this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2025
1106 points (98.5% liked)

Technology

66783 readers
4958 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] yesman@lemmy.world 209 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

There should be a warning label on any establishment or product that requires a smartphone to use.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 127 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (13 children)

How about this:

At the apartments I recently moved out of, there were no quarter slots on the washing machines. They were an app that required a bluetooth connection to pay.

So if you lived there and didn't have a smartphone? Go fuck yourself, you don't get to do laundry.

Unless you bothered to check the laundry room when you were looking at the apartment, you wouldn't know. No warnings.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 29 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

That...

Is that not illegal where you live?

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (12 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Zak@lemmy.world 163 points 3 weeks ago

Any time I'm required to use an app for something that could be a website, I leave the app a one star review.

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 130 points 3 weeks ago (22 children)

Phone apps are nothing more than modern toolbars. And in case you forgot or missed this phase of the internet...

[–] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Click to win a FREE LOBSTER Dinner 🦀🦞🦐

Man I miss this era of the internet. It truly felt like a new frontier.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (21 replies)
[–] ptz@dubvee.org 100 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

I flat-out refuse to do business with any that requires I use an app. I won't even scan a QR code for a restaurant menu; that's my cue to go eat elsewhere.

[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 86 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (16 children)

I don't mind the whole online menu thing. It's probably an environmental net positive, but it's bs if they don't have ANY physical copies for those who can't or don't want to for whatever reason.

If they wanted me to install something, though, that'd be a 100% instant nope.

[–] Dhs92@programming.dev 20 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (6 children)

I mean I simply refuse to as QR code phishing is a thing

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments (15 replies)
[–] tiramichu@lemm.ee 40 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Scan QR code. Order on your phone. Pay on your phone. Asks for a tip.

So uh, what exactly am I tipping you here for dawg?

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 33 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

The funny thing about qr codes for restaurant menus to me, as someone that studied menu design. Is that actual menus are designed specific ways make the restaurant more profit and make it easier for people to find what they want. Whereas qr codes often bring one to a hastily designed list of categories which are not only less intuitive but also less manipulative. So people will end up taking longer to order less profitable dishes.

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[–] ladfrombrad@lemdro.id 99 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

I literally had to switch bank accounts because I couldn't reset my password "on the web" and required me to use Virgin Money's app.

Customer service agent(s) on the phone after prolonged discussions why their app wouldn't work on three Android phones right in front of me surfaced, and I shit you not

Well sir, I have my iPhone here and can login just fine maybe you should buy one of those instead

That day I found out about this

https://www.currentaccountswitch.co.uk/

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 50 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

have you tried stop being poor?!

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Begin by just getting a house already.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 83 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

also those who dont want to install that spyware shit on their phones. Even if you dont care about the data collection it still consumes battery faster as more and more data is being transferred

[–] benjaminb@discuss.tchncs.de 32 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

McDonald’s (in Germany at least) needs your location to “see when you arrive at the restaurant”. What the hell?! That doesn’t even work properly and they force it on me! I uninstalled the app and now I am actually happy, because without the promotion and discount stuff, I don’t eat McDanks that often anymore.

load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 68 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

If you don't have a smart phone in the US, even temporally, your almost a second class citizen.

Then if you don't install corporate apps on your phone, there are even more problems for you.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone 68 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I use GraphineOS on my Pixel 7 and even I feel penalized for caring about my privacy. Its absolutely nonsense, not everything needs an app.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 66 points 3 weeks ago (17 children)

These useless apps make Linux phone adoption harder, fuck them!

load more comments (17 replies)
[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 64 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (8 children)

everyone wants to force you to use apps instead of websites, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of apps are just websites..in a app wrapper, because normal websites and normal browsers have inbuilt protections for you.

Apps don't.

Idiots install apps, give them the 400,000 permissions they ask for, then go on their merry way..ignorant to the fact that they just installed a data vacuum on their phone thats siphoning everything off of it to be used and sold and resold for marketing purposes.. Even the phone itself its not safe, cause its sitting there, listening to your conversations, even when not on a call, to more "Accurately" spam you with bullshit.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] dukeofdummies@lemmy.world 61 points 3 weeks ago (24 children)

I for one cheer and root for my flip phone friends.

I'd never do it, but we have one at work and he's singlehandedly causing so much grief at work. Because none of the engineers wanna use a security app for login. They want a fob.

IT refuses to pay for fobs and wants us to use an app, but they also don't want to pay for a phone for anyone in engineering just to use the security app because it opens a floodgate of people with company phones.

It's just wonderful to watch this fight from the sidelines sipping tea.

load more comments (24 replies)
[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 58 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

As I've been making an effort to replace apps with the browser version of the service. It's so abundantly clear that companies don't want you using their website.

Even if they don't outright cripple functionality, they'll hound you endlessly to install the app.

It's infuriating to say the least.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] ambitiousslab@lemmy.ml 57 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

This affects me a lot day to day. I have a phone, but it runs postmarketOS, not iOS or Android. It really shows me the importance of open standards. I feel that every business should be required to support open standards for each of the services they offer.

For me, buying train tickets used to be ok, but is getting harder now. Some train operators are really pushing you to use their app now, and getting rid of the option to download a PDF. It really frustrates me: it's not like it costs them more to offer PDF download - if anything, it's much cheaper to offer that functionality than to build and maintain an app for iOS and Android.

