List of Banned Apps by Country, App Store and School
Which apps are banned where, since when, and by whom. Each entry has a year and a status, and the apps you can block on managed devices have their iOS bundle ID and Android package.
Bans on government phones are a separate topic: see government device app bans.
Quick answers
Four kinds of app ban
"Banned" means different things depending on who acts. Knowing the kind tells you whether your devices are affected and what, if anything, you need to change.
Country block order
A government orders internet providers to block an app's servers, as India did in 2020 or Nepal in 2025.
Installed copies stop working inside that country.App store removal
Apple or Google removes an app from one country's store, often on a regulator's request.
Existing installs may keep running. Block by ID if you need it gone.Age or account rule
A law limits who may hold an account, as with Australia's under-16 rule.
The app stays in the store. Schools often block it anyway.Device or network ban
An employer, school district or agency bans an app on its own devices and Wi-Fi.
This one is yours to enforce with MDM and filtering.Apps banned in India
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology used Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to block apps it called prejudicial to sovereignty, defence and security. Most were Chinese-linked.
59 apps, including TikTok and WeChat
The first order named TikTok, WeChat, SHAREit, UC Browser, Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Kwai, Bigo Live, Shein, ROMWE, Mobile Legends, Meitu, Weibo, Baidu Map and others.
118 apps, including PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite, Baidu, Alipay, WeChat Work, CamCard, Arena of Valor, AFK Arena and Rise of Kingdoms were on this list.
43 apps, including AliExpress
AliExpress, Alibaba Workbench, AliSuppliers, Snack Video and a large group of dating apps were blocked.
54 apps, including Garena Free Fire
Reports described many of these as rebadged versions of apps banned in 2020.
BGMI removed, then allowed back
Krafton's Battlegrounds Mobile India was pulled from app stores on a government order in July 2022 and allowed back on a trial basis in 2023.
Shein returns through Reliance
Shein came back through a Reliance Retail app, with conditions that include local data storage and products made in India.
| App banned in India | Order | iOS bundle ID | Android package |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | June 2020 | com.zhiliaoapp.musically | com.zhiliaoapp.musically |
| June 2020 | com.tencent.xin | com.tencent.mm | |
| SHAREit | June 2020 | com.lenovo.anyshare | look up |
| CamScanner | June 2020 | com.intsig.CamScannerLite | look up |
| Likee | June 2020 | video.like | video.like |
| BIGO LIVE | June 2020 | sg.bigo.live | sg.bigo.live |
| Kwai | June 2020 | com.kwai.intl | look up |
| Meitu | June 2020 | com.meitu.mtxx | look up |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | June 2020 | com.mobile.legends | com.mobile.legends |
| Baidu Maps | June 2020 | com.baidu.map | look up |
| SHEIN (global app) | June 2020 | zzkko.com.ZZKKO | com.zzkko |
| ROMWE | June 2020 | com.romwe.dotfashion | look up |
| PUBG MOBILE | September 2020 | com.tencent.ig | com.tencent.ig |
| Arena of Valor | September 2020 | com.ngame.allstar.eu | com.ngame.allstar.eu |
| AFK Arena | September 2020 | com.lilithgame.hgames.ios | look up |
| Rise of Kingdoms | September 2020 | com.lilithgame.roc.ios | look up |
| Baidu app | September 2020 | com.baidu.BaiduMobile | look up |
| AliExpress | November 2020 | com.alibaba.iAliexpress | com.alibaba.aliexpresshd |
| SnackVideo | November 2020 | com.kwai.bulldog | com.kwai.bulldog |
| Free Fire | February 2022 | com.dts.freefireth | com.dts.freefireth |
Order dates refer to the Indian orders. The listed app names and IDs are the current App Store versions, which may differ from the versions named in 2020. The Indian edition of PUBG, BGMI, uses com.pubg.imobile on both stores.
Apps and websites banned in China
China blocks many foreign services at the network level and requires apps in its App Store storefront to meet local rules. Popular apps banned in China include most of what American users open every day.
