Travelers Returning From Asia May Want to Delete These Apps From Their Phones
I’m a big believer in downloading whatever app makes travel easier in the moment. If I need a ride, food delivery, a translation tool, or a map that keeps me from wandering in circles, I’m not going to overthink it while standing on a sidewalk in Bangkok.
But once the trip is over? That’s where a little phone cleanup makes sense.
Cybersecurity company Surfshark analyzed essential travel apps used across popular Asian destinations, including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, China, Turkey, and the Philippines. The company looked at iPhone app privacy data and found that many of the apps travelers rely on abroad collect a wide range of user data.
The analysis included categories travelers often use on the road:
- Ride-hailing apps
- Food delivery apps
- Maps and transit apps
- Messaging apps
- Money apps
- Translation apps
That does not mean every app is “bad” or that travelers should panic-delete everything. It does mean those leftover travel apps sitting on your phone may still be collecting more information than you realize.
And if Thailand is on your itinerary, this is also a good reminder to think about what you actually need before you go. I have a practical Thailand packing guide, and “clean up your phone before and after the trip” belongs in that same prep category.
Why Travelers Should Check Their Apps After a Trip
According to Surfshark, the concern is not just that travelers download apps while abroad. It’s that many people stop using them once they get home, but the apps stay installed.
Miguel Fornes, Information Security Manager at Surfshark, said:
“After returning from a trip, users should review installed apps, remove those that are no longer needed, and check app permissions in their phone settings, especially access to location services. Before travelling, it is also worth checking whether all the new apps planned to download are actually necessary, as in many cases an existing trusted app or built-in tool may already cover the same function. In general, every installed app expands what security engineers call your ‘attack surface’—increasing your chances of data breaches and privacy loss.
Remember to keep your phone clean of unused apps, much like you keep your kitchen healthy by discarding expired food.”
The Highest Data-Collecting Apps in the Study
Across the full dataset, some apps stood out for collecting the most data types.
The highest totals included:
- Messenger (Facebook Messenger): 32 data types
- Grab: 27 data types
- Google Maps: 26 data types
- LINE: 26 data types
- WeChat: 22 data types
- Uber: 22 data types
- Uber Eats: 21 data types
- Gojek: 21 data types
- foodpanda: 20 data types
- NAVER Maps: 20 data types
That does not mean travelers should automatically delete something essential like Google Maps if they use it constantly. But it does make a good case for reviewing what you actually need once you’re home.
A ride-hailing app you only used in Thailand? A food delivery app from one city? A transit app you downloaded for three days in Seoul? Those are the easy ones to remove.
Thailand Shows How Much App Data Collection Can Vary
Thailand is one of the clearest examples in Surfshark’s analysis because it includes apps travelers commonly use for rides, food, maps, messaging, money, and translation.
For Thailand, the apps analyzed included:
- Grab: 27 data types
- LINE: 26 data types
- Google Maps: 26 data types
- foodpanda: 20 data types
- Wise: 18 data types
- Google Translate: 18 data types
- ViaBus: 17 data types
- Schwab Mobile: 17 data types
- WhatsApp: 16 data types
- Bolt: 16 data types
- LINE MAN: 14 data types
- HappyCow: 12 data types
- Naver Papago: 11 data types
- Revolut: 10 data types
- Find Me Gluten Free: 6 data types
Grab collected the most data types in Thailand’s group, while Find Me Gluten Free collected the fewest.
That tracks with how people actually travel there. You might use Grab to get around Bangkok, Google Maps to plan your day, LINE to communicate with a hotel or guide, and a translation app when a menu gets confusing.
If you’re still planning your trip, my Bangkok guide is a helpful place to start, especially if it’s your first time in the city.
What to Delete First
A good starting point is deleting apps tied to one specific trip or destination.
These are the types of apps I’d check first:
- Local food delivery apps you no longer use
- Ride-hailing apps that only work in the destination you visited
- Transit apps for cities you are no longer in
- Translation apps you downloaded as backups
- Restaurant or dietary apps you only needed for that trip
- Local messaging apps you used to contact hotels, guides, or drivers
Food delivery apps are often the easiest. If you downloaded foodpanda, LINE MAN, ShopeeFood, Baemin, Wolt, or another local food app while traveling, and you do not use it at home, it probably does not need to stay on your phone.
Ride-hailing apps are next. Grab, Bolt, Gojek, Kakao T, DiDi, Ola, Uber, and other local ride apps may be useful abroad, but if you’re not actively using them, review whether they still need access to your location.
Transit apps are another sneaky category. They’re incredibly useful while you’re there, but not so useful once you’re back home and they’re still sitting on your phone.
What to Keep, But Review
Some apps are less obvious because you may use them at home, too.
These are the types of apps you may want to keep, but still review:
- Google Maps
- Wise
- Revolut
- Google Translate
- Schwab Mobile
- Other banking, investing, or money apps
- Messaging apps you use regularly
For those, deleting may not make sense. Instead, check the permissions.
Does the app need your location all the time, or only while you’re using it? Does it have access to contacts, photos, or other information it does not really need?
This is also where it pays to be realistic. If an app is part of your everyday life, keep it. Just make sure it is not getting more access than necessary.
The Simple Post-Trip Phone Cleanup
After you get home, spend five minutes doing a quick app audit.
Start here:
- Delete anything you downloaded only for the trip
- Check location permissions for the apps you keep
- Turn off camera, microphone, photo, and contact access when it is not needed
- Review money and messaging apps for extra security settings
- Avoid keeping duplicate apps that do the same thing
- Make sure sensitive apps have two-factor authentication turned on
At the end of a trip, you unpack your suitcase. You wash your clothes. You dig out the receipts at the bottom of your bag. Your phone probably deserves the same treatment.
