Tips for What Apps to Watch Out for in 2021

By  //  May 25, 2021

In the twenty-first century, smartphones are the permanent companions of people. Recently, these mobile devices have significantly expanded their functionality and increased their capacity, so today a smartphone of even an average class is capable of performing a wide range of tasks, thus making the life of its user more comfortable and convenient.

The main feature of smartphones that helped them gain huge popularity is not about a high-resolution camera, a fast processor, or a significant memory. The main advantage of these devices is the capability to install third-party applications. So each user fills his gadget with the features required for work, communication, or play.

Lots of apps – is it always an advantage?

Nowadays there is a huge variety of software products to be installed on a mobile device in a couple of minutes. There are special resources, such as Google Play and App Store, that feature lots of different applications for smartphones running on Android and IOS, respectively. Users can always find:

■ games of all possible genres;

■ browsers, search engines, and downloaders;

■ tools for file management in the device memory;

■ navigation programs – maps, etc.

■ applications to process images, videos, and audio records;

■ clients of popular social networks;

■ instant messengers that enable users to exchange messages, send files, and make calls online for free;

■ many programs designed to improve your smartphone usage experience, and etc.

One might think that the more applications are installed, the better – the gadget has a wide range of features, there are more possibilities and there is a suitable app for any occasion. Nevertheless, not everything in the garden is rosy, because modern mobile devices with all their speed and storage capacity still have limitations. If you overload the device with too many applications, especially those that run in the background and constantly consume the system resources, the performance of the device can be significantly impaired. 

Experts and experienced users always advise installing only those applications that are really needed for everyday use. For example, now almost all somewhat large companies offering goods and services have their applications.

However, is it really worth installing them if purchases on their platforms are rare? Of course, each person has his own preferences and needs, so those apps that are useful for one user will be completely useless for another, and vice versa. Still, there are absolutely useless programs – all sorts of system cleaners and optimizers. Their features cannot compete with the standard software of smartphones, but they fill devices with advertising and consume resources.

In addition to unnecessary load on the smartphone hardware, some applications can pose an actual threat for both the smartphone and its owner, including his money.

The hidden threat of applications

First of all, today a smartphone is not only a means of communication; it is also a notebook, mailbox, social networking device, and an electronic wallet. For instance, the NFS system that turns the phone into a tool of contactless payments has gained immense popularity all over the world, including Australia. It is really convenient and safe, especially in the current situation with coronavirus. 

Thus, it turns out that a smartphone is a compact storage of all data about its owners – travel routes, personal life, social activities, and bank card details are all stored in a small plastic box. It is not surprising that gaining access to all the data mentioned above is the number one task for fraudsters. So more and more malicious and phishing software has been developed and launched into the network being disguised as innocent add-ons to optimize the smartphone operation.

When new software is being installed, it usually asks for a number of permissions – access to the camera, internal memory, permission to make calls and send SMS messages, and so on. Basically, these functions are really necessary for correct operation, but you still need to be careful at this point.

For example, a simple flashlight application might request access to data transfers, location tracking, and so on. This is strange, to say the least, so it is better to cancel the installation of such an application and use the pre-installed options, such as a flashlight, available in almost all smartphone models today.

If a suspicious program was installed, the user should expect at least an influx of advertising and a lot of spam that will be received via e-mail. Furthermore, the user will never know for sure where the data about his geolocation, conversations, messages, and other activities is sent, who collects such data, and for what purpose. 

Unfortunately, installing programs from the official stores, such as Google Play and App Store, does not give any guarantee of the safety and reliability of these products. Every day a lot of new applications are uploaded to the above-mentioned platforms on a daily basis. So, the administration simply lacks time to check everything. To ensure the safety of data and money, it is recommended to install reliable antivirus software that will protect the information in real-time mode and prevent phishing attempts, that is, personal data theft.

Diverse malware 

It is rather difficult to compile a list of software that poses a threat to smartphones and their users. The utility’s name, interface elements, and icon can be quickly changed. But at the same time, the software features remain the same, including malicious elements. There is nothing to do but to follow common sense, avoid installing every application in sight, avoid suspicious apps, and use high-quality antivirus programs. 

How do I find reliable apps?

In fact, there are still more applications that will not harm, spy after the smartphone user, and send his data God knows where. Often, when software distributed free of charge is installed, ads will be displayed from time to time. This is the fee for using it, and that’s pretty fair. If you purchase the paid version, you can get rid of ads as well.

Statistics claim that the safest applications, besides those free and without ads, are the ones developed by large online casinos for users of mobile devices.

This software enables users to play the best free Aussie slots at any convenient time, try their hand at card battles, and test their luck in roulette. The application features are usually identical to all the features available on the website of a gambling establishment when it is accessed from a desktop. 

The high degree of security of such software products is explained by the fact that the owners of online casinos do their best to make the users of their website and application feel safe. Reputation is very important in the online gambling industry because even one case of successful fraud via a mobile application of a well-known gambling platform will immediately become widely known. In addition, the owners of gambling platforms are very sharp at counting money.

They came to the logical conclusion that it is much more profitable to invest in the development of a high-quality application with reliable protection against all threats, so as not to lose reputation and customers.

Regular updates are an important tool to ensure reliable and uninterrupted protection. All online processes occur in real-time; new threats and ways to overcome protective barriers or bypass guard systems emerge on a regular basis.

On the other hand, developers of online casino applications also stay relevant, monitor new methods of fraudsters, and work on countermeasures. Such an “arms race” may never end, but all fair players are happy with the fact that so far the developers of applications and protection systems are the winners in this confrontation.