#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device.
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
When I first got a smartphone, I was install all the apps.
I quickly realised I didn't need most of them.
Now the number of apps on my phone are basically.
Disabled or removed as much of the google shit as possible.
2 banking apps
Heating system app (not full of data harvesting)
2 Solar/Battery apps ( manufacturer one has been nerfed with subscriptions, replacement allows me access to my data again) Bought the paid version of the 2nd app.
2 messaging apps (what's app for family, signal for everyone else)
Google wallet
What3Words
Netfix
Grayjay (for youtube vids)
Emby (for my home mediaserver)
Kindle (for my own ebooks, would like to replace with something else)
Musicolet - for listening to my own music stored on my own phone.
WifiFileTransferPro - To transfer files to my device over my wifi, ad/tracking free and I paid a few quid for the pro version.
Firefox web browser
Brave web browser
DuckDuckGo app with tracking protection enabled and a duck.com email address for online signups.
Tusky app for Mastodon
Ebay app
Amazon app (cancelled prime 3yrs ago) should probably delete as rarely used.
Proton VPN app.That's basically it... there are a couple of netflix games, mahjong and solitaire I occasionally use when out and waiting for people.
All permissions are disabled for everything unless essential for the app to work, DDG app tracking blocks a lot of 3rd party attempts at data collection... but banking apps have to be disabled from DDG or they don't work.
I don't need anything else... and I could probably get rid of 10-20% of what I have.
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
Also, similar, https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/6421/ @jwildeboer
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I noticed that I simply stopped caring about new apps a few years ago. When I get a new mobile phone, I have a rather small set of apps I install and that list is more or less the same since many years. Banking app, Signal, and a few more.
@jwildeboer Essentially Signal + home-page links only for me. Definitely no banking or anything else 'YMYL'...
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
@jwildeboer afaic this was edited now 4-times: i recommend a wikipedia article
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@jwildeboer looking forward to it
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
@jwildeboer you are a website, being installed as an app is a privilege, not a right
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
@jwildeboer Websites are Blackboxs, too. You don’t see what backend does
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@jwildeboer Alternatively "Fapptigue", no?
@LucPestille
I see what you did there
@jwildeboer -
#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
@jwildeboer I have RethinkDNS app on my phone so I can see what domains an app is contacting. I can then block a domain the app is contacting, block the entire app from using the net while I still have wifi or data active and some more stuff.
It's really useful to me cos it's also like a Little Snitch or pihole but runs in your phone and just has more features. It's also free and open source.
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@jwildeboer I have RethinkDNS app on my phone so I can see what domains an app is contacting. I can then block a domain the app is contacting, block the entire app from using the net while I still have wifi or data active and some more stuff.
It's really useful to me cos it's also like a Little Snitch or pihole but runs in your phone and just has more features. It's also free and open source.
@jwildeboer It's also kinda "cheating" cos I can just have no ads on an ad-ridden free version of an app (if theres a paid version of that app but without ads and stuff) while i still have internet access.
I kinda feel bad cos that might be their only source of revenue, but who actually likes seeing ads like it's a freakin' jumpscare ?
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
a long time ago, at a conference, a guy from Google gave a talk about the cool new thing, "instant apps". Android apps that you don't need to install. just open them and start using right away! and it will only download the pages you open. crazy!
when the time for QA came, people formed a long queue to the mic. i was the first. i asked: "so, how is it different from web apps?". the minute i said it, almost everyone left the queue, muttering: "damn, that was my question".
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a long time ago, at a conference, a guy from Google gave a talk about the cool new thing, "instant apps". Android apps that you don't need to install. just open them and start using right away! and it will only download the pages you open. crazy!
when the time for QA came, people formed a long queue to the mic. i was the first. i asked: "so, how is it different from web apps?". the minute i said it, almost everyone left the queue, muttering: "damn, that was my question".
i don't remember their exact answer because there wasn't really any. many years later, in December 2025, Google discontinued instant apps.
i think they were onto something. it's cool to be able to just use apps without installing them. it's just... we already have it.
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
@jwildeboer You also can't install an ad-blocker in an app.
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
@jwildeboer Very reasonable.
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@jwildeboer It's also kinda "cheating" cos I can just have no ads on an ad-ridden free version of an app (if theres a paid version of that app but without ads and stuff) while i still have internet access.
I kinda feel bad cos that might be their only source of revenue, but who actually likes seeing ads like it's a freakin' jumpscare ?
@reallylazybear @jwildeboer similar for me; some apps are unavoidable, but at least I can have some control over them via Tracker Control:
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@lobingera @jwildeboer
Google server(s) on the Internet.@lobingera @jwildeboer
Google's latest stupidity:
Not only do you need a google account on your phone/tablet to access Playstore, but when I was updating a tablet just now:
1: RECAPTCHA
2. Needed to login with gmail address & password.Why would you want Playstore if you don't want any (more) apps?
Only way to add accessibility features (usually missing by default) and security updates for the existing apps.It's abusive.
So are websites using recaptcha for existing accounts logging in.
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I noticed that I simply stopped caring about new apps a few years ago. When I get a new mobile phone, I have a rather small set of apps I install and that list is more or less the same since many years. Banking app, Signal, and a few more.
@jwildeboer I’ve always kept the number of apps on my devices to a minimum because of the privacy issues. Sucks that some sites (SiriusXM) won’t let you stream from their webpage on a phone or tablet. You must use their app.
I currently use a older phone that has no PII on it for apps I don’t trust much (p2pcam apps, drone piloting, etc)
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
@jwildeboer More Tor nodes and Mullvad Browser usage.
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#AppFatigue IPA: /æp/ /fəˈtiːɡ/ (n) The tendency to NOT install new apps on your mobile phone because you finally understand that most apps should just be a website so you can seamlessly use a service on a PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device. Also a sign of distrust as apps are black boxes with access to a lot of data sources that invade your privacy in ways you can hardly quantify.
I might be wrong, bu my impression, living in the NorthEast US in the Boston area, is that very few people really care about privacy, and that almost everyone is glad to give up their privacy in exchange for saving a few seconds
not saying this is right or wrong; just it is what it is
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I noticed that I simply stopped caring about new apps a few years ago. When I get a new mobile phone, I have a rather small set of apps I install and that list is more or less the same since many years. Banking app, Signal, and a few more.
@jwildeboer I do tend to prefer a PWA over a native app. With the PWA my experience is the same across devices which is appreciated.
It does seem like we are past the time when new apps did genuinely new and novel things. Almost anything today is a riff on something else.
