This is an archive article published on August 18, 2022

BGMI to VLC Media Player, the ‘banned’ apps or services you might still have on your phone

The latest apps which have been added to the list include the popular VLC Media player and Battlegrounds Mobile India game, which was taken down from the official stores, though the game is still working in India.

Image credit: Dinkar Sasi/Indian Express

6 min readNew DelhiAug 20, 2022 11:45 AM IST First published on: Aug 18, 2022 at 10:40 AM IST

Back in June 2020 at the height of geopolitical tensions between China and India, the Indian Government issued a notice asking Google and Apple to take down 59 Chinese apps from their App Stores citing that the apps were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order”. Popular apps and services such as TikTok, Shein, ShareIT, UC Browser were banned in the first list, issued back in June 2020.

Since then, the list of banned apps has continued to grow and crossed over 250 apps. The latest apps which have been added to the list include the popular VLC Media player and Battlegrounds Mobile India game, which was taken down from the official stores, though the game is still working in India.

Having said that, let us take a look at some of the popular banned apps that you might still be using despite the Government’s decision to ban them. Keep in mind that for some apps there is no clarity on whether there is a ban or not.

1. Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI)

PlayersUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile or PUBG Mobile, the popular online multiplayer shooting game was initially banned in the first wave back in 2020. Two years later, Krafton, the South Korean developers behind the original game, re-launched the title under a different name – Battlegrounds Mobile India. BGMI gained a lot of popularity in India, crossing over 100 million users in just a year.

But not all was well and there were issues with data transfer. Just last month, the government issued an order and the game was pulled from Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. To date, there is still no word if BGMI is officially banned because those who have downloaded the game are still able to play. The game can also be downloaded from third-party app stores or websites on Android devices and via APK files. Till the game’s servers are taken down in India, the ban is only there partially.

2. VLC Media Player

VLC is one of the most popular media players of all time. But a few months ago, the Indian Government decided to block the VLC Media player website. Unfortunately, neither the Government nor VLC developers have shed any light as to why the app was banned. VLC Media Player’s official account tweeted that they needed help as well. The tweet reads, “If you are in India, please help us” and links to an article about the ban. The Internet Freedom Foundation has also filed an RTI about the ban and according to them the government has not given any information about this.

Some reports suggested that VLC Media Player was used by the China-backed hacking group Cicada to deploy malicious code on target machines. While users are unable to download the desktop version of the app, the mobile version can be still downloaded from the Google Play Store. That said, VLC Media Player will continue to work if you already have it installed and can be downloaded from unofficial sources.

Also Read | VLC Media Player website banned in India? Here’s all you need to know

3. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, popularly known as ML is a 5v5 mobile MOBA that lets players battle against others. The game was banned in the first wave ban back in 2020 but is still popular in the Indian mobile gaming community. It is also a part of the Southeast Asian Games. Similar to BGMI, the game is still playable in India if you have it installed and can be downloaded from other third-party websites.

4. AliExpress

Based out of China, AliExpress is a part of the Chinese retail giant Alibaba. Even though most of the retailers are Chinese, the platform does not sell to customers living in mainland China. The app was banned in November 2020 in the fourth ban wave.

While you might not be able to download the app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store, if you happen to own an Android device, you can download the APK from websites or app stores. In case you don’t want to use the app, the website is also accessible in India.

5. UC Browser

UCBrowser is one of the most popular mobile browsers of all time. The app is lightweight and packed with features like an in-built Ad-blocker, Incognito Mode, the ability to play videos in the background and many more. It was banned in 2020 during the first ban wave. Due to UC Browser’s popularity, many still continue to download the app from third-party websites or app stores. If you have it installed on your device, you can continue to use it without any problems.

Also Read | Explained: Why did the govt ban more China-linked apps?

6. Xender

Similar to the now banned Share-It, Xender is an app that lets users share images, videos, documents and other things amongst friends without using mobile data. It is cross-platform compatible and supports PC, Mac, TizenOS, iOS, and Android. Xender was banned in the initial ban wave in June of 2020. Many people still use Xender to share files on a regular basis. While it is not available on the Play Store anymore, you can download the APK from third-party websites and other app stores.

7. WeChat

WeChat is a messaging platform and a social media app that lets users communicate with each other. With over one billion users, it also happens to be one of the most popular messaging apps on the planet. It was also banned in the first wave in June 2020. Those who already have the app installed on their device seem to be able to send and receive messages without any problems whatsoever. Also, WeChat can be downloaded from the internet or app stores other than the Google Play Store.