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How To Check if an App is Chinese or Indian?

The Indian government has banned over 200 Chinese apps to date, citing national security issues. Following the ongoing geopolitical tension between both countries, people are now trying to avoid made in China apps as much as possible. However, a lot of you may find it challenging to identify an app’s origin country and whether it’s actually from China. Therefore, we are here with a quick guide on how you can check if an app is Chinese or Indian.

Check if an App is Chinese or Indian

1. Via Play Store/ App Store Listing

The most common way to find an app’s origin country is to check its Google Play Store or App Store listing.

  1. Head to Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
  2. Open the app download page and scroll down to the bottom.
  3. Click on Developer Contact below ratings and reviews.

Here, you’ll see all the details of the developer, including company name, email, and address, which will help you figure out the country the app is made in.

2. Check App’s Website and Privacy Policy Page

If the developer country isn’t mentioned in the App Store listing, you can check the app’s official website or privacy policy page for more insights. Both of them are usually mentioned in the same developer contact section on Google Play Store and App Store.

3. Google Search

The company or developer name is visible for most apps on the Play Store and App Store. A quick Google search will give you information about where it is from. For developers or publishers having offices in multiple countries, look for the headquarters location.

4. Using Third-Party Apps

There are several third-party apps that help to detect Chinese apps on your phone. For instance, the Apps Remover shows you the list of all installed applications with Chinese ones marked with a star. You can search for * in the app’s search bar to look for all made in China apps on your device.

There were tons of such apps on Play Store, more than half of which are now suspended by Google as the whole idea violates its policies. Also, you can’t entirely rely on these apps as they may not have all apps in their database.

Things to Note

Some apps may use a completely unrelated developer name and address to hide their origin identity. For instance, the now-banned MV Master is a Chinese app, but the Play Store listing mentions the developer’s name as XYZ Online.

On the other hand, the App Store listing and privacy policy page of the app read out Joyo Technology Pte. Ltd. as the developer, which is registered in Singapore. But in reality, the app is developed by a Chinese company called Kuaishou Technology.

Wrapping Up

So these were some things that’ll help you check if an app is made in China or made in India. Anyway, if you’re still unsure about whether an app is Chinese or not, you can reach out to us on Twitter or through the comments below.

Also, Chinese vs. Non-Chinese: Smartphones that are ‘ Made in India

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Ritik Singh

Ritik is the Managing Editor at GadgetsToUse. He manages the website and oversees the content to ensure it's as informative as possible. He also heads the sub-sites in the network. Putting work aside, he has a great interest in personal finance and is also a keen motorcycle enthusiast.