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Why aren't Apple's iPhone apps optional?

TheSpaz

TheSpaz

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jun 20, 2005
7,032
1
I'm getting kinda tired of Apple adding more apps to each software update.

I never use Weather, Stocks, or Voice Memos. I would like the option to remove these from my springboard without having to Jailbreak.

Also, contacts doesn't need a separate icon. I could access my contacts from within my Phone app (which is always running, go figure).

Why am I now forced to have this ugly Voice Memos icon on my iPhone when I never wanted it in the first place?

Why can't these extra apps be a part of iTunes as an optional install?
 
I agree. They should come pre-loaded, but should be able to be deleted and downloaded from the App store. Disagree about contacts, but if you want to delete it you should be able to.
 
There's a way to hide them now but I suspect you won't like the tradeoff.

iPhone OS 3.0 now allows 11 pages of apps versus the previous 9. However, you can install as many apps as you have memory for. They just won't show up in the springboard.

So you'd need to install 11 pages of apps and then move Stocks, Sound Recorder, Address Book, weather and whatever else you don't want to the non-existing 12th page.

Voilá. No more non-optional icons... but now you got 11 pages icons :eek:

The solution to this is to use each page as a category of apps so that you use, but not necessarily fill all your pages.

I do tend to agree to this. Apple should allow these non essential apps to be ticked off in the Applications list and removed.
 
Oh, boo hoo. I gotta look at icons for apps I don't use, assuming I happen to swipe over to the page of icons I don't use, which I never do.

Apple would be insane to allow them to be disabled. Zillions of electronic neophytes would accidentally remove them and spend all day calling support and bashing apple for "losing my icons."

As for allowing downloads of them, maybe - but I think you're wrong in assuming that most people dislike the same set of apps that you dislike. Plus it allows them to add feature bullets, and contributes to fawning reviews by reviewers who aren't going to take the time to download apps. Remember, Apple has (for a long time) been about the "out of the box experience," and forcing people to download functionality isn't their style.
 
cmaier said:
As for allowing downloads of them, maybe - but I think you're wrong in assuming that most people dislike the same set of apps that you dislike. Plus it allows them to add feature bullets, and contributes to fawning reviews by reviewers who aren't going to take the time to download apps. Remember, Apple has (for a long time) been about the "out of the box experience," and forcing people to download functionality isn't their style.
Click to expand...

i think they meant that they would be preinstalled but if people accidentally deleted them they could re-download them
 
cmaier said:
Oh, boo hoo. I gotta look at icons for apps I don't use, assuming I happen to swipe over to the page of icons I don't use, which I never do.

Apple would be insane to allow them to be disabled. Zillions of electronic neophytes would accidentally remove them and spend all day calling support and bashing apple for "losing my icons."

As for allowing downloads of them, maybe - but I think you're wrong in assuming that most people dislike the same set of apps that you dislike. Plus it allows them to add feature bullets, and contributes to fawning reviews by reviewers who aren't going to take the time to download apps. Remember, Apple has (for a long time) been about the "out of the box experience," and forcing people to download functionality isn't their style.
Click to expand...

It's no different from people being able to delete their apps acquired from the App Store. It's my phone, and I should be able to remove apps I never intend on using. No need for an extra space to be taken up.

Perhaps Apple should allow an 'Advanced User Settings' menu to toggle advanced functions. Just because the majority of the world is filled with stupid people, doesn't mean the ones that are capable of handling it, should be punished.
 
cmaier said:
As for allowing downloads of them, maybe - but I think you're wrong in assuming that most people dislike the same set of apps that you dislike. Plus it allows them to add feature bullets, and contributes to fawning reviews by reviewers who aren't going to take the time to download apps. Remember, Apple has (for a long time) been about the "out of the box experience," and forcing people to download functionality isn't their style.
Click to expand...
That's why I said they should come preinstalled, but should be deletable like any other app. Then if you want it back you can get it from the app store. Everyone wins. People who don't give a **** can leave the apps there, people who don't use them can delete them.
 
waterskier2007 said:
i think they meant that they would be preinstalled but if people accidentally deleted them they could re-download them
Click to expand...

