Top 20 Banned Android Apps – List of Apps that are No Longer Available on Google Play Store Today (2020)
With the millions of apps that are available on Google Play Store, and the addition of thousands of new apps on a daily basis, it is only natural for Google, as the platform holder, to protect their users by allowing only legitimate apps to be hosted on their platform.
Some apps that are suspicious or against Google’s policy would be removed from the Google Play Store immediately to protect the users as well as Google’s interests.
However, these banned apps might sometimes be good apps that deliver good features and functionality to the users.
At least, we can see that by the fact that these apps used to be popular and continue to be popular today even though people have to download the APK files manually.
Related: Apps to Monitor Cell Phones , Best Caller ID Apps For Android
List of Banned Android Apps
Here are the top 20 banned Android apps that are no longer available on Google Play Store today (2020):
Terrarium TV
Terrarium TV is an illegal movie and TV series streaming app that allows you to watch a vast collection of movies and TV shows for free through the app.
Whether you like to watch the new movies or the old TV series, you can easily find the shows that you want to watch on this app.
Due to its illegal nature, the app was removed from the Play Store and it is no longer in development.
Features:
- You can find both new and old movies and TV series in various genres.
- You can stream the movies and TV series for free without any subscription.
- You can stream in high speed and high quality (720p and 1080p).
- It supports the use in Android TV app, meaning that you can watch the shows on your smart TV.
- You can also download the shows and watch them offline.
NewPipe – Banned Android Apps
NewPipe is the simplification of YouTube official app that allows you to watch YouTube videos with much more conveniences.
One thing that excels from this app is the ability for you to watch YouTube videos without having to deal with ads and the slow and non-intuitive user interface.
This app makes your YouTube watching experience more fluid and private.
Features:
- It is a lightweight app that allows you to watch YouTube videos without wasting your data.
- It has an intuitive and fluid user interface.
- It tries to mimic the very first version of YouTube app that hasn’t been bloated with ads.
- You can watch any videos without interruptions and without privacy concerns.
- It is an open-source app that you can still download on F-Droid.
VidMate
VidMate is a simple, robust, and reliable tool that you can use to download videos from various platforms online.
With this app, you can pick a video and save it for offline viewing later on.
Due to the Play Store policy, this type of apps cannot be allowed to be hosted on the Play Store since illegal downloading of videos is forbidden.
However, this app is still available for APK installation.
Features:
- You can download videos online from various websites or platforms.
- You can store your downloaded videos on your Android device for offline viewing.
- The download process is simple and straightforward.
- This app still supports older versions of Android OS.
- You can use this app to download any YouTube videos on your device.
AdAway
AdAway is a free and open-source ad-blocking application that you can use to block various ads on your Android device.
With this app, you will make your Android device clean from any ads on any apps.
Since Google, as the owner of the Android platform, is making money via displaying ads on their platforms, AdAway is not allowed to exist on the Play Store.
But you can still download the app from the official website.
Features:
- You can make your Android device free from ads using AdAway.
- It is the ad-block for the whole device, not just for individual apps such as web browsers.
- You will use host files to determine the ads you want to block, and you can add your own host file sources.
- You can add exceptions for your blacklist and whitelist.
- It is completely free and open source, and it requires a rooted Android device to run.
TubeMate – Banned Android Apps
TubeMate is an app that allows you to download any YouTube videos on your device for offline viewing.
It can be used on both new and old Android versions, and the download process is simple and straightforward.
You simply need to enter the YouTube video URL you want to download and start downloading it right away.
You can choose various resolutions and download options with this app.
Features:
- This app provides an easy way for you to download any YouTube video.
- You can also download only the audio from the video that you choose.
- You can choose different formats and resolutions for your download.
- The download process is simple and straightforward.
- You can also download videos from other platforms as well, such as Facebook Video.
Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle is the place where you can find various deals for games, e-books, and other digital products.
You will only need to pay $1 or more to get the content in the offered bundles, and at the same time, you will be able to donate to specific charity organizations.
At first, the Android app version was officially available on Play Store, but later on it was removed and can be downloaded directly on the official site.
Features:
- You can get the information about most recent bundle offers from Humble Bundle.
- You can get notified for specific bundles.
- You can pay for the bundles that you choose directly from the app.
- You can also see various discounted games on Humble Bundle store.
- You can use the app as you would use the official website.
Xposed Framework
Xposed Framework is the app provided by XDA developer that allows you to mod your Android ROM quite easily.
With this app, you can add various add-ons on your Android ROM by first rooting your device.
It supports various Android versions from new to old versions, and you don’t need to use a computer to apply the mods.
Features:
- It is an easy way to mod your Android ROM without having to hack it with a computer.
- It requires a root access and Android Lollipop (5.0) and above.
- It gives you various choices of modules to install on your Android OS.
- The installation is simple and straightforward.
