India runs one of the largest blocklists of foreign mobile apps in the world. Since June 2020 the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has used Section 69A of the Information Technology Act to remove hundreds of apps from Google Play and the Apple App Store, starting with TikTok and ending most recently with a 2025 round that pulled more than 3,000 listings. We pulled together the nine highest-impact consumer apps still subject to those orders, the dates each ban landed, the official reason given, and the legal Android install paths users still have.
Two important framings before we start. First, this article is about installation, not network bypass. Sideloading apps from a licensed alternative store such as Aptoide is legal in India and worldwide. Second, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs and MeitY have repeatedly stated, including in court filings around the TikTok ban, that the orders target the distribution and operation of these apps inside India rather than the act of an individual installing one on a personal device.
What “banned” actually means in India
The blocks fall into two categories with very different consequences:
- Section 69A removal orders. MeitY orders Google and Apple to delist the app from Indian Play Store and App Store catalogs and instructs Indian internet service providers to filter the app’s traffic. The app still exists, but it cannot be discovered through the official Indian stores and may be unable to reach its servers from an Indian IP. Examples: TikTok, PUBG Mobile, WeChat, UC Browser, SHAREit, Xender, CamScanner, AliExpress.
- Vendor or publisher exits. In some cases the developer chooses to retreat or restructure for the Indian market. Garena pulled the original Free Fire after the February 2022 order and only re-entered with a localized partnership in 2025. Krafton’s PUBG Mobile relaunched as Battlegrounds Mobile India under a different package and corporate structure.
Sideloading the APK from an alternative app store does not break Indian law. Whether the installed app reaches its servers afterward depends on your network and on the app’s publisher, who in many cases stopped providing services to Indian IP addresses after the Section 69A order took effect.
Quick comparison
| App | Blocked since | Reason given | Available on Aptoide | Available on Indian Google Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | June 29, 2020 | Sovereignty and security (Section 69A) | Yes | No |
| PUBG Mobile | September 2, 2020 | Sovereignty and security (Section 69A) | Yes | No (replaced by BGMI) |
| Garena Free Fire | February 14, 2022 | Section 69A order, China data links | Yes | Returned in 2025 via local relaunch |
| UC Browser | June 29, 2020 | Sovereignty and security (Section 69A) | Yes | No |
| June 29, 2020 | Sovereignty and security (Section 69A) | Yes | No | |
| CamScanner | June 29, 2020 | Sovereignty and security (Section 69A) | Yes | No |
| SHAREit | June 29, 2020 | Sovereignty and security (Section 69A) | Yes | No |
| Xender | June 29, 2020 | Sovereignty and security (Section 69A) | Yes | No |
| AliExpress | November 24, 2020 | Section 69A, third batch order | Yes | No |
1. TikTok, blocked June 2020
TikTok was the headline name in India’s first Section 69A app ban. On June 29, 2020, MeitY published the original order naming 59 apps with Chinese ownership. TikTok was removed from Google Play and the Apple App Store for Indian users within 48 hours, and Indian ISPs were instructed to block its traffic. The order followed the Galwan Valley clash earlier that month and cited “sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.” TikTok had roughly 200 million monthly active users in India at the time, the largest single market for ByteDance outside China.
The Aptoide listing pulls a current TikTok APK signed by the developer. Login still works for accounts registered outside India, and the global content catalog loads normally on networks that route to ByteDance’s international servers.
Where it falls short: TikTok’s Indian content library and creator economy were dismantled after the ban. Accounts originally registered with Indian phone numbers were suspended, and ByteDance shut down its Mumbai office in 2021. From an Indian IP without a network bypass, the app installs but cannot reach the For You feed reliably.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web.
Bottom line: Aptoide gives you a current build any time you need to reinstall. The login and content sides depend on whether your account survives ByteDance’s region rules.
2. PUBG Mobile, blocked September 2020
PUBG Mobile was banned on September 2, 2020 in the second wave of Section 69A orders, which named 118 additional apps with Chinese links. The Tencent-published title had over 50 million monthly active players in India at the time and was the country’s largest mobile esport. After ten months of negotiation Krafton, the South Korean publisher of the original PUBG IP, launched Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) in July 2021 as a separate product with Indian data hosting. BGMI itself was briefly suspended on July 28, 2022 and reinstated on May 26, 2023 after Krafton signed additional compliance terms. The original PUBG Mobile order remains in force.