What American apps are banned in China
- Facebook, X (Twitter) and YouTube, blocked since 2009
- WhatsApp, blocked from 2017
- Instagram, Telegram and Google services, including Gmail, Google Maps and the Google Play store
- Threads, Signal and Telegram removed from the China App Store in April 2024, with WhatsApp
The April 2024 App Store removals
- Apple said the Cyberspace Administration of China ordered WhatsApp and Threads removed on national security grounds.
- Signal and Telegram were removed from the China storefront the same day.
- All four stayed available in other countries' storefronts.
| Blocked or removed in China | Since | iOS bundle ID | Android package |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | com.facebook.Facebook | com.facebook.katana | |
| X | 2009 | com.atebits.Tweetie2 | com.twitter.android |
| YouTube | 2009 | com.google.ios.youtube | com.google.android.youtube |
| 2017 block, 2024 store removal | net.whatsapp.WhatsApp | com.whatsapp | |
| Blocked | com.burbn.instagram | com.instagram.android | |
| Threads | April 2024 store removal | com.burbn.barcelona | com.instagram.barcelona |
| Signal | April 2024 store removal | org.whispersystems.signal | org.thoughtcrime.securesms |
| Telegram | Blocked, April 2024 store removal | ph.telegra.Telegraph | org.telegram.messenger |
For the other direction, Chinese apps and where they are restricted, see the list of Chinese apps.
Apps that are banned in the US
The United States has no general list of banned consumer apps. The cases below are the ones people usually mean when they ask "what apps are being banned".
TikTok divestment law
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act required ByteDance to sell TikTok's US business or face a ban.
Kaspersky software banned from sale
The Commerce Department's first ICTS final determination stopped sales of Kaspersky products to US customers, and updates ended on 29 September 2024. Existing users were not penalized.
NGL barred from users under 18
The FTC and the Los Angeles District Attorney announced a proposed order banning NGL Labs from offering its anonymous messaging app to minors.
TikTok goes dark briefly
TikTok stopped working for US users for a short time when the law took effect. Apple listed CapCut, Lemon8, Hypic and Gauth among the ByteDance apps affected, and CapCut and Lemon8 went dark for US users too.
TikTok USDS Joint Venture closes
Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX became the main investors and ByteDance kept 19.9%. US users kept the same app.
DeepSeek and government devices
DeepSeek is not banned nationally in the US. Many states, including Texas, New York and Virginia, banned it on state devices and networks. Agency and state rules for TikTok and DeepSeek are tracked on the government device bans page, and blocking steps are on how to block DeepSeek.
Apps getting banned in Australia: the under-16 rule
From 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms must take reasonable steps to stop Australians under 16 from holding accounts. The apps stay in the stores, and eSafety says the list may change.
| Platform | Status at 10 December 2025 | iOS bundle ID | Android package |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age-restricted | com.facebook.Facebook | com.facebook.katana | |
| Age-restricted | com.burbn.instagram | com.instagram.android | |
| Kick | Age-restricted | com.kick.mobile | com.kick.mobile |
| Age-restricted | com.reddit.Reddit | com.reddit.frontpage | |
| Snapchat | Age-restricted | com.toyopagroup.picaboo | com.snapchat.android |
| Threads | Age-restricted | com.burbn.barcelona | com.instagram.barcelona |
| TikTok | Age-restricted | com.zhiliaoapp.musically | com.zhiliaoapp.musically |
| Twitch | Age-restricted | tv.twitch | tv.twitch.android.app |
| X | Age-restricted | com.atebits.Tweetie2 | com.twitter.android |
| YouTube | Age-restricted | com.google.ios.youtube | com.google.android.youtube |
| YouTube Kids | Not age-restricted | com.google.ios.youtubekids | com.google.android.apps.youtube.kids |
| Discord | Not age-restricted | com.hammerandchisel.discord | com.discord |
| Messenger | Not age-restricted | com.facebook.Messenger | com.facebook.orca |
| Not age-restricted | net.whatsapp.WhatsApp | com.whatsapp | |
| Roblox | Not age-restricted | com.roblox.robloxmobile | com.roblox.client |
| Steam | Not age-restricted | com.valvesoftware.Steam | com.valvesoftware.android.steam.community |
| Google Classroom | Not age-restricted | com.google.Classroom | com.google.android.apps.classroom |
eSafety also listed GitHub and LEGO Play as outside the rule. On DeepSeek: Australia banned it on government devices and systems in 2025, not for the public.
