The Apps You Forgot You Had - and What They May Know About You
Your apps may know more than you realize
Companies want you to download their app because of its ability to collect information about you. Some of this information can help the company serve you as a customer. But depending on the app and the permissions you’ve granted, it may also collect or have access to personally identifiable information (PII), such as:
Your location
Your name, address, phone, and email
Contacts
Photos and videos
Camera or microphone
Bluetooth or nearby devices
Credit card and billing information
Health or fitness information
Advertising identifiers or activity used for tracking
Usage information about how you interact with the app
This doesn’t mean an app is unsafe or that you shouldn’t use it. Rather it’s a reminder to understand what information an app collects and why it needs it before deciding how much access to give it.
Your app clean-up checklist
Consider going through this checklist every so often to make sure you’re not giving your apps more information than they need.
First, delete as much of your personal information as possible. Removing an app from your phone doesn’t necessarily delete the account and personal information. This includes credit cards and addresses. Even consider leaving a hidden code within your name to see if it ever pops up somewhere else. If you’re unlikely to use it again, consider closing the account as well.
Then delete apps you haven’t used in several months. Pay particular attention to apps you downloaded for a one-time purchase, trip, event or other specific purpose. Remember to remove any PII before deleting the app.
Try the website instead. Go to the app's website and double check changes and close the account here as well if it makes sense. And before downloading another app, see whether you can accomplish the same thing on the company’s website without adding their app, or potentially another account, to your phone.
Take a tour through your permissions. Check your phone’s privacy settings to see which apps can access your location, photos, contacts, camera and microphone, then turn off access that an app doesn’t need to do its job.
Reduce the personal information you hand over. For apps you do keep, limit the information you share. Consider skipping optional profile fields, using guest checkout when possible, and thinking twice before providing details such as your birth date, address or contacts. And remember, unless your app requires monthly billing, delete your credit card information. The smaller your credit card footprint the better.
Reduce your email footprint. Create a separate email that is ONLY used for your phone apps. Then if you are ever breached or your email account start building with clutter, you know the culprit is one of your apps and can change the email to a new one.