The best alternatives to Chinese apps banned in India

The best alternatives to Chinese apps banned in India

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Following a border dispute along the Sino-Indian border, India has witnessed a rising anti-China sentiment that has culminated with India banning over 60 popular Chinese apps. Caught in the crossfire, users have been left scrambling to find the best alternatives to the banned Chinese apps. From TikTok to UC Browser and many more, the apps have enjoyed millions of users who need a quality option to switch over to.

Here are the best Chinese apps alternative options to replace each of the major banned apps in India.

Banned Chinese apps alternative options: The big names Apps like TikTok

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

Tiktok has quickly become a massive social media and video sharing phenomenon. With over 81 million users in India, TikTok played a big role in surfacing talent from smaller towns around India. Now among the banned apps, content creators may be looking for other apps like TikTok.

Triller is shaping up to be an interesting option and allows for filters and collaborative options like making group videos. If you are looking for an Indian alternative, Chingari is another TikTok alternative option that is quickly picking up steam. The app has gained significant traction over the last few days, however, the feature-set isn’t quite there and the UX is a bit lackluster. The app includes monetization options for content creators and support for multiple Indian languages.

Apps like Camscanner

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Camscanner has had multiple security issues over the years and wasn’t the most obvious recommendation even before it joined the list of banned apps in India. Thankfully there are some great Camscanner alternatives.

Notebloc is a fantastic option that can easily serve in a pinch if you need to scan a document. The app does a great job at perspective correction, removing shadows, and can easily share scans over email or social media options. It can also export scans as PDFs and JPEGs.

Read more: Best document scanner apps for Android

Another excellent option is Adobe Scan that works much in the same way. Finally, if you are an Office 365 subscriber, the included Office Lens is a great Camscanner alternative thanks to its integration with OneDrive.

Apps like UC Browser / DU Browser

Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

UC Browser enjoys a 10% share of the browser market in India which translates to millions of users. This was largely because the app came pre-installed on millions of Chinese smartphones. However, there are many better options to chose from. To start with, the built-in Google Chrome browser on your phone should be your first stop. However, if you are looking for a broader feature-set, Firefox and Brave are great alternatives.

Read more: Best browsers for Android

Brave, in particular, has a focus on privacy and claims that it does not track any data at all. Personally, I prefer using Firefox Focus for glancing at quick links shared over social media since it automatically blocks all ad trackers, erases cookies, and passwords the moment you close the app.

Apps like ShareIt

Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

ShareIt has long been a popular option for users to easily and, more importantly, quickly share files between phones. As far as apps like ShareIt go, Files by Google allows for much the same features without intrusive ads or snooping on your data.

Read more: Best file sharing apps for Android

While most apps only work across phones, an excellent cross-platform option, albeit without an app is Snapdrop.net. Pop-in to your browser on any device and head over to the website to quickly shoot over files and images over to other devices on the network. This is as close as you get to Apple’s Airdrop on Android devices.

Apps like BeautyPlus / YouCam Makeup */ ]]>

If you are an avid selfie-taker, Beauty Plus was likely on your list. The app promised to remove blemishes and enhance your selfies to make them more visually appealing. The app had clocked close to 300 million installs.

Read more: Best camera apps for Android

If the built-in selfie enhancement features on your smartphone don’t cut it for you, B612 is a good South Korean alternative that takes things a step further with its focus on skin and beauty enhancement as well as a boatload of filters that should satisfy the itch.

Apps like Clean Master / DU Battery Saver

Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

Simply put, you do not need an app that promises to boost performance or improve battery life to keep your phone running optimally. If you feel that a particular app is starting to bog down your device, just head over to settings and clear the cache.

Read more: Best tools and utility apps for Android

Banned Chinese apps alternative options: Other apps

In addition to the more prominent apps mentioned above, the list contains a fair few utilities and smaller apps that might have you searching for an alternative. Here are some Chinese apps alternative options for more of the banned apps:

Those are our picks for the banned Chinese apps alternatives. We’ll update this list if any better alternatives become available.

