T-Mobile users learned the hard way that buying any Android smartphone other than a Pixel may be a bad idea

Carrier-locked phones often come with apps that cannot be uninstalled. And as if that wasn’t frustrating enough in itself, T-Mobile also sends you notifications to install more apps you don’t need.

All you can do to avoid annoying notifications is to disable apps such as: T-Mobile Device Manager to generate them.

A more extreme step is to buy only unlocked phones, but that means giving up carrier-preferred discounts T-Mobile Offer.

The only middle ground some Redditors are suggesting is buying a Pixel or iPhone. T-Mobile. For some reason, Google’s phones don’t have the same level of bloatware as other Android phones. Apple does not allow any bloatware on its phones. On the other hand, even the most expensive Samsung phones don’t come loaded with carrier-branded apps.

That said, it’s not a very practical idea to let small inconveniences like carrier notifications dictate which phone you buy. If you can’t stand carrier apps but aren’t a Pixel or iPhone fan, one option is to put on your geek hat and use tools like Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to get rid of them, but This is not the way the Federal Communications Commission is debating whether to impose a uniform unlock policy across the board in a shorter period of time. T-Mobileas you might have guessed, opposed the proposed law. The FCC is considering making it illegal for carriers to install apps or send notifications that aren’t strictly necessary.