Android 14 will let you know what bloatware your phone carrier has snuck onto your device

Yesterday, we covered many of the most notable features and changes that dropped with the Android 14 developer preview. Today, it was revealed that Google will detect and show you which applications your phone carrier has installed in the background without your awareness upon setting a device up out of the box.

You may know this type of app as “bloatware”, and you’re not wrong. Companies like T-Mobile and others will often install their own messaging app, account management tools for your phone billing, and more on top of the awesome Google apps you’re already accustomed to using for the basics. Even if you aren’t using Google Messages, you may want to install WhatsApp or something else for yourself. Most of the time, the only folks who use the carrier-branded apps are those who either don’t know better or just don’t care so long as they can send and receive texts to loved ones (both are fine!)

However, if you’re hoping to avoid the extra “bloat” and protect your device storage – especially if you’re a Pixel user who doesn’t get an SD card slot – then the new Android 14 “apps installed in the background” page will be a Godsend.

Your device manufacturer may install apps on your device in the background, or allow your carrier and other partners to do so.

Any apps listed here aren’t required for your device to function normally. You can uninstall apps you don’t want.

Android 14 Developer Preview “Apps installed in the background page text

Mishaal Rahman on Twitter just brought attention to this after installing the aforementioned developer preview, and I’ve got to say up front that I’m very happy to see Google plainly stating that these apps are often complete crap. I’m not going to sugar coat it, and I get that manufacturers, carriers, and other third parties may want to make sure customers have a means of messaging and such, but now that so many popular and well-known mainstream apps have become so standardized, it’s hard to make a case for these being installed at all on new devices.

The best part about this new screen is that users will now be told in plain English that these are unnecessary and that they can uninstall them without consequence or breaking basic phone functionality – not something everything knows without being informed!

I may be a biased millennial, but I’ve always hated bloatware from carriers, and I think they pre-install it on phones as a way of dragging you into an eventually paid ecosystem that’s lackluster, broken, and money-grabbing. Say what you want about Google’s recent monetary practices, but at least they always have a fairly decent free forever ecosystem anyone can use and enjoy with the option to upgrade for additional benefits later.

The future of that may be in question over the next few years, but that doesn’t change the fact that phone carriers are ill-equipped to provide a viable alternative to big tech that’s already in that space and being used by millions daily. I’m also not promoting a monopoly here, but the undertones of these smaller companies and their apps are apparent and such a turn-off for many new device owners, and I’m excited to see Google drawing attention to the problem.