The Aptoide listing carries the global PUBG Mobile build with the developer signature intact. Single-player training, weapon ranges, and team modes install normally, and the app can connect to Tencent’s international servers when network conditions allow.
Where it falls short: Tencent’s Indian server clusters were decommissioned after the ban. Matchmaking from an Indian IP often routes to Southeast Asian regions with higher latency. Players who want a sanctioned and locally hosted alternative typically install BGMI instead, which is a separate package run by Krafton.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases. Royale Pass is around 600 UC, roughly $9.99 per month internationally.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: A clean install path matters because Indian Google Play does not list PUBG Mobile and Tencent’s Indian distribution stopped in 2020.
3. Garena Free Fire, blocked February 2022
Garena Free Fire was pulled from Indian Google Play and the Indian App Store on February 14, 2022 as part of a Section 69A order targeting 54 apps with Chinese ties, on the basis that Garena’s parent Sea Limited had received Chinese investment. Free Fire had more than 40 million monthly active users in India and was the country’s most-downloaded mobile game. Free Fire MAX, the higher-fidelity sibling app, kept running for several months before its own listing flickered in and out of compliance. Garena negotiated a relaunch starting in mid-2025, including an esports return announced in July 2025, but the original Free Fire APK is still affected by the 2022 order.
The Aptoide listing carries the global Free Fire build. Account login works for non-Indian regions, daily missions and battle pass progression sync correctly, and most cosmetic items load.
Where it falls short: Indian-region Free Fire accounts were either migrated or paused after the 2022 ban. Players returning through the 2025 relaunch should use the official India re-release rather than trying to revive an old account on the global app.
Pricing: Free with in-app purchases. Diamond top-ups start at around $0.99.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: Worth keeping current via Aptoide if you played the global Free Fire before the Indian listing was removed. New Indian players should follow the 2025 relaunch path instead.
4. UC Browser, blocked June 2020
UC Browser was at one point the most-installed mobile browser in India outside of Google Chrome, with roughly 130 million monthly active users at its peak. It was named in the June 29, 2020 Section 69A order. UC Browser is owned by UCWeb, an Alibaba subsidiary, and the Indian government’s stated concern was its data handling and routing through Chinese servers. The app was delisted from Google Play and the Apple App Store for Indian users immediately. UCWeb subsequently scaled back its Indian operations.
The Aptoide listing carries the international UC Browser build with the developer signature. Browsing, video downloads, and the night mode reading view all install correctly.
Where it falls short: UC Browser’s data-saver feature relies on UCWeb’s proxy servers, which were removed from Indian routing after the ban. Page loads can be slower than the marketing materials promise from an Indian IP. The browser has also been criticized in independent audits for telemetry that is heavier than mainstream alternatives.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS.
Bottom line: Useful as a fallback browser for users who want the original UC layout. For everyday browsing on an Indian network, Brave, Firefox, or a privacy-focused Chromium build is generally a better trade.
5. WeChat, blocked June 2020
WeChat was included in the June 29, 2020 Section 69A order despite having a much smaller user base in India than TikTok. The app is operated by Tencent and is the dominant communication platform in mainland China, with more than 1.3 billion monthly active users globally. Indian users with cross-border family or business contacts in China rely on it for chat, payments, and group calls. The 2020 order forced Google and Apple to delist WeChat from their Indian stores, and Indian ISPs filter the app’s traffic.
The Aptoide listing carries the global WeChat build, currently in its 8.x release line. Account creation requires a friend’s verification for new sign-ups, but existing accounts log in cleanly and chat history syncs normally over a connection that can reach Tencent’s servers.
Where it falls short: WeChat Pay’s Indian account integration was withdrawn after the ban. Sending or receiving money inside India through the app does not work. Cross-border voice and video calls still function on a non-Indian network connection.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Web.
Bottom line: Aptoide is the cleanest way to keep an installed copy of WeChat current on an Indian-registered Android device, particularly for users with family or work ties to China.
