How smartphone companies are screwing with your Android phone

Phone makers like Samsung, HTC, and LG technically make Android phones, but what you see on their screens barely resembles the "clean" version of Android that Google develops.

That's because phone makers add their own software features, or "skins," on top of the pure version of Android so that they can differentiate themselves from other phone brands.

Unfortunately, while some skins add great features that you wouldn't find on any other phone brand's phone, it also means that you get a lot of extra apps from the phone maker and carrier.

And more often than not, apps made by phone makers and carriers tend to be poorly designed both aesthetically and functionally. It's the reason why a lot of Android fans prefer Google's version of Android over the bloated versions phone makers create.

Here's a look at all the ways phone makers are changing Android compared to the clean version from Google's own Nexus phones.