OnePlus has always avoided pre-installing bloatware on its devices. However, with the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus Nord, the company started pre-loading some of Facebook"s apps and services like Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger on its devices which are largely considered bloatware by many. While some of the apps could be uninstalled, the underlying services for others could only be disabled. The move led OnePlus to receive a fair bit of user backlash from its pretty vocal community.
Thankfully, with the OnePlus 8T, OnePlus has had a change of heart and has stopped pre-installing these Facebook apps and services. The only third-party app that continues to come pre-installed on the device is Netflix since it helps with HDR video playback.
The bad news is that OnePlus has only stopped pre-loading Facebook apps and services on its devices for the time being. The company could still change its decision in the future. As for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus Nord, the report from Input citing its sources claim that there"s no easy way to remove the app from devices that came pre-installed with Facebook apps and services.
It is quite common for Android OEMs to strike up a deal with Facebook and other similar companies and pre-load their apps on their devices. Samsung, Huawei, and almost every other Android OEM pre-installs the Facebook app and its services on their devices despite them being resource-hungry and being considered as bloatware by many. Thus, the change in OnePlus" stance here, even if temporary, is a welcome one.
Source: Input