Apps have now become as integral to our lives as breathing or eating. There’s an app for everything these days – whether it’s your health, checking the condition of your car, or keeping an eye on your baby’s milestones and progression. Computer and cellphone applications have pretty much taken over our lives. App with low review rate don’t just fill our need to be entertained, but also keep us informed about ourselves and the surrounding. However, the question that remains unanswered is, how do you know which app is helpful?
You may have come across an app that you thought was extremely useful but it turned out to be spam. And there is nothing more horrendous than finding out that the app you took so long to download was actually nothing more than either a virus or something totally opposite of what you thought it would be. This is the reason why you have to be very careful when you download an app from the app store. And this is where app reviews come in.
App reviews are comments and suggestions, opinions and thoughts of the users of the app that you want to download. These reviews help you decide the usability, productivity, and success of the app at hand. They will also tell you whether the app that you want to download is worth space in your phone and whether it’s a good idea to spend money to purchase it.
Before downloading, check the reviews which are visible below the download option present on the app. Five stars show the worth of the app; 1 represents an app which isn’t appreciated, while 5 stars are only given to managing apps softwares and websites which are high in performance.
Here are 7 reasons why we should never download a low review app:
1 – It will consume a lot of your phone’s space
An app with low review rate will take up a lot of space on your device. At first, you may think that it’s just a few MB’s, but with constant updates, the occupied space will continue to increase and slow down the efficiency of your phone. Consequently, your phone may become slow or even hang in extreme cases.
2 – App with low review rate will drain your phone’s battery
Do you feel like your phone’s battery dies too quickly? Many apps can do that, particularly the ones that do not have good reviews or any reviews. No matter how many times you seem to force it shut, the app with low review rate somehow continues to run in the background and discharges your phone or tablet.
3 – It will make your device susceptible to viruses
Do not assume that viruses can only damage computers; they are equally hazardous for your phones and tablets. Apps that have bad reviews or an app with low review rate are likely to contain some kind of virus that will either damage the hardware or software of the phone.
Simply deleting the app may not be enough and you may feel the need to restore factory settings to get your device to work properly again.
4 – It can cause your data to be hacked
This is perhaps the worst thing that an airg spam app can do to your phone; it can become the reason for breach of personal data. You may notice that when you download apps, they ask permissions for using certain data and functions of the phone like the camera, microphone, your email address, images, etc. This means that the app developers get access to some of your personal information that you might otherwise not be comfortable sharing.
To avoid this mishap, make sure to review the permissions requested by the app before installation. Ask yourself does the app really require this information? Does any request seem suspicious? Don’t worry if you’ve already installed the app because, in Android 6.0 and later versions, you can grant or revoke the rights in device settings.
5 – It can cause terrorist activities
Apps are open to any and all developers. While well-known developers get high ratings for their apps, there’s nothing stopping terrorists and hackers. If you take the risk of downloading an app with a low review rate, you may be giving extremists the chance to use your information for attacks and for other such ill intentions
6 – It will cause constant crashes
One of the possible reasons for an app getting low ratings and bad reviews is that it keeps crashing again and again. People have zero patience when an app crashes. Research shows that approximately 46% app users want their app to start within 2 seconds. And 53% will uninstall an app if it crashes. Apps usually crash when the OS is unstable or hasn’t been updated. Therefore when downloading an app, make sure that it is reliable by checking if it’s still updated and supported by the app store.
The App Store and Google Play both show the last date of the last update. The more recent the update, the more reliable the app. Besides an unstable OS, other reasons can cause an app to crash.
Here are some of them:
- Small API modifications in error rates, API version, API latencies, and API requests can sometimes turn into big problems, causing the app to crash.
- Apps that are not properly tested and don’t meet the industry standards show poor performance and crash.
7- App with low review rate can disrupt your network
One app is all it takes to disrupt your network settings. In case a compromised phone establishes a connection to your local network, it can spread error across all the devices connected to that network. To ensure that your network does not suffer any damage, be very selective in downloading apps.
First and foremost, assess your needs. Don’t download an app just because you have to have it. See if it lists down things that you need in an app.
Precautions you should take
If you don’t want an app to damage your phone or possibly make you end up in jail because you added a terrorist, here are some things you should do to ensure that the app you’re using is authentic and safe.
Check for authentic reviews
Keep in mind that the reviews you check need to be from actual users who are giving honest, trustworthy suggestions. Paid reviews can exaggerate the efficiency and productivity of the application to increase its popularity. So, be sure to take the word of active profiles with real people behind them. One more way to get honest reviews is through different popular app review websites.
Make sure you go through more than one review to ensure the authenticity and credibility of the desired app and also get in touch with the reviewer if possible for further confirmation.
Apps get different levels of reviews from people across the globe. Some people might have high claims about its productivity while others may be offended by its features. It matters whether or not it’s workable in your country/region. Therefore, check where the location of the reviewer is and whether or not their feedback applies to you.
Check coding and functionality
If an app has too much going on regarding functionality, this implies that it has extensive coding, which consequently means that it will take up a lot of space on your phone. A simple single-purpose app is more likely to get a good review than one that claims to perform many tasks but ultimately crashes and burns. If you’re having trouble finding simple apps, try these things:
- If you like an app by a certain developer, go through their other apps as well. Chances are you might find one that you like.
- The App Store and Google Play both have an ‘Editor’s Pick’ section that highlights some of the best performing apps. Go through them and see if there is one that fits your requirements.
- Filtering apps by categories can help you narrow down your selection and find one that is suitable for you.
- You can get app recommendations from your friends. They can give you a comprehensive review of what they like and dislike about the app, and how it can benefit you.
Check developer
Finally, one of the best things you can do to ensure that you’re downloading an app that is authentic and won’t damage your phone is to install one that is developed by a popular developer. Companies like Konstant Infosolutions, Zco Corporation, and Y Media Labs, are well known for their apps and have the highest ratings and reviews.
On the other hand, if you like an app that isn’t powered by a renowned developing company, you can also check if the screenshots, description, and reviews are on point. Remember, someone who just wants to get into your phone to compromise its security won’t spend the time to write detailed descriptions or upload screenshots.