securely delete apps from phone

India’s Ban on 89 Apps to Army Personnel, How to Securely Delete Them from Your Phone?

Based on a post by ANI (Asian News International) on twitter, the Indian Army has asked its personnel to delete 89 apps from their smartphones including Facebook, TikTok, Truecaller, and Instagram to plug leakage of information: Indian Army Sources.

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The list of the 89 applications also includes the 59 Chinese apps that are banned by the India government a couple of days ago. Not only Chinese apps, but some leading social media apps will also be forbidden by Indian soldiers and officers like Facebook, Tinder, Instagram, and Snapchat.

A deadline has been given by the India government that all the apps must be uninstalled from soldiers’ and officers’ smartphones by July 15.

The Relationship between You and an App Can Never be as Simple as Install and Uninstall.

Here’s the full list of the 89 apps to be banned from army personnel’s phones:

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The list contains applications concerning people’s numerous fields like messaging, video hosting, content sharing, web browsers, live streaming, daily utility, gaming, e-commerce, dating, antivirus, news, reading, health, lifestyle, music, and blogging.

Admit it or not, people increasingly depend on their phones and installed applications. People spend increasingly more time using their phones. Scanning a smartphone is the easiest way to kill time.

Meanwhile, the convenience of smartphones and apps binds people to them closely. Do you remember the days when there were no smartphones when people have to remember to bring a wallet, keys, or an ID card when they went out? Today, however, the only thing you should bring when you go out is just a smartphone.

I strongly believe that the apps were first used just because they are useful tools to simplify life. However, as we use it more, it has become an essential part of our life and we become increasingly dependable on it.

As developers add more features to an application, the dependability rises as well. For example, when TikTok was first used by Indians, it was mostly just for fun. Nevertheless, the first thing that comes into your mind must be “star” or “influencer” that earned huge money through publishing funny videos. More people make money through it, which makes it not so simple as a tool.

So, when you choose to or are forced to stop using an application, there’s a lot that should be done to really cut the relationship between you and the app.

securely delete apps from phone

What You Should Do before Deleting an App from Your Phone for Loss Minimization and Privacy Protection

First, withdraw money from cash accounts on apps.

You should check whether you’ve kept some money in the accounts of the apps you’re going to uninstall. If there’s some, spend or withdraw it at once so that you won’t lose your money. You know, it’s so easy to forget you have some cash in some accounts possibly because you’re seduced to use this app by keeping some money in it. Therefore, check the apps for money right now!

Second, ensure to log out the apps before deleting them.

It’s unsafe to always keep logged in your account even if you can still use the apps, let alone the apps to be banned. As you keep logged in your accounts, your username and password are easy to be stolen when you’re using an insecure WiFi or Internet access. Therefore, you should ensure your accounts have been logged out before really deleting them.

In addition, pay more attention to the browsers. You may have shopped online on a web browser like a UC browser and your account keeps logged in since the last time you use it. Therefore, even though you delete the app, your account still gets on so that hackers on the Internet can enter it for devious benefits.

Third, retrieve your files from the cloud servers of the apps.

Never forget your files stored in the cloud or servers of the apps. When you use Shareit or CamScanner, there must be some files you should keep stored in its cloud or servers so that they can be accessed whenever you want to use them. The files aren’t only the important resources for your job or school, but some of them are closely related to your top privacy as well. Have you scanned your driving ID card or medical security card using CamScanner?

Therefore, it’s of great necessity to retrieve your files from the cloud or servers of the apps. If the files aren’t useful anymore, still DELETE them. Don’t let them stay on the Internet alone!

Fourth, try to find alternatives to the banned apps.

Finding alternatives may be the best way to restart your normal life since the commonly used apps get banned.

You can use FAX to replace CamScanner to scan, edit, combine, and send your files to any number around the world using your phone.

You can use Dingtone to replace Viber, Line, or Truecaller to make free phone calls and send messages to any number in the world, landline, or smartphone.

You can use Dubsmash to replace TikTok or Kwaii to record, edit, and publish short videos of yourself at any time and any place.

The list can go on and on. With the alternative apps used, your life will return to the normal as you’ve been expecting.

An Important Note about Apps Service Payment: Android and iOS

As far as the apps calling for your monthly or yearly payment are concerned, you should cancel the automatic payment on Google Play or App Store. Otherwise, even if the apps are successfully deleted from your phone, the services will maintain unchanged and payment will be automatically finished month after month. What a disaster!

Therefore, remember to cancel any automatic payment service before deactivating the apps on your phone.


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