TikTok remains banned in India. Both TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and the Indian government have clarified that the app is still banned in the country, with no immediate prospect of a return. The Indian government has stated that no order has been issued to unblock TikTok. The app remains unavailable on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The ministry has dismissed reports of TikTok’s return as rumors.

TikTok has begun hiring in India. Despite the ban, TikTok has posted new job openings for its Gurugram office. These include positions for Content Moderator (Bengali Speaker) and Wellbeing Partnership & Operations Lead. These jobs have been advertised on LinkedIn and other professional platforms. This is what led users to believe that TikTok might be returning to India.

Why was TikTok banned? In June 2020, the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok. This decision was prompted by concerns over data security, the fear of data transfer to China, and threats to national security.

Who benefited from the TikTok ban? Following the TikTok ban, several local short video apps gained popularity, including Moj, Josh, and MX TakaTak. However, Instagram Reels benefited the most, becoming the most popular short video platform in the country today.

Will TikTok really return? The company’s new hiring in India suggests that it is still keeping an eye on the market here. To potentially return, TikTok will need to establish local data servers in India, adhere to regulations and safety standards, and obtain new approvals from the government. This is similar to how Krafton followed local server and new rules to bring back BGMI (PUBG Mobile) to India.

The core change involves Google requiring that only apps from verified developers can be installed on certified Android devices. Until now, verification was primarily necessary for developers publishing apps on the Google Play Store. Now, developers of third-party apps will also need to be verified by Google. Google is introducing a new Android Developer Console to facilitate this, requiring developers to register.

The new system will begin testing in October 2025. The Android Developer Console will be available to all developers from March 2026. The rules will be rolled out first in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026. Global implementation is expected by 2027.

Google states that sideloaded apps pose a 50-times greater risk of malware. Verification is aimed at identifying legitimate developers and making it more difficult for fraudulent developers to re-launch banned apps under new names. Google claims that verification implemented on the Play Store in 2023 has led to a decrease in malware, fraud, and data theft.

Users will only be able to install third-party apps from Google-verified developers. Unverified apps will not be installable on certified Android phones. This rule will not apply to custom ROMs or certain devices, such as those in China, that do not have Google services pre-installed.

This move is linked to the recent legal case involving Epic Games and Google. The court ruled that Google must allow third-party app stores to operate on the Play Store. This decision is driving Google to implement these new rules to maintain control over app distribution.

Start by deleting unnecessary applications. Many of us download apps that we use once and then forget about. Old games, shopping apps, or trial versions can be removed. Go to your phone’s Settings, then Apps, and check which apps are consuming the most storage. Also, close background running apps, which drain battery and consume storage unnecessarily.