Playstore is an official platform of google where you could download applications for smartphones. There are many apps on Android that have been banned by google stores despite the fact that they are well-designed applications.
These applications have been banned from google store because they do not follow the guidelines and policies issued by google store. Using these apps may put your personal information and device safety at risk and thus google stores have made certain policies and guidelines for the apps that are present on google store.
Some of these banned apps may prove out to be very useful for the users but if you are using these apps then you are taking a risk. After google discovered ransomware like WannaCry it started taking extra care to protect its user from different viruses. In a quest to make its platform safer for its user it has removed many apps from its platform.
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1. AdAway
AdAway was one of the most loved and famous apps on google store before it was removed. It was used to remove ads that generally come up on the free apps. It gave the user the choice to choose whether they want to see ads or not.
Why was it removed??
According to Google, the app was doing the violation of section 4.4 of the Play Store Developer Distribution Agreement. Google believed that the app was interfering with the properties and services of a third party. It was in a way a danger for mobile advertisements.
2. TubeMate
TubeMate is used to download videos from various online platforms like YouTube, Dailymotion, Facebook. It was majorly used for downloading youtube videos. It was a very famous app a few years back when Youtube didn’t have the option for downloading videos. The special feature of the app was that you could download the videos without watching it.
Why was it removed?
Google was not happy with the fact that it allowed users to download videos from YouTube. Google considered it a violation of its policies and was removed to prevent users from downloading the videos that were illegal to download.
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3. Aptoide
It was a very famous app that was a kind of alternative market where you could download android apps. The app was loved by many peoples because it allowed the user to get the paid applications present on the play store for free.
Why was it removed?
Google removed the app from google store because it allowed users access to paid apps in an illegal way. Google hide the app from the users and suggested them to uninstall the app, it leads to a 20% decrease in Aptoide users.
4. CM Installer
It was another famous app on play store that was a kind of alternative Android ROM for the smartphones that installed it. It gave the users the option of configuring and customizing their smartphones by replacing the ROM on their smartphone with CyanogenMod ROM. It helped the Android user to get an Android OS update.
Why was it removed?
It was removed as it was termed as a security threat for the users as it was not safe and also the application didn’t belong to any registered brand.
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5. Xposed Installer
The app involved installing a custom ROM in your device which can be used to modify your android device.
Why was it removed?
The app was not safe for the users.
6. Flappy Bird
It was a game that was highly addictive and by the end of January 2014, it was the most downloaded free game on google store. In the games players have to control a flying bird between green pipes which acted as obstacles and players have to keep the bird flying without hitting the obstacles.
Why was it removed?
The game was removed because of personal reasons. The reason for the game removal was that the game was very addictive so it’s developer removed it from the play store.
7. Lucky Patcher
The app contains a set of patches that allows its user to modify game and apps, skip the paid apps license verification, gave access to paid apps for free, and also removed ads.
Why was it removed?
Modifying the app by skipping payment was an illegal activity and it caused a security risk for its users.
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8. TV Portal
It allowed the users to stream a wide range of latest TV shows and movies for free. It provides all the latest TV shows and movies for free but if you choose the premium version of the app it will give you all these facilities ad-free.
Why was it removed?
Play store banned the app because of copyright issues. The people were able to access the latest shows and movies for free which was not correct.
9. Fildo
The app gave the user access to a large variety of music, which they could listen to and download for free. By writing about genre, artist, or the song name in the app they could easily access the song they are searching for.
Why was it removed?
It allowed us to listen and download songs for free which was illegal.
10. Grooveshark
It is an app for streaming unlimited music, it gave the users free access to online paid radio stations. It was removed and then again was taken back on play store many times before it was permanently removed from the play store.
Why was it removed?
It allowed us to listen and download songs for free which was illegal.
11. Rush Poker
It was a poker game app that allowed gamers to put in real money for gambling.
Why was it removed?
The game involved illegal online gambling. The game didn’t have any age restriction for its players which allowed kids to play the gambling game that involved real money.
12. Mobdro
It is a live TV app for android users that allows free online live TV streaming. It also has access to popular TV shows which you can download easily.
Why was it removed?
It allowed free access to live TV shows which is illegal.
13. PSX4Droid
PSX4Droid is a Sony PlayStation emulator for android users that allowed the android users to enjoy PlayStation games on their android mobile.
Why was it removed?
The app was removed because it made Content Policy violation and thus it involved many illegal processes. The app despite the fact that it didn’t have a GPL license was using the source code of app called PCSX.
14. OGInsta
The app allowed users to download photos and videos from Instagram. You could also zoom in and out photos using this app.
Why was it removed?
The app was a violation of the Instagram policies.
15. WhatsApp Sniffer
It allowed the users who were connected to the same Wifi network to access the photos, videos, and voice clips that other person is receiving. It allowed the user to see other persons saved photos and videos.
Why was it removed?
It was a spying app and spying someone without permission is illegal.