6. CamScanner, blocked June 2020
CamScanner was one of the most-used productivity apps in India before the June 29, 2020 ban, with more than 100 million Indian downloads. The app, made by Intsig Information in Shanghai, turns a phone camera into a document scanner, applies optical character recognition, and exports searchable PDFs. It was named in the original Section 69A order and removed from Indian Google Play and the App Store. The ban followed an unrelated 2019 incident where Kaspersky researchers found a malicious advertising module bundled with the Google Play release; Intsig had patched that issue, but the data-handling concerns persisted.
The Aptoide listing carries the current CamScanner build with the developer signature. Document scanning, OCR for English and major Indian scripts, batch mode, and PDF export all install and run correctly.
Where it falls short: CamScanner’s premium features rely on cloud sync to Intsig’s servers. Free-tier scanning works locally, but cloud backup, multi-device sync, and shared collaboration features may behave inconsistently from an Indian IP. Many users have switched to Adobe Scan, Microsoft Lens, or Google Drive’s built-in scanner since the ban.
Pricing: Free, with CamScanner Premium at around $4.99 per month.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Web.
Bottom line: If you have a long history of scans tied to a CamScanner account, Aptoide lets you keep the app current. For new workflows, the locally hosted alternatives are generally easier to live with on an Indian network.
7. SHAREit, blocked June 2020
SHAREit was the most-installed offline file-transfer app in India before the June 29, 2020 ban, with more than 400 million Indian users at its peak. The app, originally developed inside Lenovo and later spun out as Smart Media4U Technology in Singapore, lets users move large files between phones over a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection without using cellular data. The Indian government included it in the original Section 69A order on data-handling grounds. Independent security researchers had separately disclosed several critical vulnerabilities in 2021, which the developer subsequently patched.
The Aptoide listing carries the current SHAREit build with the developer signature. Phone-to-phone transfer, group share, and the cross-platform Windows client connect all install correctly.
Where it falls short: SHAREit’s app monetization relied heavily on advertising and third-party offers, which several reviewers flagged as intrusive. The app’s recent versions have reduced ad density, but expect more interstitials than mainstream alternatives. Apple AirDrop and Android’s Quick Share now cover most of SHAREit’s original use cases natively.
Pricing: Free, ad-supported.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS.
Bottom line: Useful when transferring files to a contact who already has SHAREit installed. For new device-to-device transfers, the platform-native sharing tools are now the cleaner default.
8. Xender, blocked June 2020
Xender was the second-most-installed file-transfer app in India after SHAREit, with more than 200 million users at the time of the ban. It was named in the same June 29, 2020 Section 69A order. The app is published by Xender Technology and is structurally similar to SHAREit, using a phone’s Wi-Fi radio to move files directly between devices. The Indian ban removed it from Google Play and the App Store and instructed ISPs to filter its traffic.
The Aptoide listing carries the current Xender build with the developer signature. The connect-via-QR-code flow, file browsing across phones, and the desktop bridge all install correctly.
Where it falls short: Like SHAREit, Xender’s free-tier experience relies on banner advertising and recommended apps. Quick Share and AirDrop have closed most of the historical functionality gap on Android and iOS respectively.
Pricing: Free, ad-supported.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Web.
Bottom line: A reasonable backup option for cross-platform transfers when both devices already have Xender, but not the install most Indian users still need on a new phone.
9. AliExpress, blocked November 2020
AliExpress was named in the November 24, 2020 Section 69A order, which targeted 43 additional apps in the third major round of bans. The app is the global retail arm of Alibaba and was a popular sourcing channel for Indian small businesses and individual buyers looking for low-cost goods directly from Chinese suppliers. The order followed the same pattern as the June 2020 batch: Indian Google Play and App Store delisting, traffic filtering at ISPs, and citation of Section 69A’s sovereignty and security clauses.
The Aptoide listing carries the current AliExpress build with the developer signature. Search, the cart and checkout flow, and order tracking all install correctly.
