News, airline and social media sites often nag their users to install their own special apps, instead of visiting the sites with a smartphone browser. Often there's not much of a visible difference between what the app provides and what you see on the regular mobile website. But Achim Barczok of German computer magazine c't says there are real differences under the hood.
"Apps are often better adapted to the device, which makes them easier to use," says Barczok. "On top of that, they can access functions that are often blocked for websites." Such functions can include location tracking, which is especially useful for maps and navigation services. The app uses the phone's satellite navigation to figure out where you are.
Getting the camera involved is useful on shopping sites: you can surreptitiously film barcodes in shops to discover if the same item is available cheaper online. Another advantage of an app is push notifications: it can bring you breaking news and other messages without you having to remind yourself to visit a news website. Mobile websites are limited in their ability to perform such functions. Mostly they can only tell you if something changed on the website since your last visit.
The fact that apps are written specifically for smartphones and tablets is another big draw, since it means they can be much easier to use. They are optimised for touchscreen use and are built to respond to most touch commands. Websites require taps, whereas apps work by swipes. If implemented properly, an app can be much quicker and more intuitive to use than a website in a browser. But ease of use isn't the only deciding factor, notes Barczok.
"A well-made mobile website can offer convenience similar to that of an app. It's just that the app has the advantage of local data." Apps can store data right on the device, which means they reload faster than a website, which will be dependent upon the speed of the internet connection. The difference means that relying on apps can reduce the data volumes you use, which can be a price factor. It helps that some apps offer offline modes, keeping data that was previously downloaded when a wi-fi connection was available. With a navigation apps in remote countryside, trains or a foreign country, that's a boon and a money-saver.
But there's a downside to this advantage: A lot of apps don't simply want to access your camera and sensors, they want to get at your personal data. Which raises the question of how this data will be used by the enterprise offering the app. "Often, personal data is not necessary to the functioning of the app. The enterprise needs it, not you. And you can't be completely sure they are not doing something nefarious with it," warns Sebastian Wacowski of the Institute for Internet Security in Germany.
That means relying on mobile-optimised websites is the better option if you are a person who wants to retain complete privacy, since browsers don't enable enterprises to access your private data. Case in point: When using Facebook on a mobile website, the service can't access your telephone numbers stored on your phone the way the app does. Of course, opting for mobile-browser access doesn't mean that the social network still doesn't gather a lot of data about its users when active. But dispensing with apps does reduce the network's capacity to gather such data.
On the other hand, there are disadvantages to using a mobile browser all the time. The Institute's Wacowski explains that the mobile web is full of viruses and scams awaiting the unwary. "Surfing the internet with a web browser carries more risks than using apps," says Wacowski. Also to be borne in mind is the risk that you might download an evil app, particularly when using Android. Sometimes websites invite you to download a "useful" app without visiting the Android, Apple or Windows app store. What you might get is a badly programmed app or even a fraudster offering a boobytrapped version of a respected app.
That's why it's always safer to use apps from the app stores, since they're all checked for dangerous malware before they're made available. Google only vets the Android apps with software. Apple's vetting process is much more thorough, with real humans checking out the offers, so iPhone and iPad apps are mostly safe. If you decide to stick with a browser only, make sure you at least secure it with an anti-virus app. A German test of such programmes for Android gave good scores to AVL-free from Antiy, Mobile Security from Bitdefender and CM Security-free from Cheetah Mobile. Many basic security apps are free.