Why not just have them work like the Nike + iPod app? There's a switch in Settings that adds it to the SpringBoard. Switch it again, and it removes it.
 
cmaier said:
Oh, boo hoo. I gotta look at icons for apps I don't use, assuming I happen to swipe over to the page of icons I don't use, which I never do.

Apple would be insane to allow them to be disabled. Zillions of electronic neophytes would accidentally remove them and spend all day calling support and bashing apple for "losing my icons."

As for allowing downloads of them, maybe - but I think you're wrong in assuming that most people dislike the same set of apps that you dislike. Plus it allows them to add feature bullets, and contributes to fawning reviews by reviewers who aren't going to take the time to download apps. Remember, Apple has (for a long time) been about the "out of the box experience," and forcing people to download functionality isn't their style.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Just move them to the last page of apps. Its what I do with the YouTube app.
 
The thing is... I don't wanna have 11 pages of Apps... that's why I want to get rid of them in the first place. This way, I could have possibly 1 page of apps that I always use instead of having 2 pages of apps that contain apps that I'll never launch.

I think it's kinda lame that Apple is forcing us to keep these useless apps on our devices just because it came with it. If you haven't noticed yet, the iPhone 3GS now has too many pre-installed apps to even fit on the first screen.

Why can't they just put ALL Apple apps in the restrictions section? That would take care of this problem.

What I want: 1 home page with all Apple apps, an IM client and a Twitter client. Right now, with Apple's apps taking up the entire home screen, I can't have 1 home screen even if I wanted to (unless I delete my Twitter and IM apps).

I know I can hide youtube and camera, but I like those... hah.
 
Apple’s Weather app blows, I noticed on many occasions where it’s had incorrect temperatures or forecasts for different areas. I’ve used Weatherbug for a few months and it seems to be pretty solid.
 
TheSpaz said:
The thing is... I don't wanna have 11 pages of Apps... that's why I want to get rid of them in the first place. This way, I could have possibly 1 page of apps that I always use instead of having 2 pages of apps that contain apps that I'll never launch.

I think it's kinda lame that Apple is forcing us to keep these useless apps on our devices just because it came with it. If you haven't noticed yet, the iPhone 3GS now has too many pre-installed apps to even fit on the first screen.

Why can't they just put ALL Apple apps in the restrictions section? That would take care of this problem.

What I want: 1 home page with all Apple apps, an IM client and a Twitter client. Right now, with Apple's apps taking up the entire home screen, I can't have 1 home screen even if I wanted to (unless I delete my Twitter and IM apps).

I know I can hide youtube and camera, but I like those... hah.
Click to expand...

You don't have to fill all the pages with apps to have 11 pages.
 
datamage said:
Perhaps Apple should allow an 'Advanced User Settings' menu to toggle advanced functions. Just because the majority of the world is filled with stupid people, doesn't mean the ones that are capable of handling it, should be punished.
Click to expand...

There is, it's called jailbreaking.

I consider myself an advanced user and I find that jailbreaking is a perfectly acceptable solution. I can remove any programs I want, customize my colors and styles (springboard wallpaper:) ) put 5 icons in the dock, etc...

There's very little risk anymore, and if you ever need apple support, a quick restore and you're golden.
 
This is why I jailbreak. Just to hide these annoying apps.
If you don't want to though, just move them to the last page, that's what I did before JB'ing.

It is so stupid though that they cannot be hidden in settings ...
 
I didn't want this to be a jailbreaking thread.

I just think Apple should allow us to decide which Apple apps we want on our iPhones. There's already getting to be too many apps on it as it is. The funny thing is... you can disable Safari, but you can't disable Stocks and Weather... go figure.

Right now I have a page and a half of apps. I would like to reduce it down to 1 page.
 
I agree.. I would delete STOCKS immediately. How many people really even utilize that? 1 out of every 50?

I can say not one of my friends, family members, or co-workers play the stocks that I am aware of. Not to say people dont use the app - I just don't see that high of a demand to result in making it "undeletable".

Give us the option apple!
 
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