Where it falls short: Shipping to Indian addresses through AliExpress has been complicated since the ban. The platform’s customs and logistics partners deprioritized Indian routes, and Indian buyers often face longer transit times and customs holds than they did before 2020. Payment is also messier because AliExpress no longer accepts several Indian-issued card types in the way it did pre-ban.
Pricing: Free. Goods range from a few dollars to several hundred.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web.
Bottom line: Useful for browsing and price discovery. Actual fulfillment to Indian addresses is the part that has not recovered, and buyers should expect friction at checkout and customs.
How to install these apps legally in India
A clear, legal install path on Android comes down to three options:
- Aptoide. A licensed alternative app store with several hundred million users worldwide. Aptoide’s catalog mirrors the official Google Play APKs for the apps in this article, with developer signatures intact. Sideloading from Aptoide is legal for personal use in India and globally. Each download link in this article points to the verified Aptoide listing.
- Direct APK from the developer. Several of the developers listed here continue to publish Android builds on their own websites or regional mirrors. Downloading and installing a developer-signed APK is legal under Indian law. The downside is no automatic updates.
- F-Droid. Open-source apps can also be installed from F-Droid via the developer’s own repository. None of the apps in this list are open source, but if you replace any of them with an open-source alternative, F-Droid is the cleanest distribution channel.
Two paths to avoid for legality and safety reasons:
- Pirated APKs from random forums. These often carry tampered code, ad injection, or outright malware. Google and the developer have no oversight, and many of the most-shared mirror builds for banned apps in India have failed independent malware scans.
- Repackaged “lite” or “regional” builds on grey-market stores. The signatures do not match the developer’s, and the app may collect data the original would not. The Indian government’s 2025 round of orders specifically targeted thousands of repackaged listings on this basis.
A reminder on connectivity: installing the app and reaching its servers are different things. For each Section 69A blocked app on this list, the install completes on an Indian network but logging in or syncing typically does not. India’s legal environment has tightened around app distribution rather than around individual users, so personal installation is not the part that creates legal risk. Whether and how to deal with the connectivity side is a question to take up with your own circumstances and a local lawyer if it matters for your situation.
FAQ
Is sideloading apps legal in India? Yes. Personal sideloading of Android apps via alternative stores like Aptoide is not prohibited under Indian law. Section 69A orders target the distribution and operation of apps inside India, including their listings on Google Play and the Apple App Store, not the act of an individual installing one on their own device.
Are Indian users penalized for using TikTok or PUBG Mobile? Public statements from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and reporting on the original 2020 orders indicate that ordinary individuals have not been prosecuted for personally using a banned app. The orders are directed at the platforms and their distribution. Users should still treat the legal landscape as evolving and check current guidance for their specific situation.
Why did India ban these apps in the first place? The June 29, 2020 order cited “the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order” under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The order followed the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers. Subsequent rounds in September and November 2020, and again in 2022 and 2025, expanded the list on the same legal basis with similar national security framing.
What is the difference between PUBG Mobile and BGMI? PUBG Mobile is the global Tencent-published version that India banned in September 2020. Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) is a separate Krafton-published app launched in July 2021 with Indian data hosting and modified content. BGMI was suspended for ten months between July 2022 and May 2023 and is currently available on Indian Google Play. The two apps do not share accounts.
Did Free Fire really come back to India? Garena announced a localized relaunch of Free Fire MAX in mid-2025 with an Indian publisher partnership and a regional esports event, after almost three years off the Indian market. The original 2022 Section 69A order on Garena Free Fire still applies to the global APK, but the new India-specific build operates under different terms.
Is using a VPN legal in India? Personal VPN use remains legal in India as of early 2026. Indian VPN providers must comply with CERT-In’s April 2022 directive, which requires logging certain user information; many global VPN brands withdrew their Indian server presence rather than comply. Mere installation or possession of a VPN app is not criminalized at the personal level.
Will any of these apps be unbanned? Section 69A orders are reviewable but rarely reversed. The TikTok ban turned permanent in January 2021 after the named companies failed to satisfy MeitY’s review committee. PUBG Mobile re-entered India only by relaunching as a different product (BGMI). Garena Free Fire’s 2025 return is the closest example of a banned app coming back, and it required an India-specific publisher arrangement rather than a lifting of the original order.
