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UC Browser has returned to the Google Play Store
June 07, 2025
You might remember last week thatUC Browser was removed from the Google Play Store. The company behind UC Browser, UCWeb, quickly responded to the issue and subsequent controversy. It stated the error that led to the removal was unintentional and an updated version had already been uploaded to the developer console. Now, the browser isback in the Play Store.
What’s interesting here is that no one has ever confirmed why UC Browser was taken down in the first place. When the browser first disappeared from Google Play,many on Reddit theorizedthat it was because the app was stealing sensitive data from users’ devices and sending it back to a server in China without users’ consent. According to a report fromTimes of India, Indian officials were concerned because UC Browser was found to guilty of this even after the app had been uninstalled.
There have also beenrumorsthat deceptive tactics by advertising partners were pumping up the volume of UC Browser’s download numbers.
After the story broke, A Twitter user who claimed to be a UC Browser employee responded to our article. He stated that the browser had been removed for 30 days because it used “misleading” and “unhealthy” methods of increasing installs. UCWeblater released a statementthat it has no record of anyone with the same name working for the company. It’s also important to note that the browser is returning far quicker than 30 days. It was pulled last week and has already returned.
Speaking toGadgets 360, Alibaba Mobile Business Group’s Head of International Business Department Young Li stated that the remove was “because of a certain setting of UC Browser that was not in line with Google’s policy” but did not go into further detail. Li also commented on the lightweight version of UC Brower’s surge in popularity in the last week:
UC Browser isn’t the most popular app in the states, but it does have a massive global user base. It is backed by financial powerhouseAlibabaand has amassed over 500 million downloads. It has100 million monthly users in India aloneand at one point had roughly 50 percent of the market share in the country. Chrome has seen a resurgence has regained the top spot in the country, but UC Browser continues to remain a popular alternative.
We’ll keep an eye on this story for further developments.
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