02

Why India is boycotting Chinese apps and technology

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

India’s ban on 59 popular Chinese apps caught everyone off guard recently. The move came in the middle of a rising wave of anti-China sentiment in the country. This growing animosity has led to some drastic actions by fringe elements, including blockading the Oppo factory in India, but also acts of vandalism against storefronts stocking Chinese smartphones. So, what the heck is going on here?

The COVID-19 pandemic might have fueled negative sentiment against China, but the recent border skirmish between India and China has set the stage for a modern-day cold war. For now, this conflict is unfolding as a war between economies and trade, with technology being the unfortunate casualty.

Read more: The best alternatives to Chinese apps banned in India

The Sino-Indian border stretches 4,056 kilometers with at least 20 disputed regions, the Galwan valley being just one of them. While the real story is still in flux, India alleges that the Chinese military encroached on and laid claims on a 60km2 stretch of territory.

The rising tide of anti-China sentiment has been fueled by political parties, the Prime Minister’s call for self reliance and a broad focus on local manufacturing, as well as social media calls for a boycott on Chinese goods. This culminated in the ban of 59 popular apps under the guise of national security. These apps were alleged to promote activities that are “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.” The list includes the social media behemoth TikTok, as well as popular apps like Mi Community, Weibo, WeChat, and BeautyPlus.

India is the shining star of growth in the global smartphone race. In fact, after China, it is the largest smartphone market in the world. However, in an increasingly globalized economy, India’s actions could have huge repercussions for the future.

India’s digital revolution was fueled by Chinese smartphone vendors bringing incredible value to the segment. Xiaomi occupies a 30.6% market share of India’s smartphone space. Four of the top-selling smartphone brands in the country are Chinese. Meanwhile, apps like TikTok have leveled the playing field by surfacing talent from the hinterland and giving them a global audience.

A common justification for the Chinese boycott is the idea that it will spur Indian brands and ecosystems. As it turns out, Xiaomi and other Chinese vendors flourished exactly because of the lack of quality options from Indian smartphone vendors.

Even for Indian-made smartphones, a large portion of the supply chain still relies on components imported from China and other countries. A study by Counterpoint Research and IIM-B claims that localization of components is still well under 30%. This is less than half of the 70% of the component localization seen in China.

Component localization in India is well under 30%.

Furthermore, a large portion of India’s telecom networks is built on equipment supplied by Huawei and ZTE. The cost of replacing Chinese-made components or even building indigenous alternatives, once again by licensing Chinese patents, is massive and is something that would inevitably be passed on to customers.

It’s not just smartphones and telecom. Some of the biggest Indian startups have Chinese funding behind them. Be it the Amazon competitor Flipkart, food delivery app Swiggy, or taxi aggregator Ola, China’s Alibaba and Tencent have invested billions to ensure their success.

In short, it’s nearly impossible to get Chinese tech out of India. Global supply chains and investments are so entrenched that you just can’t completely exclude a country, especially China. However, that doesn’t have to be the case.

India has been making strides under the “Make in India” scheme, which has a given a big boost to domestic manufacturing. Today, Xiaomi alone employs over 50,000 people in the country. This includes over 30,000 workers in manufacturing facilities, with the overwhelming majority being women. Oppo and Vivo are other Chinese brands that have set up full-fledged production plants in the country. This is employment, revenue, and taxation that goes directly to India.

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With increasing efforts towards localization, India can play this to its advantage and build local tech talent. It needs a concerted effort and years of tech forward thinking, innovation, and investment to turn the tide around.

An arbitrary app ban sets a dangerous precedent, especially when placed in the context of an emotionally charged, nationalistic narrative. Already, some of the biggest smartphone brands in the country are facing the heat in terms of brand appeal. Indian authorities are even withholding inbound shipments from China, in a slippery slope that is bound to affect consumers sooner rather than later.

Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

What happens when phone makers can’t get the components to make your favorite smartphone? No, the answer is not an alternate Indian brand rising to the occasion like a phoenix from the ashes. Instead, it’s the buyer who will have to deal with rising prices, reduced supplies, and a lack of options.

India is trying to create an app and technology ecosystem by stifling competition. In the process, it risks becoming the very thing it opposes. Mere days after the app ban, we’re already starting slapdash efforts to recreate a similar experience. However, copycat apps are just not going to cut it.

Homegrown alternatives to the banned apps, like Mitron, Chingaari, Roposo and ShareChat boast excellent user acquisition. But their feature set falls short, the UX is unpolished, and it remains unknown how well they’ll be able to retain users in the absence of a global context, as well as content.

Empty rhetoric and ham-handed moves risk alienating India from the global technology ecosystem.

Building a good ecosystem, be it of apps or hardware, takes time. India should be focusing on the broader picture, while resolving political issues through diplomatic channels, rather than heavy-handed interventions in the industry.

Empty rhetoric and ham-handed moves risk alienating India from the global technology ecosystem. The idea of building self-reliance through homegrown technology is incredible, but that cannot happen in isolation. The beauty of technology is that it’s inclusive, bursting bubbles to open access to the world.

03

This Week in Apps: India bans Chinese apps, Apple freezes game updates in China, iOS developer backlash continues

Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the Extra Crunch series that recaps the latest OS news, the applications they support and the money that flows through it all.

The app industry is as hot as ever, with a record 204 billion downloads and $120 billion in consumer spending in 2019. People are now spending three hours and 40 minutes per day using apps, rivaling TV. Apps aren’t just a way to pass idle hours — they’re a big business. In 2019, mobile-first companies had a combined $544 billion valuation, 6.5x higher than those without a mobile focus.

In this Extra Crunch series, we help you keep up with the latest news from the world of apps, delivered on a weekly basis.

This week, we’re tracking the continued ramifications of the in-app purchases incident ignited by Basecamp, which has emboldened more developers to voice their gripes with Apple publicly in the past few days. The app stores are also this week enmeshed in world of politics, ranging from the India-China border dispute to apps impacted by China’s big brother-esque regulations to the latest with Apple’s antitrust probe.

HEADLINES Dozens of Chinese apps banned in India

In a major upset to mobile app businesses competing on a global stage, India this week blocked 59 apps developed by Chinese firms, due to concerns that the apps were engaging in activities that threatened the “national security and defense of India,” according to the Indian government.

The ban itself is a political power move as it follows deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along the disputed Himalayan border in June, which led to the death of at least 20 Indian soldiers on June 16. (China didn’t disclose its casualties.) Indian government officials claimed they had received reports of the apps stealing and transmitting user data in an unauthorized manner to servers outside the country. This is what necessitated the ban, they said.

India’s move could prove to have larger repercussions, as it sets the stage for a world where Chinese internet companies are excluded from key markets. This isn’t something that’s limited to apps, of course. For instance, the  U.S. is rallying its allies to stop using Huawei technologies for 5G. But China’s policies could mean its more successful apps, like TikTok, will lose key markets and therefore, forfeit revenue and power.

India’s ban threatens TikTok’s growth in a key market 

The move to ban the Chinese apps in India most notably impacts TikTok. To date, India had been the app’s largest overseas market until now, with some 200M+ users across around 611M lifetime downloads. In the most recent quarter, TikTok and the 58 other banned apps combined, had been downloaded around 330M times. The ban is estimated to impact roughly one in three smartphone users in India, according to research firm Counterpoint.

Google and Apple began to comply with New Delhi’s order on Thursday, to prevent Indian users from accessing the banned apps. In addition, India’s Department of Telecommunications ordered telecom networks and ISPs to block access to those 59 apps immediately.

Kevin Mayer, the chief executive of TikTok, said on Wednesday his app was in compliance with Indian privacy and security requirements and he was looking forward to meeting with various stakeholders in the Indian government to discuss.