I just started with a new phone and tablet, both runing on Android...
Since I started with computer stuff about 25 years ago I always valued free programs or offers for small and reasonable fee directly to the programmer - like you still see it for donation ware.
But using "freeware" on Android seems to be almost impossible unless you are willing to waste a lot of money on mobile data so get crap ads showing up - often interrupting a game or program...
Similar story when you try to get a game hack these days: out of 100 websites at least 99 will direct you to some survey or similar.
Would not even mind doing a quick survey if the raised money helps the hacker, but almost all of them are a scam!
You have to provide your mobile number, Email and sometimes more - only to get fooled if you are really stupid enough to provide those details.

Freeware means free, but not that a software is unuasbale unless you provide modil data...
Even most simple programs fool you by only working if they can download some vital parts of the program, most claim to provide up to date data...
I now tend to ignore all free programs that show the need for network access in the play store as to 99% the network access is only needed for crap and I don't like wasting money on crap.
IMHO the playstore needs a new category, so you have one for paid apps, one for free apps and the last for bloatware.
The term "FREEWARE" has been misused to a stage where I have to say (for Android at least) that there is nothing for free that is worth it.
Some of the most popular games started ot as pure freeware, with every update only a few new features have been added but endless amounts of advertisements and bloatware were included.
On top of that, and especially dangerous for the younger generation is a thing I like to label "fraudulent freeware" - programs and games that appear to be free to use but in fact force/fool you into to buying more features/add ons online.
A perfect example for that rubbish is Simposons Tapped out - unless you do it illegal or waste all your hard earned cash the game is not playable as it takes you literally years to get going.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand that some things need finance and that ads are one way of doing so - but a mobile device is not a PC connected to an unlimited ADSL connection in your home.
For many countries unlimited data is only something to dream of, same for at least fast internet at a good price.
So I've done a simple check and installed some popular freeware programs and games and used an pre-paid Sim I had sitting around.
Topped it up with 5 $ of mobile data, in my case valued for 2GB of data.
Since most noobs do the mistake I also allowed online data for positioning and Google services.
Well, let me put it that way:
It was a wakeup call as the 2GB had been killed within 6days.
So did the same test again, but this time with the settings so that mobile data is only used if my WiFi is not in reach.
Result was only 2 days longer until the mobile data was gone.
Ads, in-game-music, some updates in the background and your money is gone again...
Good thing is that I know what I was doing, but now I can understand how people manage to get overcharged by hundreds of dollars when they start a new contract for a new phone.

Unless you going the illegal way or only use proper programs and games being online can be a costly game these days.
Worst part about it is that even if you uninstall the crapware parts of it will still fill up your device and waste memory.

What are your prime offenders in terms of too many ads, bloatware or simply being useless as freeware unless you pay extra?
Did you every receive a high phone bill because of some new programs you installed?

I use naggy toast messages on app start and finish to encourage the premium upgrade, I hate ads and will never use them in my apps.

BTW on a rooted device Lucky Patcher can install a system wide block on Google ads.

I know about Lucky patcher, but the I9505 I got has a secured and locked bootloader, so I don't want to mess with it too much.
At least until a proper and save rooting works fine.
Don't mind some reminder messages, especially if it is for some good cause, but honestly most free apps are just starting to (censored) me off.
And from what I noticed on my tablet, blocking Google ads does not help if the ads are called directly from the app and show you some asian (censored again)....
Especially considering kids I think Google needs to work on the playstore and blocking options.
I know a lot of parents that are in my age group and simply have no clue about using Windows properly, let alone copy with all the new stuff on the mobile devices their kids use.
Some already forced their kids back onto plain mobile phones (without the smart factor) as their phone bills simply exploded.
In one case a 14 year old girl got a nice Iphone for her B-day, on a contract that allowed for over 400min of free talk and claimed to have 1GB of data allowance with all social media being not counted.
Do you expect the outdated parents to know all the details about Facebook, Twitter and so on?
Do you read all the fine print of your mobile contract?
Well, turned out he first bill was not the 79$ they ecpected but a little bit over 400$ instead - and no warning, no limit, no nothing to prevent it.
Of course using Facebook is free and the data you cause will not show un the bill, but that is not true for the videos you send your friends, the music you share or the little online games you play from within...
Social media is hot for kids and teens alike, even adults get sucked in and spend more time online than with the family - and they are loaded with crap, ads and bloatware.
With the new trend of totally locking a bootloader to implement more security and DRM stuff rooting can be hard or even very costly if it fails - but without it you have no chance to keep your device clean anymore :(
I have no factory wiped my phone to get rid of all I don't want and will only install the stuff I must have or that is free of crapware.
Can be only a matter of days to find a proper root and firmware for my phone, once I'm annoyed enough to consider a root is the only way...
And yes, now phones even have a hardware locked counter to keep track of unsupported firmware flashes LOL

Downunder35m wrote:5 $ of mobile data, in my case valued for 2GB of data.

WOW !!
Here, 5 euros equals 100 MB and that is the absolute max.
Last summer, I accidentally made a few connections on broadband, downloaded maybe 50 KB (this is no typo!) in total and it has cost me also 5 euros. (

Triangle away resets the flash counter and removes the yellow warning triangle on boot for Samsung devices, you can get it for free over at xda.

I've noticed some apps now are using 3rd party ad providers to get round lucky patcher, I'm sure this is against Google's terms and conditions.

I wish Google play would allow one time voucher codes so I can give friends etc the ability to download my premium apps for free.

If you check the fineprint in the terms for the plastore you will notice Google only provides a platform and get's money from every sold app - but they don't really care what is in the playstore, how it works or if third party ads are used.

@Nabi: aven a GB for a few bucks does not mean oyu get GB or that you won't go over the data allowance.
Here they love to sell "pre-paid" plans with a lot of talk and data included - but you have no real chance of knowing how much you actually use.
Some people now try a class action law suit to get their "stolen" money back, one of the things they specified in their claim is the fact that "worry free" plans are sold but the pre-paid phone that comes with it is set up to use as much data as possible.
Some claim that offering free sozial media but charge for everything that comes with it is fraudulent too.
There are even a lot of claims where people used programs to monitor how much data they use, and even combined WiFi and network data is usually lower than what appears on the bill.

Some years ago they finally banned those ads on TV where you only see in the tiny unreadable fineprint that sending a SMS to the service signs you up for extremely costly services.
Now the AU websites are just overflowing with "great" programs that force you to do you a servey to be able to download the program - of course the website offering is loaded with comments how good the program is and that it works fine....
As such taktics don't work for the playstore other means are used, like bloatware and useless ads - but now you get more and more "ads" in programs trying to get you onto the same faudulent survey/winning sites that sign you up to things that cost at least 7$ per SMS you receive - and you will get them almost every hour until you find a way to stop them or run out of credit.