Comment by MostlyStable

4 days ago

I don't think he's complaining about having a lot of apps, or the ability to have a lot of apps. He's complaining about being required to use apps for hundreds of small interactions every day that don't, or shouldn't, require an app. And he's correct. Companies are doing this not because they think it's better, but because they believe that if they can worm their way onto your device, and insert their cloud service (even if it's initially free), that they can turn you into a more reliable and/or recurring revenue stream in the future, either because you feel locked into their ecosystem so you will buy other products from their lineup, or, even better, buy a subscription service.

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MostlyStable

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wat10000  4 days ago

Maybe I'm in a tech desert, but I can't remember the last time I was required to use an app for anything. It's a convenient option for my grocery store loyalty card, certain restaurant menus, my HVAC system, etc., but not mandatory. I've heard of restaurants that have no physical menus but I haven't come across one myself.

  • jackjeff  4 days ago

    Some banks. And requesting a French marriage certificate from abroad.

    A few years ago I could have done it all on a Linux PC.

  • what  3 days ago

    90% of the “coupons” at Safeway are “digital deals”. You have to use the app to scan the barcode in store just to get a regular price. Fast food is the same, don’t order through the app and you get ripped off. You’re not forced to use an app an unless you’re okay with getting ripped off.

Aurornis  4 days ago

> He's complaining about being required to use apps for hundreds of small interactions every day

This is the exaggeration that makes these claims fall flat for me.

How are you getting to hundreds of smartphone interactions per day that require apps?

  • dylan604  4 days ago

    Just because you don't need to interact with all of them today does not mean that interaction isn't required when needed.

what-the-grump  4 days ago

We’ve had smartphones for a decade and I don’t think I have 100 apps on my phone even if you included the ones that came with my phone.

And daily I maybe use 4-6 apps at most.

  • reaperducer  3 days ago

    When I moved to a new apartment in 2021, I did a tally and there was something like 17 new apps associated with it. Off the top of my head:

      - Rent payment/contracts app
  - Rent deposit app (for some reason a different app)
  - Maintenance app
  - Community notices/amenities app
  - Dry cleaning app
  - Package app
  - Pet concierge app (reserve the dog park, etc.)
  - Apartment building parking/valet app
  - App for the company that owns the building so you can use amenities at any of the other company buildings in town
  - Another company app so you can reserve a guest suite at another company-owned building in another city
  - App to unlock your apartment door if you lose your fob
  - App for the restaurant in the lobby
  - Internet company app (Man, that place had great internet.  I miss that the most.)
  - Satellite TV company app
  - City parking app

    There were other apps, but I don't care enough now to go looking for the list I made back when I cared about it.

    From a technical standpoint, almost all of those apps could be consolidated into one app, but that's not how the real world works. These days companies outsource each little function to a different provider, and each of those providers has its own app.