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