TikTok is one of the 59 apps banned in India over the rising privacy concerns, the app has been removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store earlier. The government is yet to reveal details on how they plan to enforce the ban in India. But as of now the app has been removed from app stores and the content is also blocked from ISP and thus the app does not show any content in India now. The app was also previously banned by the Indian Government a couple of months ago, but the app was soon made available for download.
TikTok has been in the news time and again regarding privacy concerns and there have also been instances where the app was caught transmitting sensitive user data it’s to servers in China. While this might be okay for most users, the practice is considered highly unethical and immoral by many. While using apps like TikTok it is important to know the amount of data that the app is collecting from its users and how it will be used to improve the service and more. It is also important to have an option to opt-out of the data collection to ensure privacy.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese entity and despite repeated claims about privacy being important for the company, we should still take it with a pinch of salt. TikTok also uses AI to aggregate the right content for you and show you the videos on your feed accordingly, this means that it is always learning more and more about you as a human being, your interests, likes and dislikes. It is important that this information doesn’t get into the rogue hands for your own safety, given the scenario around TikTok and other Chinese apps, it might be better to take a break from the app until the situation improves.
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According to reports, the app has over 200 million users in India alone, and ever since the announcement of Vocal for Local initiative by PM Modi, several Indian start-ups have started developing a TikTok rival. There are many Indian short video platforms available on the Play Store right now and some of them include the Chingari App, Bolo Indya, and Mitron app. Here is a list of the best TikTok alternatives for Indian users.
1. Mitron
This is a name you surely would have heard before if you were looking for a TikTok alternative. The Mitron app rose to fame a few months ago as a desi alternative to TikTok, the app was removed from the Play Store soon after the launch before returning back again. The Mitron app is now operating well in India and has been downloaded by over 1 crore users. Talking about the TikTok ban, the Mitron app founder said that any app that is targeting the Indian audience need to be sensitive about the local community guidelines and comply with the local laws.
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The app was built with a vision to offer a product that re-imagines digital entertainment in India while still adhering to the government requirements. The app gained very good traction over the last few months with over 1.2 Crore downloads, the app is available only on the Google Play Store for now and is not available on the Apple App Store yet.
Download Mitron from Google Play Store
2. Chingari
Chingari is a locally made app in India and comes with many categories such as Trending news, Video songs, Wishes, Shayaris, Clips, and Memes. The app boasts a massive user base of 5 million users, the developers of the app have designed the app with Indian users in mind and the design, performance, user experience are all tuned to make it the best fit for Indian users.
The app is also available in many Indian languages such as English, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and more. The app received a great response since PM Modi announced the Local for Vocal initiative. The app comes with a load of features that will improve the overall experience of the users and offer them an easy way to share their content.
Download Chingari from Google Play Store
Download Chingari from Apple App Store
Roposo
Roposo is yet another alternative to the TikTok app from Indian creators, the short video platform has garnered many users in the recent past. Unlike the Mitron app and the Bolo Indya app that is available only for Android users on the Google Play Store, the Roposo app is available for both eh Android and iOS users on Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively. According to the founder of InMobi, the company behind Roposo, this is a digital aatmanirbhar time for most Indian users that they have been longing for.
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Roposo is very well positioned in the Google Play Store as one of the top video apps and will likely lead the moment. Roposo has committed to building the trust and love of 65 million Indian users, The app is available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store with over 5 crore users right now.
Download Roposo from Google Play Store
Download Roposo from Apple App Store
ShareChat
ShareChat is another TikTok Alternative and we have talked about it in our previous articles too, ShareChat is yet another desi alternative to TikTok in Indi. According to the company, TikTok alternative ShareChat is founded by Indians and Indians demonstrating Indian needs, behaviors, and sensibility. The app is also available on Google Play Store and the Apple App Store thereby not limiting the user base based on the platform. According to a statement released by the company, ShareChat stands as the largest regional social network enabling users to express their thoughts, opinions, and emotions online.
Bolo Indya
Bolo Indya is one of the good alternatives to TikTok in India, the app has over 100,000 downloads in the country and is available only on Google Play Store, for now, the app is yet to make it to the Apple App Store. In a statement commenting on the TikTok ban, the founder of Bolo Indya, Varun Saxena said that the app is most loved by Indian users in the short videos app segment and that users spend over 39 minutes per day and then further went on to invite all the TikTok stars from India to be a part of the fast-growing Bolo Indya community. This opportunity can positively impact a lot of Indian users and provide them a localized platform to build their social following and use that for financial Independence.
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The company has also assured that they will work with the government of India guidelines on Data Security and promoting Indian Culture, Values, and Heritage in the content on the platform. In another interview, the founder was also caught saying that he wants users to create and consume good and valuable content on the platform, unlike TikTok where everything goes viral irrespective of the quality.
