were never requested by the user
- Software that has become bloated over time
Often, bloat is a symptom of enshittification
Why it is a problem
Most bloatware tends to be pre-installed because the device manufacturer (OEM) has a contract or partnership with another corporation who's interested in "getting exposure" (actually, to advertise itself and collect user data).[1]
Bloat, in any of its forms, raises privacy and security concerns[2]. As a rule of thumb, every added line of code makes a program exponentially harder to prove for correctness[citation needed] (ignoring the nuance that some code can aid static analysis or even completely enforce invariants), making it impractical (hopeless) to verify that a program is not malicious (such as spyware) or has an exploitable vulnerability. The problem is exacerbated if the app is not open-source (or at least, source-available), since reverse engineering is hard and (in many cases) illegal, forcing the user to be at the mercy of the developers and distributors of the app.
Bloat is known for causing sub-par user-experience:
- Slowness makes users want to exit the website[3] or uninstall the program
- High memory use prevents users from multitasking; and even if they can multitask, the system will be considerably slow[4]
- High power usage increases energy bills and reduces battery lifespan
- Overly relying on network connections (such as internet) prevents users from accessing data that could've been cached locally[5], and can increase cellular-data billing
See also
References
- ↑ "Glossary#OEM". Universal Android Debloater next-generation wiki. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Hubert, Bert (2024-02-08). "Why Bloat Is Still Software's Biggest Vulnerability". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
- ↑ https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Performance
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrashing_(computer_science)
- ↑ "Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud". Ink & Switch. 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)