Back when I had an Android phone, I used Monzo, and it was so easy to send money to friends, set up standing orders etc. I wish they offered a proper web interface. Now, I use Natwest's online banking, and it's a real pain - I use the card reader to authenticate, then the website logs me out seemingly every 2 mins of inactivity. Some features, like pre-notifying that you'll be travelling abroad, are only available on the app. I only see this trend continuing.

The concert tickets example in the article is insane to me. I can't think of a use case that is better suited for PDFs, and that's what we've been doing for the last 10+ years without any issues. It really is user hostile and excludes people on the edges of society who don't fit, for whatever reason, with what the 80-90% do.

[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 59 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

apps allow user tracking and advertising though. Much more valuable to the corpos than a few lost customers.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Xanthobilly@lemmy.world 55 points 3 weeks ago

It’s also a gigantic information harvesting ploy.

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 47 points 3 weeks ago (13 children)

THIS IS ACTUALLY SO REAL FUCKING SMARTPHONES I HATE STEVE JOBS FUCK YOU WHY DID YOU RUIN TECHNOLOGY.

ok rant over, but seriously though, it's so fucked how you basically just need a smartphone to do ANYTHING these days. I don't want a phone, i have no use for one.

load more comments (13 replies)
[–] distortwave@lemmy.ml 47 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The whole using your phone for everything from grocery shopping to just doing whatever Like getting deals or whatever?, Can it please go away?

They're collecting our data anyways.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] recursive_recursion@lemmy.ca 41 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

A mobile app requirement is an easy excuse for me to nope the fuck out.

[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

My old apartment had gates that could only be opened with an app. They took out the card reader and made it app only. Should have gotten out of there much earlier than I did.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 40 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (10 children)

Even if I was willing to download all of those apps I don't have room for them. They chew up 50-300mb each (why!?) and if I installed all of them I'd run out of memory. Since most phones now don't support memory expansion I have to be picky about which ones I use.

I have THREE separate parking apps because I travel.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 24 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The reason they're so huge is

  1. They're generally not well optimized by the creators.
  2. They all contain their own dependencies
  3. There's a LOT of stuff in them (both code and dependencies). Which is kind of an optimization problem, but potato potato.
[–] kayazere@feddit.nl 29 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Mobile apps are also loaded with third party ad and spyware frameworks which bloats up the size.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (9 replies)
[–] SabinStargem 32 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I am still on a flip phone. It is usually silent, and I don't spend much time with it at all. While I am missing out on discounts and such, I simply hate the idea of constantly using a phone. Email is my telecommunication of choice, but receptionists don't understand the idea, unfortunately.

My household bought a Rinnai water heater, and the bastard needed a phone to set the temperature. Thing is, it couldn't communicate with the two or three phones that were used on it. Fortunately, there was an old-school modification for a physical keypad, but that had to be bought separately.

Phones are just not my thing.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That is what I noticed. Everything these days require app to get shopping vouchers, book tickets, go in to your local gym, pay in store (we are being weaned off from using cash) etc.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] BigTrout75@lemmy.world 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yep, the homeless pay more!

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago

Remember the meltdown over “Obamaphones”?

[–] TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee 28 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Not having a phone really sucks in this day and age. Imagine getting out of jail for something stupid like marijuana possession and then a parole violation due to a missed appointment. No one will hire you with your rap sheet. You live in a halfway house with a bunch of petty BS every day. And you can't keep up with your parole demands because of how much your lack of a phone gets in your way. At the end of the day, there IS a way to succeed if you make the right choices, but shit, it's just so much harder for some people to make the right choices when every day is crisis mode. And all because of WHAT?

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 28 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

I'm young and I fucking hate apps. I have android phone without a google account which works well for the most part. I'm too dumb to install LineageOS. and Linux phones aren't really an option in the US.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 26 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

they make older phones become useless after ditching their support

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] dirthawker0@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

I'm in California where we have a grocery chain, Safeway. They've had a loyalty card for decades, which works great, gets you good deals, can be scanned by the checkout clerk or at self checkout. It also racks up points which can be used for discounts.

About 2 years ago I started seeing signs in the store offering even greater savings through the app. There will sometimes be 2 signs side by side for the loyalty card vs the app. The app is always a better deal.

So I downloaded the app and learned

  • the app cannot scan your membership at self checkout, you have to be checked out by a clerk
  • the app's membership number is different from your loyalty card number and the two cannot be merged.
  • because of that your points can't be transferred to the app

It's the dumbest thing ever. Why not just offer the better savings to the loyalty card? Isn't that the whole point behind loyalty? I literally shop at Safeway less often now.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

Loyalty cards werent a great thing either.

They werent to reward your loyalty, they were to tie your purchase history to an individual, So that information can be used and sold for marketing purposes.

It was basically the prototype for the invasive, information stealing apps we have today.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (8 replies)
[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

The same goes for customer loyalty cards. All market tracking schemes should be rightfully banned.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] Cool_Name@lemm.ee 19 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

I am still using a flip phone. My new goal is to make it to 2027 marking two decades of rejecting the smartphone era. Each time I consider compromising something gets even more awful about smartphones and I double down on saying no.

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 3 weeks ago

YES full support! I have and am sending this from my smartphone but I'll stop going to your store before I download your stupid fucking app for a free mcflurry or whatever the fuck pisspoor excuse you have for installing malware on my devices.

load more comments
view more: next ›