The Truth Behind 'Undeletable' Facebook App

Reports which suggest that Samsung has made it impossible to delete Facebook from its smartphones turn out to be slightly overblown. In fact, the app isn't actually on the handsets in the first place.

Many media outlets have followed up on a report by Bloomberg that was sparked by Internet forum complaints. Bloomberg cited the case of a man who, like many others, was surprised to discover that it wasn't possible to delete the Facebook app on his Samsung Galaxy S8. The app had been there from the day he first used the phone. (Source: bloomberg.com)

The man noted that it was only possible to disable the app, leaving him uncertain as to what that would do, in particular how it would affect Facebook's ability to track location or phone activity.

No Data Transmitted

The report also cited Facebook as saying the disabled version of the Android app acts as if it had been deleted and that it was not collecting or transmitting data. It said that the app not being deletable was part of a deal it made with Samsung to get the app preinstalled on the phone.

As often, there's more to the story. App researcher Jane Manchun Wong has since pointed out the app that's preinstalled on Samsung phones isn't actually the real Facebook app. Instead, it's what's known as a "stub" version, which effectively acts as a placeholder. This includes getting the app icon in a prominent position from the outset. (Source: thenextweb.com)

'Disabling' Reverts To Non-Functional App

The stub version remains until the phone user OKs an app update, at which point the full version of Facebook is added to the phone.

The way Android is set up means that if the users disables the app, it will revert to the original installed version - namely the stub. This means it's again non-functional and can't collect or transmit any data.

It seems to be very much a case of Samsung and Facebook failing to communicate with customers, rather than carrying out anything shady. The real problem is one of annoyance with customers not understanding why they seemingly can't delete the app, along with the irritation that the icon remains in the list of apps, even if the user has decided they don't want Facebook any more (or in the first place).

What's Your Opinion?

Should Samsung or Facebook have clearly explained the setup to customers from the outset? Should phone makers include apps that can't be deleted, even if they are merely placeholders that don't do anything? Are deals to preinstall apps acceptable if they mean lower handset prices?