Despite The App Store Bans, PUBG Mobile Is Still Playable In India

Nutan Lele
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Despite The App Store Bans, PUBG Mobile Is Still Playable In India
  • Despite the PUBG Mobile ban at the start of the month, the game is still playable in India through an APK update.
  • Samsung and Xiaomi phones auto-download the most recent PUBG Mobile update through their own browsers.
  • Warning: Since PUBG Mobile is officially banned in India, AFK Gaming does not encourage players to play the game.

At the beginning of this month, the Indian Government decided to ban PUBG Mobile along with other Chinese apps over privacy and security concerns as well as China’s growing aggression at the border. Since the PUBG Mobile ban, several players and streamers have moved to other games like Free Fire and Call of Duty: Mobile. However, it turns out that PUBG Mobile is still playable on mobile devices in India. 

Disclaimer: The following is for information purposes only. AFK Gaming does not encourage Indian players to continue playing the banned game.

PUBG Mobile Is Still Accessible From India

Although both PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile LITE have been removed from Google Play Store. If the game hasn’t been uninstalled from the device, PUBG Mobile still loads and lets you enter a match. Upon opening the game players get the following message:

Despite The App Store Bans, PUBG Mobile Is Still Playable In India
If opened, the game asks to update to a newer version

Upon selecting ‘Update’, the game redirects Samsung and Xiaomi phones to open a native browser window and initiates the download of an APK file. 

Despite The App Store Bans, PUBG Mobile Is Still Playable In India
Samsung and Xiaomi Phone automatically start downloading an APK file through your mobile browser

The device will download the required files.

Despite The App Store Bans, PUBG Mobile Is Still Playable In India
Your device will start downloading the APK

The device will ask for permission to install.

Despite The App Store Bans, PUBG Mobile Is Still Playable In India
The device asks to update the existing application

Upon reopening PUBG Mobile, it will ask to download another 13.7 MB patch and initiate more patch downloads.

Despite The App Store Bans, PUBG Mobile Is Still Playable In India
When you open PUBG you see this update message

After all the updates are complete, the game lets you enter a match as usual. 

Warning: While PUBG Mobile is officially banned, playing the game through APKs also could be illegal. AFK Gaming does not condone such actions and does not encourage players to continue playing the game.

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Nutan is experienced with content across various FPS, MOBA, and BR titles for both PC and mobile gaming. Basically, she's a Jill of all trades. As the former captain of an all-woman esports team, her roots lie firmly in PC gaming but she does enjoy that one map in Call of Duty: Mobile.