The other day I got a new vacuum. It didn’t come with a manual. It came with a postcard with a QR code. Scanning the QR code led you to download an app, which you needed if you were going to have any chance of assembling the thing properly. In the 15 years since Apple opened its App Store, there have probably been millions of apps. MILLIONS. Some are useful, for sure. Some are fun. Most are just ridiculous. But do you ever get the feeling that it’s all gotten just a little bit out of hand?
When apps are a good thing
Now, there are a couple of different kind of apps. We all know about games and social networking, that sort of things. These are apps that really just work on your phone. They don’t interact with anything else. And, that’s fine. Of course you are generally free to load any app you want on your phone. More importantly you’re free to delete (almost) any app on your phone if you don’t like it. There are a few that can’t be deleted, but even Apple lets you delete a lot of their installed apps now. It’s up to you.
There are a lot of apps that make life better, or at least more fun. They let us connect with friends and family, enjoy ourselves, and even make our photos look like they were taken by a professional. That’s all good stuff.
The problem that I’m talking about
Really, though, my beef is with apps that control other things. I’m talking about the one for your oven, for your streaming box, or for any of the other gadgets you have. If you want a high-quality appliance for your home (assuming there are such things anymore, I’m not convinced) it will probably come with an app of some sort. This app may allow you to control something else in a really specific way. It may add features. Or, it may just let you access an owner’s manual or contact support.
Manufacturers will tell you that adding app support keeps costs down and even saves the planet. They’ll tell you that using your phone is going to be easier than navigating a bunch of real buttons and switches that you don’t understand. They’ll also tell you that eliminating paper waste is saving the environment. But let’s all not kid each other. Adding an app lets them cut the number of parts in their products, cut their costs, and avoid high printing expenses. They’ll tell you it’s all about making it better for you. Maybe, but that’s secondary to cutting their costs.
I shouldn’t have to keep a dozen apps loaded just to use my home appliances. I should be able to do everything I want just with the thing I have in front of me. And folks, it’s even worse with home theater. If you’ve bought any sort of home theater equipment lately you’ll notice that there are practically no real buttons on anything. Even the remotes only have a handful of them. If you really want to dig into the thing, whatever it is, well boom you’ll need another app.
It’s getting a little ridiculous, don’t you think?
Yeah, most of these apps are pretty small and most can be tucked away in a folder and hardly ever used. But wouldn’t it be nice just to be able to set the temperature on your refrigerator without pulling out an app? Seems to me we used to be able to do this, why can’t we now?
I wonder if these companies think that we’re happier without physical buttons and with apps. Maybe in some cases we are, but the worst case scenario is that these apps are poorly written and don’t work right. Apps can stop working with operating system upgrades, meaning you’ll lose critical functions. They can also just work poorly from the get-go. I say, enough already.
My two exceptions: cars and money
Even as cranky as I am about this thing, I’ll carve out two exceptions. A lot of cars are starting to come with apps that let you unlock or start the car remotely. They’re a lifesaver if you’ve lost your keys. Even if these apps don’t work really well, at least they will give you something. The better apps will even let you know where your car is, whether you misplaced it in a parking lot or if it gets stolen.
I also have become a big fan of payment apps like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. These apps are much more secure than handing someone a paper check or physical credit card. They’re also more sanitary, especially if the payment terminal doesn’t make you tap a button or sign. Naturally, you’ll have to be sure to secure your phone, but even an unsecured phone is no more of a threat than your naturally unsecured wallet.
For the most part the makers of car apps and payment apps are doing it right. Yes, the car apps could be invalidated by a software or service update, but if you use them as a backup to your car keys, that’s less of a concern. The payment apps are generally baked into the phone software so there’s less worry about them becoming obsolete
Where we go now
I think there is going to be some natural backlash against EVERYTHING having an app. Unless manufacturers just make every app perfect, people are just going to get tired of the whole thing. It’s a shame because I think the idea of having apps to control your stuff is great. But if the execution doesn’t hold up, it’s not going to work.