Banned apps in other countries
These are country level actions with a clear date. Several were reversed, so the status matters as much as the year.
Italy: DeepSeek
The data protection authority ordered a block on app store downloads in late January 2025.
Blocked 2025South Korea: DeepSeek
The privacy regulator had the app pulled from Korean stores in February 2025. It returned about two months later.
Back in storesGermany: DeepSeek
Berlin's data protection commissioner reported the app to Apple and Google under the Digital Services Act in June 2025.
Check current statusRussia: Facebook, Instagram, VPN apps
Roskomnadzor blocked Facebook and Instagram in March 2022. Apple removed 25 VPN apps from the Russian App Store in July 2024.
In forceVietnam: Telegram
The telecoms department ordered providers to block Telegram in May 2025, citing criminal use and refusal to share data.
Ordered 2025Nepal: 26 platforms
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn and Reddit were blocked in September 2025 for not registering. The order was withdrawn days later after deadly protests.
Lifted 2025Pakistan: X
X was blocked from 17 February 2024, a week after the general election, and restored in May 2025.
Lifted 2025Brazil: X
The Supreme Court suspended X at the end of August 2024. It came back in October 2024 after X met the court's orders and paid fines.
Lifted 2024Philippines: Binance
The SEC asked Apple and Google in April 2024 to remove Binance's apps, as the exchange was not licensed. Removal from Philippine stores followed.
Removed| App | Where | iOS bundle ID | Android package |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek | Italy, South Korea (2025) | com.deepseek.chat | com.deepseek.chat |
| Telegram | Vietnam (2025) | ph.telegra.Telegraph | org.telegram.messenger |
| X | Pakistan (2024 to 2025), Brazil (2024) | com.atebits.Tweetie2 | com.twitter.android |
| Binance | Philippines | com.czzhao.binance | look up |
| rednote | Taiwan suspension announced December 2025 | com.xingin.discover | look up |
Apps removed by app stores
Store removals follow store rules or a regulator's request in one country. They do not delete the app from phones that already have it, which is why a managed device still needs its own rule.
| App | What happened | iOS bundle ID | Android package |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | Removed from the App Store and Google Play in August 2020 over payments. Back on the US App Store in May 2025 and US Google Play in December 2025. | com.epicgames.FortniteGame | com.epicgames.fortnite |
| Talkie | Removed from the US App Store in December 2024 for unstated technical reasons. Returned under the name Talkie Lab. | com.tara.ai | look up |
| WhatsApp, Threads, Signal, Telegram | Removed from the China App Store in April 2024 on a government order. | see China table | see China table |
| VPN apps in Russia | 25 VPN apps removed from the Russian App Store in July 2024 at Roskomnadzor's request. | varies | varies |
| DeepSeek | Removed from stores in Italy and, for a time, South Korea in 2025. | com.deepseek.chat | com.deepseek.chat |
Apps banned by schools
Schools ban apps on their own devices and networks. Some of these bans come from state law, and most come from district policy.
Florida HB 379 (2023)
- Bans TikTok on school district devices and district internet access.
- Bars schools from using TikTok to promote schools, clubs or teams.
- Requires districts to block social media on school Wi-Fi.
- A Board of Education rule extended the TikTok ban to personal devices on school internet.
What districts commonly block
- VPN and proxy apps, which undo every other rule
- Social media, chat and live streaming apps
- AI chat and companion apps for younger grades
- Dating, gambling, adult and 17+ rated apps
- Games and video streaming during school hours
State by state phone rules are on school phone ban laws, and a ready list for student iPads is on apps to block on school iPads.