- You can get additional features for your current Android OS to give you various advantages, such as better battery use, app hibernation, prevent the screen from getting turned off, and more.
Dood’s Music Streamer
Dood’s Music Streamer is a handy music app that allows you to stream music from the Grooveshark library easily.
It is considered an app that condones music piracy by Google, and subsequently this app is getting banned from the Play Store.
You can still download the APK for this app, but it might no longer work as it was intended to be.
Features:
- You can stream any music for free from various genres.
- You can also download music for offline listening.
- You can stream music in high quality.
- You can also listen to various radio stations with this app.
- You can create your own playlist and play it on repeat or shuffle.
Popcorn Time
Popcorn Time provides an unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with subtitled and dubbed versions.
There are lots of choices of movies and TV series that you can find in this app, and you can also download them if you want to watch your favorite movies and TV shows offline.
This type of apps is not allowed on Google Play Store due to it being an illegal streaming of movies and TV series.
Features:
- You can watch various movies and TV series in full HD quality without any interruptions by ads.
- You can download your favorite movies and TV series for offline viewing.
- You can use this app on your Android smart TV, so that you can enjoy the movies on the big screen.
- Some movies and TV series also support the dubbed versions in addition to the subbed versions.
- It gives you a stable streaming connection speed.
Viper4Android
Viper4Android is a simple and handy app tool from XDA Labs that allows you to enhance the experience of your music listening with your Android device.
With this app, you can tweak various aspects of your audio to improve the overall quality of it.
This allows you to enhance your experience when you listen to music or watch videos on your Android device.
Features:
- It can tweak the various aspects of your Android audio to provide a better listening experience on your device.
- It is available for Android 6.0 and up.
- It works with rooted device.
- It has many improvements on the user interface aspects.
- You can unlock the best sound quality from your device speakers as well as when you connect the device to your headphones.
ShowBox
ShowBox is the Android app that allows you to watch TV series and movies in high definitions for free.
Since this type of apps condones the illegal streaming and piracy activities, it is not available on Google Play Store.
However, you can still download it from the official website if you want to have a way to stream thousands of movies and TV shows for free on the go.
It supports almost all versions of Android OS (5.0 and up).
Features:
- You can search for any movies and TV shows on this app.
- You can stream the movies or shows that you want in 720p or 1080p quality.
- It allows you to stream any movies and shows on the go for free.
- It supports Android version 5.0 and up.
- It is still currently being updated by the developers on their official site.
Aptoide
Aptoide is an independent Android app store that you can install on your device.
However, it is not available on the Google Play Store, and you have to install it directly from the official site.
This app allows you to access various apps and download them on your device as easily as Google Play Store.
The apps and games available on Aptoide are being updated on a regular basis, and you can install them with no restrictions.
Features:
- You can find various popular apps and games on Aptoide, just like Google Play Store.
- It doesn’t apply Geo-restrictions for the apps that you want to install.
- It is the safest independent app store for Android that you can use.
- It integrates the cryptocurrency technology into its app store.
- You can manage your installed apps easily with Aptoide.
F-Droid
F-Droid provides the list of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) apps for Android that you can browse easily.
With this app, you can find various Android applications that are currently not available on Google Play Store.
It gives you the access to the completely free and open-source applications that you can install directly on your Android device.
You can download the F-Droid app from their official website.
Features:
- You can easily install F-Droid on your device and get access to thousands of FOSS apps on your device.
- You can manage your installed apps with the F-Droid user interface.
- The list of apps is always updated as new apps are being added to the platform.
- You can find apps that are not available on Google Play Store.
- Each app that you install from F-Droid is secure, and they can be uninstalled completely without issues.
GBWhatsapp
GBWhatsapp helps you to use two Whatsapp accounts on a single phone with ease. A few days back, the developers had announced that they are working on GBWhatsapp and finally, they have launched this new app which offers a lot of new features.
How To Get GBWhatsapp?
Goto http://www.gbapk.info to download GBWhatsapp Apk from the official website without any ads or malware issues. Just Download and install this app on your Android device and enjoy two Whatsapp accounts in one phone at ease now. In-fact, this is the same app which was previously known as GBWhatsapp MOD Apk. The developers have just rebranded it and made a few changes in the code to make this work with Whatsapp Xtreme.
Now that WhatsApp updated their policy, you can’t use Reshared files of any type on WhatsApp for Android 2. 16.399 and above. Due to this, you need to use Custom media files if you want to send Reshared audios or videos on WhatsApp for Android 2.16.399 or above now.
The GBWhatsapp Apk comes with lots of new features over the existing GBWhatsapp MOD Apk along with Android Nougat Emojis. The new features include GIFs, Location change in statuses, Last seen time change feature, Privacy mods and all the old features which were available in the Old version of GBWhatsapp i.e v5.25 .
