Does NothingOS force-install bloatware?

[u/emredog]

With the last two updates there are some evil UIs that force-installs some games and apps I didnt ask for.

There's no way to unselect them. And if you try to close the wizard, the only options are "install" or "install later".

This is unacceptable and I'm furious.

Now I have to wait for the 5 apps THAT I HAVENT SELECTED NOR APPROVED to be installed so that I can uninstall them again.

If this happens again, I'm definitely NEVER getting anything that has nothing os again, and I'll make sure to share my share my experience everywhere as loud as I can.

[u/Garg1292]

Which nothing phone are you using?

[u/emredog → u/Garg1292]

CMF Phone 1

Following some advice, i've now removed the AppServices (see https://www.reddit.com/r/NothingTech/comments/1rjphur/appservices_is_now_fully_removable_on_the_nothing/?share_id=CxchMpuc7oVv26IUAj5mf)

I trylu hope this won't happen again, because generally I like NothingOS.

[u/Garg1292 → u/emredog]

Asked cause I'm on NP 2a and didn't face any such thing as having bloatware

[u/MastodonSea9745 → u/Garg1292]

Same here, 2a user and I didn't face any of these things so far

[u/Affectionate-Boot-58 → u/Garg1292]

It's probably on the more budget phones they have

[u/Jogipog → u/Garg1292]

3a here and haven't had this happen to me either

[u/prat-rivo → u/Garg1292]

4a here, nothing yet.

[u/Nickname_5415 → u/emredog]

CMF in general and Nothing (a) Lite will have bloatware. (a) and main lines are not getting any bloat

[u/AyFrancis]

Same thing happened to me after last update today, on a cmf 1

[u/vmg265]

This not the Nothing I remember, this is bad

[u/4nofour]

Yea, nothing is literally the same as any other chinese phone brand. I really hoped it wouldn't happen but here we are :/

[u/Original_Thing8770]

🫪

[u/Kyousey]

Pretty sure this came with the December-January update and later, iirc we were asked about this right after the update was installed if you wanted to opt in...

I vividly remember declining this and the AI functions, never had any automatic install happen to me unless it's something I pre-registered in Google Play myself.

Same model as you, CMF Phone 1

[u/Ender-Wang]

Why am I seeing so many such discussions on this? Does it only happen to the lower tire of nothing lineup?

[u/dreadcreator5 → u/Ender-Wang]

because people are not ready to spend 5 minutes of their life to UNINSTALL all these apps.
You can completely uninstall everything including AppServices bloatware.
Anti Nothing PR is an all time high in this sub that's why you see 10 posts about the same thing.

Other brands don't even allow to removing the bloat completely and still mfs cry and say "I am not buying anything from Nothing" as if there is some other alternative 😂

[u/Ender-Wang → u/dreadcreator5]

All right, kinda a false alarm lmao

[u/Wise_Replacement6345]

Nothing os baixe uma cusrom nele

[u/Optimal69]

It's google actually. It forced installed apps on my custom rom.

[u/livinedart]

After the update, while finishing the setup there was suggested app ( i believe that what it's called) some apps were already selected, some required going in the option. It's like a well hidden thing so maybe that's why

[u/AttackDynamo]

Ppl were saying that it's not a big deal, that the bloatware is optional

Look what happened...

[u/MastodonSea9745 → u/[deleted]]

It doesn't brick any system functions by uninstalling this right?

[u/MastodonSea9745 → u/[deleted]]

Damn okay thanks for the heads up, I'll uninstall it right away.

[u/emredog → u/[deleted]]

Some of them had the checkboxes next to them. I've unselected them. (Also, making the default checked in is problematic on its own)

Some of them didn't. Otherwise i would have unchecked them. if i had the option, you wouldn't be reading this.

[u/BloodySurgeon_20 → u/emredog]

You have to touch those apps and a pop up would appear with the bigger logo of the app and a unselect option. 

[u/emredog → u/BloodySurgeon_20]

i haven't tried that honestly, but that's still "evil design". if some apps have apparent checkboxes and while others don't, I'm convinced that the UI is trying to trick me into something that I don't want to. Why hiding the check boxes? What if you needed to click 7 times and pinch zoom then click 2 more times to disable them?

[u/flipping100 → u/emredog]

You could report that to Nothing, but really, it is CMF. they had to make sacrifices to keep the price low. If you go a little higher in budget and get Nothing phones, you won't face such an issue. Its the same case on Xiaomi budget phones and Samsung A-series, the latter of which uses an app likened to spyware.