Galaxy users vent over unwanted ads on default apps

Some Samsung Galaxy smartphone users have complained over the unwarranted banner advertisements on default applications like the weather app.

Multiple complaints have been posted by users on the Samsung Members site, lamenting about the discomfort of being exposed to banner ads on the weather app in Samsung’s Android-run Galaxy phones.

One screenshot posted by a user showed an image of a red pepper ad with the phrase: “Why hot weather brings appetite for sour and spicy food.”

“I found this ad on the weather app after an update,” the user said. “I have been using the default app because I hated seeing ads on other weather apps developed by outside developers.”

Aside from the weather app, Samsung Health and Samsung Pay have also been displaying banner ads.

In response, the company said, “The banner advertisement for the weather application is currently applied selectively and we have yet to make a decision on expanding it in the future,” without elaborating further.

It also said that the advertisements are displayed only in South Korea and the US for now.

The ad exposure on the default apps is seen as a measure to diversify profits from its mobile software programs.

The current ad policy does not utilize user data, according to the firm.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)