Indians Still Use Tik Tok App After Ban, Here's How

Following the dispute between India and China, the central government banned many of the Chinese apps. The list was long and exceeded over 60 apps. Among the list was also an audience favorite app, Tik Tok that became famous in India. Many people even became tiktok sensations.

The famous video sharing platform was banned in India on 29 June, 2020. The ban left many people devastated. But even after the app has officially been taken off the app stores, Indians are still using it. They found a way out of the ban.

In data shared by SimilarWeb, we can see that Indian were able to use Tiktok even after the ban. There were a lot of monthly active users. Even with a major drop in the first half of 2020, due to lockdown, the app still had enough active users.

This is how you could still use tiktok. With the app getting banned from app stores, it will restrict new downloads. We cannot download the app, anymore. But the users, who already had it installed, did not lose the access. It is only once you delete it that you will not be able to download it again. But with the change in policies and ban getting stricter, the access was lost soon.

Utkarsh Sinha, MD, Bexley Advisors shared that this was not the third level ban. It was a ban from app stores which will completely restrict new downloads. The other two types of bans are: ISP level ban where you cannot even access the app. Third is the owner level ban where you cannot even access it and the app is just not working.

APK FILE

This is what has acted as an alternative for the avid users. There are many websites who offer .apk files. By using this file, you can download the app from other sources other than play store. Many times such apk files are also used in order to download cheats of certain gaming apps. These files are common and can be found easily.

USE OF VPN

Virtual Private Network (VPN) is commonly used to disguise one’s identity on online platforms. VPN will encrypt your internet traffic. By use of VPNs, many Indians have been using Tiktok. Nowadays many people are learning how to use VPNs. Many blocked sites or such apps that are not available in your country could be accessed through VPN.

Earlier when music streaming platform Spotify was not available in India, many would use VPN in order to access the app.

ALTERNATIVE

Many users are now making a shift to Instagram. It is not like Tiktok, but you can still share short videos and continue uploading your work there. Many famous Tiktokers have shifted to Instagram. With the help of reels and stories, people are also moving on and accepting alternative means.

If not Tiktok, Instagram and other video sharing apps have become their new platform.