this post was submitted on 29 May 2024
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Google appears to have quietly rolled out a feature to the Play Store that allows users to remotely uninstall apps from other devices.

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[–] [email protected] 79 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I know it's sometimes informative, but I really hate the popularity of "$x quietly does $y" in headlines.

You want Google to run ads on TV or something? It's a tiny feature.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Agreed, it's such a clickbaity tactic - makes it sound like they're revealing some dark secret Google wanted kept hidden, when in fact it sounds like a small but useful change to improve customer experience, but not something that they would make a big deal out of.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Yeah. The title actually made me think they had rolled out the ability for Google to remove an app from my phone when it's been removed from the Play Store.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Google has always been able to remove installed apps remotely, although I believe they only use it for malicious apps, not for apps that simply get removed from the Play Store.

But I've also been mislead by the headline.

Clickbait makes me appreciate my preferred small tech news outlet, which has been doing serious journalism without sensationalism for over 25 years. The authors even interact in their forum, which is still active because of how the site actually cares about the community.

My mental list of sites I try to avoid is longer than the list of actually good sites. Sadly those thrash sites get pushed up in rankings of Google News and similar aggregators because clickbait clicks well.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Likewise, that's just how I read it.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 months ago

"Google Slams Play Store with Remote Uninstall Update"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

It's probably more to mean they didn't make a blog post or a popup dialog or something

But yeah a lot of media headlines and wording tends to make things as sensationalized as possible bc clicks or smth

[–] [email protected] 33 points 5 months ago

Makes sense. You can install apps remotely. Why not uninstall?

[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 months ago (2 children)

is this so app makers can delete their apps on my phone when they go under or get pulled or decide to rob everyone?

[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I don't think you even read the summary in the OP that describes exactly what this feature does. This is a feature for users for their owned devices. You can remotely install apps already. Now you can do the opposite.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Reading is a long awaited feature for most Lemmy users.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

man you ain't kiddin

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I thought the joke is that their real goal is to misuse it and they pretend it to be a feature.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

oh good, i was starting to think everybody thought it was an actual question!

edit: lol, such hostility around here, y'all cute

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

you're funny.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Its for users to uninstall apps they installed.

Google has always had the ability to remote uninstall apps in the Play Store services since day 1.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 5 months ago

They've had this ability for years, to remove copromosed apps from devices, they're just giving it to users now.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 5 months ago

Joke's on you, Google! I uninstalled the Play store weeks ago!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

So you can you finally uninstall Play Store remotely?!

F-Droid>>>>

[–] [email protected] -5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

By adding a free feature that doesn't make anything worse?