What each kind of ban does to the devices you manage
The same headline can mean very different things on a phone. This table shows what changes for a managed device in each case, and what is left for IT to do.
| Kind of ban | Installed app keeps working? | Still in the store? | What IT does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country block order (India 2020, Vietnam 2025) | Usually not inside that country, because servers are blocked | Removed from that country's storefronts | Block by ID anyway, so travellers and VPN users are covered |
| Store removal on a regulator's request (China 2024, Philippines) | Often yes, until an update is needed | No, in that country only | Block by ID if policy says the app is banned |
| Store removal over store rules (Fortnite 2020) | Yes, until it breaks | No, until reinstated | Usually nothing, unless games are blocked |
| Age or account rule (Australia under-16) | Yes, for allowed users | Yes | Schools often block the app for students regardless |
| Divestment law (TikTok in the US) | Yes, after the joint venture closed | Yes | Follow your own policy and any government device rule |
| Device or network ban (Florida schools) | Only if IT has not blocked it | Yes | Enforce with MDM and network filtering |
A ban that is lifted, as in Nepal, Pakistan or Brazil, does not change a device rule you set yourself. Review your own list when the news changes rather than assuming it follows.
Turning a ban into an MDM rule
A country or store action rarely reaches devices that already have the app. If your policy says an app is banned, enforce it on the device.
Write down the scope
Which devices and users: district iPads, staff phones, shared tablets, or only one region.
Collect both IDs
Banned apps need the iOS bundle ID and the Android package. They often differ, as WeChat's do.
Add look-alikes
Lite versions, regional editions and clones follow every ban. Reports said the 2022 India order was aimed at many of them.
Push the block
Use a blocked apps list on supervised iOS and managed Google Play controls on Android.
Check the inventory
Confirm the app is gone from the device app inventory after the next check-in.
Review every month
Bans get lifted, as in Nepal and Pakistan, and new ones arrive. Keep the list current.
Guides: block TikTok on managed devices, block Telegram, and find any bundle ID with the free lookup.
Banned apps: frequently asked questions
Is TikTok banned in the US?
No. A 2024 law required ByteDance to divest TikTok's US business. The app went dark briefly in January 2025, and in January 2026 a deal closed that moved US operations into TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, with ByteDance keeping 19.9%. US users kept the same app.
Is TikTok still banned on government devices?
Government device bans are separate from the national law. In August 2026 the US federal government withdrew its guidance to remove TikTok from executive branch devices, while the House, the Senate and many states keep their own bans.
Rules differ by agency, state and country, so check the current policy for your organization. Our government device app bans page tracks them.
Is DeepSeek banned in the US, Australia or India?
There is no nationwide consumer ban in any of the three. Australia banned it on government devices and systems, India restricted it on government office devices, and US states such as Texas, New York and Virginia banned it on state devices. Italy and South Korea removed it from local stores in 2025.
How many Chinese apps are banned in India?
The four main orders from June 2020 to February 2022 named 274 apps: 59, then 118, then 43, then 54. Reports that also count other orders put the number of blocked Chinese-linked apps above 300. A few apps, such as Shein through a Reliance run app, later returned under new conditions.
What social media apps are getting banned in Australia?
From 10 December 2025, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube must take reasonable steps to stop Australians under 16 from holding accounts. The apps are not removed from app stores, and eSafety says the list can change.
What does permanently banned from TikTok mean?
It usually means TikTok has banned a user account for breaking its rules. That is an account decision by the platform, not a device block. To stop the app on a managed device you block its bundle ID or package name in your MDM.
Keep banned apps off every managed device
Category blocklists for social media, messaging, VPN and AI apps, with iOS and Android IDs in files for your MDM, updated monthly.
TikTok, CapCut and Lemon8 are trademarks of ByteDance Ltd. or its affiliates. WeChat is a trademark of Tencent. Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp and Messenger are trademarks of Meta Platforms, Inc. YouTube and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc.
DeepSeek, X, Telegram, Signal, Fortnite, Kaspersky, Binance and all other names are trademarks of their respective owners. Names are used only to identify the products discussed. AppBlockList is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by these companies.