Yes! Unless you’re meticulous about phone maintenance practices, there’s a good chance you’re toting around far more apps than you need. Cleaning up your apps will make your phone easier to navigate, perform better, and also make it more secure. Old apps that no longer get updates or that you haven’t updated in some time can harbor serious security flaws.
When the Google Play app store launched in 2012, there were just over 500,000 apps to choose from. Today, that number has grown to more than 2.5 million. That’s explosive growth—and for most smartphone users, it also means an explosive growth in the number of apps tucked away on your device.
A quick flick through your apps will likely reveal a few forgotten oldies that you haven’t opened in months, or even years. Here’s how to get rid of them.
Android smartphones: For all versions of Android, open the Settings menu on your device, then go to Apps or Application manager (depending on your device). Find the app you want to delete and tap the Uninstall button.
The app will be deleted from your device in a matter of seconds in most cases. Once completed, you’ll be directed back to the Apps menu, where you can repeat the process to delete more apps if you need to.
If you’re running a newer version of Android, you can also delete right from your device home screen. Open the app drawer where all of your apps are located, tap and hold the one you want to get rid of, and drag it to the Uninstall section on the screen. Then, tap OK to remove the app.
For iPhone users: The process for deleting an app from an iPhone is pretty straightforward. Apps can be deleted right from your home screen or whatever folder you have an app placed in. Just touch and hold the app, then tap Delete App from the menu that appears to remove it.
Whichever type of smartphone you have—or method you use—now is a great time to clean up your device and toss those unwanted apps to the digital curb. It’s easy to do, and you’ll enjoy a much better smartphone experience.
The reason I went over on my phone plan for this month is because we had a terrible wind storm here in Salt Lake City and my 70 foot spruce tree blew over on my neighbors house. We were without power or home phone service for over 5 days. This was a very unusual circumstance for me.
Hi Lynda, thanks for your post. Those moments definitely happen, and those are what the auto upgrades are for, that way you’re not paying expensive overage fees for those emergency situations. When your cycle starts over again, you can lower your plan right back down to where it was before by going to your online account here or by giving us a call at 800-686-4460.
iF i CAN’T USE THIS VISA CARD THEN i WON’T PAY THE MONTHLY ACCOUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Louie, thanks for your post. If you have a valid Visa card you’d like to use for paying towards your account, you’re welcome to use it. To make sure we have the correct information on file, you’re welcome to give us a call at 800-686-4460 or you can also go to your online account here to make sure that it’s correct.
Can I make account on my iPhone for consumer cellular account??
Hi Pamela, thanks for your question. If you’re wanting to set up your online account for Consumer Cellular you can definitely do so using the Consumer Cellular app on your phone.
I cannot get into Facebook notifications. I was installing a program I didn’t want and now Facebook doesn’t work. Juliet
O
Hi Juliet, thanks for your post. We’re not able to troubleshoot the application itself, if you’re not getting your notifications, I would make sure they’re enabled in the settings of the phone itself. Otherwise, what I would recommend would be to uninstall and reinstall the application. If you continue to have trouble, I would recommend reaching out to their customer service to see if there is something going on with the app itself.
What can be transferred to my new phone
Great question, Leslie! If you are activating a new phone, you can move information such as contacts, and photos with things such as Gmail accounts, Apple accounts, or memory SD cards, depending on the phone you’re switching from and to. If you have any questions or need some help with this, give us a call at 800-686-4460 or you can also chat with one of our agents here.
I probably do have more apps than I need
I’m am sure I do
I tried to disable Facebook because I don’t use it. There was no uninstall showing for it. It told me if I disabled the app it may cause other apps to stop working correctly. Is this true?
Hi Jenny, if you disabled the Facebook app, the only other apps that may be affected are ones related to it. This would include apps like Facebook Messenger, or if you have any games on your phone that sync your save file to your Facebook account; those may be affected.
Why does my iPhone heat up all the time with even short use?
Hi Nola, thanks for your question! The phone warming up, even with small batches of usage, is normal. The phone may heat up more if there is a case on it while you’re using it as well. Any kind of usage, including charging the phone, can cause the phone to warm up.
I need a new phone and am thinking about a new 11 Pro Max..
How do I know if I need an app. For phone to operate properly??
Thank you for commenting, Shirley. If you have an iPhone, the system will not allow you to delete a system-essential app so you won’t need to worry. If you have an Android smartphone, I recommend only deleting apps you’ve installed yourself if you don’t want to accidentally delete an app that is essential.
When will IPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max be in stock????
Thank you for posting, Carolyn. Because we don’t have restock dates available for our phones, we recommend checking our website periodically. Once a phone is back in stock, our website will be updated immediately and the phones would be available for purchase.
Since the latest update I’m able to delete apps a lot easier now.
What are the pluses and minuses for the android vs. smart phone?
Hi Bill, Android phones are smartphones. The word Smartphone is an umbrella term generally referring to any mobile phone that has a touchscreen interface with similar functions to a computer.
How can I see activity on my other phone?
Hi Tricia, you can review detailed usage when logged into your account here. If you want to see what apps are in use on the device, you would need to be looking at that specific device.
When I get a new iphone, must I have my photos in icloud in order to move them to the new iphone?
Hi Gary, you don’t need to have your photos on your iCloud account to move them over but you will need to backup your iPhone. You can do so by following Apple’s steps here. When you’re setting up your new iPhone, you can restore it from the iCloud backup and everything would be on your new phone.
Can I switch my Verizon landline number to my Consumer Cellular phone already in use with it’s own number?
You certainly can, Pam. This would require us to temporarily add a line and send you a new SIM card to transfer your Verizon number over, but once it’s done, we can cancel the number you no longer need. Please keep in mind that a phone can only be used with one number at a time.
If I purchase an Apple Watch, can I use it to replace one of my phones?
Hi Joyce, the cellular function of the Apple Watch is not compatible with our service because we do not support eSIMs. However, if can be paired with an iPhone via Bluetooth.
When will the new iPhone 12 be available for upgrades/purchase?
Hi Robert, thanks for your question. We don’t know yet if the iPhone 12 will be a phone we carry, generally, we find out when the phone is released or right afterward. We’d recommend checking the website periodically though as any information about us having this phone will be listed there first.
I lost my consumer cellular phone in my house or garage. I was needing a new phone anyways so I have ordered should be here in a day or two. just now thinking will it come with a sim card? how will I activate to keep my same number?
Hi Simply, those are some good questions! All of our phones come with a SIM card already installed in the phone for you. When you ordered the phone, it would have been associated with that new line so that when you activate it, it will activate with that same number. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to help you with that process.