Author here:

Ultimately all of these apps were essential for me. "Your Internet Provider" is a funny one -- for some reason XFinity kept failing to charge my credit card. I would come home to find an angry girlfriend without WiFI. I had to install the app to keep some tabs on it, until their autopayment bug was fixed.

One thing I like about this setup is that you can decide which apps are 'essential' for you.

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gruez 6 days ago | parent [-]

>I had to install the app to keep some tabs on it, until their autopayment bug was fixed.

There's no web portal? If so, having the app might make the experience more pleasant, but it's hardly "essential".

	▲	stopachka 6 days ago \| parent [-]
		You know what, fair point. I deleted XFinity from my phone, and removed it from the essay. I originally did this because the negative experience of losing the internet was really high, but on reflection I think I'll have other warning signs. They did try to call