Bloatware

In short: Bloatware means pre-installed or overloaded programs that hardly anyone needs and that take up storage, processing power and battery.

In more detail: Manufacturers often install trial versions, advertising apps and their own add-on programs on new PCs, laptops and phones. Software that piles up more and more features over time (“featuritis”) is also called bloated.

In Depth

• Problems: less free storage, longer start-up time, background processes that use memory and CPU, sometimes ads and data collection, extra attack surface (security by default).
• Removing: uninstall via the program list of the operating system, clean up autostart. On Windows a clean reinstall without manufacturer extras helps. On phones some apps can only be disabled.
• Caution: do not delete system services blindly. Look up first what a program does.
• Avoiding: when buying, look for a “clean” system, install programs only from trusted sources, declutter regularly.

See also: malware, software