Last night, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps in the country, on the grounds of posing threats to data security and privacy, thereby threatening the “sovereignity and security” of the country. The Ministry of Electronics and IT released a circular, banning these apps under Section 69A of the IT Act.
Also read: Indian government bans 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, ShareIt and Clash of Kings
In order to enforce the ban, the Indian government has reportedly directed all ISPs and telecom operators to block the apps on this list. In simpler terms, if you are using an Indian IP address, access to these apps will be restricted for you. While they can still be accessed using a VPN, it’s better to shift to their alternatives that are safer to use.
Best alternatives to banned Chinese apps in India
| Banned App | Alternatives |
|---|---|
| TikTok | Chingari / ShareChat / Bolo Indya / Mitron / Triller |
| Shareit | JioSwitch / FilesGo |
| Kwai | Chingari / ShareChat / Bolo Indya / Mitron / Triller |
| UC Browser | Chrome / Duck Duck Go / Edge / Firefox |
| Baidu Map | Google Maps / MapMyIndia |
| Shein | Myntra / Amazon / Ajio |
| Clash of Kings | Lord Mobiles / Age of Kings / Evony / War and orderArena of Valor / Vainglorympb |
| DU Battery Saver | Native battery optimisation feature |
| Helo | Chingari / ShareChat / Bolo Indya / Mitron / Triller |
| Likee | Chingari / ShareChat / Bolo Indya / Mitron / Triller |
| YouCam Makeup | Adobe Photoshop Camera |
| Mi Community | Tapatalk Forums / Mi Community Website |
| CM Browser | Chrome / Duck Duck Go / Edge / Firefox |
| Virus Cleaner | Norton / Avast / McAfee |
| APUS Browser | Chrome / Duck Duck Go / Edge / Firefox |
| ROMWE | Myntra / Amazon / Ajio |
| Club Factory | Myntra / Amazon / Ajio |
| Newsdog | InShorts / Newspoint |
| Beauty Plus | Adobe Photoshop Camera |
| WhatsApp / Hike / Telegram / Signal | |
| UC News | InShorts / Newspoint |
| QQ Mail | Gmail |
| Twitter / Facebook | |
| Xender | JioSwitch / FilesGo |
| QQ Music | Play Music / Saavn / Spotify / Gaana |
| QQ Newsfeed | InShorts / Newspoint |
| Bigo Live | Facebook / Periscope / Instagram IGTV / Snapchat |
| SelfieCity | Adobe Photoshop Camera |
| Mail Master | Gmail |
| Parallel Space | Native app cloner |
| Mi Video Call - Xiaomi | Google Meet / Zoom |
| WeSync | Google Contacts / Google Drive |
| ES File Explorer | Files By Google / File Commander |
| Viva Video - QU Video Inc | InShot / Kinemaste / Quik |
| Meitu | Adobe Photoshop Camera |
| Vigo Video | Facebook / Periscope / Instagram IGTV / Snapchat |
| New Video Status | Snapchat |
| DU Recorder | Native screen recorder |
| Vault - Hide | Norton App Lock / Gallery Vault |
| Cache Cleaner DU App studio | AVG Cleaner / SD Maid |
| DU Cleaner | AVG Cleaner / SD Maid |
| DU Browser | Chrome / Duck Duck Go / Edge / Firefox |
| Hago Play With New Friends | Ludo King / Scrabble Go |
| Cam Scanner | Microsoft Lens / Adobe Scan |
| Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile | AVG Cleaner / SD Maid |
| Wonder Camera | Adobe Photoshop Camera |
| Photo Wonder | PicsArt |
| QQ Player | MX Player |
| We Meet | Snapchat |
| Sweet Selfie | Adobe Photoshop Camera |
| Baidu Translate | Google Translate / Microsoft Translate |
| Vmate | Chingari / ShareChat / Bolo Indya / Mitron / Triller |
| QQ International | WhatsApp / Hike / Telegram / Signal |
| QQ Security Center | Norton / Avast / McAfee |
| QQ Launcher | Nova Launcher / Lawnchair Launcher / Microsoft Launcher |
| U Video | YouTube |
| V fly Status Video | Facebook / Periscope / Instagram IGTV / Snapchat |
| Mobile Legends | Arena of Valor / Vainglory |
| DU Privacy | Norton App Lock / Gallery Vault |
These are the top alternatives of apps which were recently banned in India. If you’re using any of the banned apps, we recommend you switch to one of the alternatives, since these apps are likely to stop receiving updates, making them even more vulnerable to security risks.
Which of these banned apps were you using, and which alternative are you transitioning to? Let us know in the comments below.