On top of that, users can also send Youtube videos and websites on this app now. The developers are trying to include facebook videos too on the next update. Since Google has started banning all Fake Whatsapp web/telegram like apps, you can now send media files of all types using GBWhatsapp Apk.
Aurora Store
Aurora Store is a third-party app store for Android that provides you the list of apps that you can download and install on your device.
It is geared toward hosting various FOSS (free and open source software) apps that you can use without having to deal with ads and privacy issues.
You can install this app with or without the Google Play Services.
Features:
- This app is an independent and secure app store that can provide you with access to various free and open-source apps and games.
- It doesn’t need Google Play Store to work, so you can use it on your phone even if it doesn’t support Google apps (such as Huawei phones).
- You can install, manage, and update your apps using the Aurora Store user interface.
- You can change your device information to enable you to download apps from other regions.
- It has an elegant UI with the built-in app and adware trackers.
SnapTube
SnapTube is the app that allows you to download videos and music from various streaming platforms, such as Vimeo, Vevo, Facebook Video, and more.
You can download your videos in various formats and quality up to 4K.
You can play your downloaded videos for offline viewing on your device.
Not only that, you can also rip the audio from any video to obtain the music files from it, which are available in various audio formats.
Features:
- You can download videos from various video and music streaming sites for free.
- You can download videos in various formats, starting from low quality to 4K UHD quality.
- You can also download music in various audio formats with different quality options.
- Supported sites include Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, TikTok, Vevo, and many more.
- It is safe and secure, and you can get the APK from the official website or various independent/alternative Android app stores.
YMusic
YMusic is an app that allows you to download YouTube music and play YouTube videos in the background.
Natively, YouTube won’t allow you to play their videos on the background, so this app can bypass that restriction and give you the ability to play the videos you want without having to watch the videos.
You can also save bandwidth data while doing so.
Features:
- You can play YouTube music in the background, so you can listen to any music on YouTube without watching the videos.
- It also gives you the built-in downloader that allows you to download any YouTube videos on any formats.
- It is integrated with Last.fm to extract artist and music information for a better look in your collection.
- You can also manage your downloaded music and create playlists with this app.
- It is integrated with the main YouTube app so you can listen to any video in the background from the main YouTube app.
AdSkip for YouTube
Ads on YouTube might be annoying for you, but from the YouTube’s perspective, it is how they make money.
This is why AdSkip for YouTube is not available on the Google Play Store.
This app allows you to skip any ads automatically on YouTube whenever the skip button started to appear, so you don’t need to do it manually.
Features:
- You can enjoy the almost ad-free experience in watching YouTube videos by skipping the ads as soon as possible.
- You don’t need to use any VPN in order to activate this app.
- You don’t need to root your device to use this app.
- It is available for free with full functionality.
- You can also mute the audio from the ads whenever they are shown.
MiXplorer
MiXplorer provides a free and ad-free file manager app for Android that packs lots of features usually available on premium file manager apps.
It is smooth and fast, and it has an intuitive user interface to make browsing files on your device easier and faster.
It supports even the Android version as far back as the 2.0 version.
Features:
- It can browse your internal storage, as well as external storage, LAN, FTP, and cloud storage.
- You can customize the theme of the user interface as you prefer.
- It can read USB OTG with FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS file system.
- You can view HTML files with this app.
- It also comes with EPUB and PDF reader.
DNS66
DNS66 is the app that allows you to use DNS to block host names on your device.
With this ability, you can do various things that you normally can’t do on your device, such as blocking ads.
With this app, you can block or add host names via DNS according to your needs.
It will be done via the VPN connection that will be established once you start putting this app into action.
Features:
- You can easily block ads on your device just by blocking the host names via DNS.
- You can also configure your DNS settings easily.
- You can add or remove any host names in the database.
- It doesn’t require rooting for the app to work.
- It will filter your network traffic via the VPN interface that it will establish once your DNS configuration is set up.
Bromite – Banned Android Apps
Bromite is a privacy browser that is made based on the Chromium browser, allowing you to take your privacy back when you browse the internet on your device.
It has the built-in ad-blocking functionality that automatically block ads during your browsing sessions.
Also, it has various privacy features to keep your browsing sessions private for you.
Features:
- It blocks that ads that are displayed on the websites that you visit on your device.
- It gives you the privacy features that keep your online session safe and secure.
- You can browse the web without any clutters or interruptions.
- It has a minimal user interface for easier use.
- It supports Android 4.4 and above.
Conclusion
These banned Android apps are no longer available on Google Play Store.
However, most of them are still available for download on their official sites or alternative Android app stores.
If you decide to install them, please be aware that your device security is at risk, since you are allowing the installation of unknown sources to your device.
However, if you are sure that the Banned Android App is safe for your device, you can proceed to install it on your device without any problem.
Related: Apps to Monitor Cell Phones , Best Caller ID Apps For Android