Facebook cannot be removed from certain Samsung phones: Here's why
What's the story
Facebook and Samsung are facing flak for inking a deal which makes the social network's app undeletable from certain devices made by the South Korean giant.
The issue has been around for quite a while, but now, after a Bloomberg report brought the matter into light, people are getting frustrated, even vowing to ditch Samsung devices.
Here's more on the issue.
Problem
Case of Facebook app on Samsung phones
Much like all other OEMs, Samsung also offers certain pre-installed apps on its Android devices, including Facebook.
It is pretty common to see something like this, but now, people have discovered that there's no way to uninstall the app.
The best one can do is 'disable' the app, which removes it from the app drawer and keeps it from running.
Information
Issue spotted on flagship Galaxy phones
As per Bloomberg, the problem of undeletable Facebook has been spotted on Galaxy S8 and S9, the most recent flagships from Samsung. Even our Galaxy S7 model wasn't able to uninstall it.
Details
Facebook claims this behavior is part of its deal
When the issue got flagged, a Facebook spokesperson told Bloomberg that the behavior was a result of its deal with Samsung.
The company didn't provide any details but said, "Whether the app is deletable or not depends on various pre-install deals Facebook has made with phone manufacturers, operating systems and mobile operators around the world over the years, including Samsung."
Concerns
However, this has raised alarms among Samsung users
Facebook's revelation has frustrated Samsung phone users who wanted to get rid of the network, at least by removing its app.
This is mainly because Facebook has been battling several issues, including fake news, data leaks.
"It just absolutely baffles me that if I wanted to completely get rid of Facebook that it essentially would still be on my phone," one user told Bloomberg.
Resolution
However, both companies say disabling works as uninstalling
As users continue to raise alarms, both the companies have stressed that disabling is basically similar to deleting.
The app will act as if it's been uninstalled and won't be collecting any information unless the user goes back and enables it again.
However, many unconvinced users are still bothered by the fact that even after disabling, the app stays on their phone.