Top 27 Best Illegal Android Apps Not on Play Store (2024)

The Google Play Store has lots of apps for Android devices, but what about the ones that aren’t allowed? Sometimes, apps are removed from the store for different reasons, so you can’t find them there. But have you ever wondered which apps are not allowed on the Play Store and why? What if you could find these apps somewhere else and see for yourself what’s so controversial about them? In today’s article, we’re going to talk about some apps that aren’t allowed on the Play Store, including ones for playing pranks that you might find interesting. Before we give you the list, let’s talk about why some apps get banned from the Play Store.

If someone’s an app developer and you think doing all the coding and approval from the crew is enough. Wait till you keep watching clock and calendar for the Play Store submission review process. Getting the app published on the store is a potential milestone task itself. In order to detect applications with dangerous material, Google is continually improving its algorithms. The most common grounds for app removal due to content are listed below. Make sure to stay away from the following stuff to keep your apps on store shelves:

• Explicit sexual or p*rnographic material
• Material that is slanderous, offensive, or discriminating
• Things that might harm children
• Aggressive threats against humans or animals that are graphically shown or described
• Bullying and harassment
• Realistic depictions of humans or animals being slaughtered, wounded, tormented, or mistreated
• How to make bombs, make weapons, enable the acquisition of firearms or ammo, or give directions on how to participate in violent behavior
• Doing activities that might cause hurt or death, such as self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, choking games, or other such behaviors
• Aggressive behavior
• Hate speech
• A sensitive event, such as a tragedy, atrocity, battle, or death gambling
• Illicit behavior
• Controversial religious commentary, or incorrect or deceptive citations from religious literature
• Content created by users that is improper.

Numerous complaints from Android developers over the past several years have risen, with many of them alleging that Google began to delete applications and deactivate developer accounts without cause. Now let’s get to the list of illegal apps on Google Play Store including illegal prank apps.

Disclaimer: The following list of best illegal Android apps not on the Play Store is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Downloading and using apps that have been banned or are illegal can pose serious risks, including but not limited to security vulnerabilities, privacy breaches, legal issues, and potential damage to your device. We do not endorse, promote, or encourage the download or use of illegal or unauthorized software. Users are advised to exercise caution and be aware of the legal and ethical implications associated with using such apps. It is important to respect copyright laws, terms of service, and other regulations governing the use of software and digital content.

1. Aptoide

A different Android app marketplace was what Aptoide constituted. Aptoide has been marked as a malicious app by Google Play Protect since the summer of 2018, concealing it on users’ Android devices and suggesting that they delete it. Nevertheless, its users still remember it as one of best illegal Android apps when the Play Store is concerned.

Reasons:

• The kinds of apps that are permitted in the official application store are not necessarily the same as the apps that are available on Google Play.
• An existing app may occasionally be marked by Google as engaging in abusive conduct, in which case Google will refuse to allow the app to run on future Android OS versions.
• The cooperation between Aptoide and the Korean developer Bap is another factor in Aptoide’s prohibition.
• While Google appreciates the concept of offering a forum for project collaboration, it dislikes the practice of its partners including viruses in their paid apps.
• Without your permission, malware, often known as spyware, can set up shop on your Android devices.
• As a result, each time you use the internet to perform a task, you run the risk of installing malware or adware on your computer.
• Google is putting everything that is created on Android in danger by adding these kinds of apps to the Google Play Store, opening up its platform to all kinds of unwanted software.

2. DroidSheep Guard

Cordsin Camichel developed Droidsheep Guard, a potent hacking tool for cyber experts who want to experiment with Wi-Fi networks.

Reasons:

• Almost all services and websites are compatible with malware, which may capture web session profiles from a network. The simplest approach to acquiring this APK is to download and install it on your rooted device or Android phone.
• Go to GitHub to get the source code. While collecting information for the current session, the program detects and examines all Wi-Fi network activity.
• When the Droidsheep application is running, it acts as a router.
• This program gives hackers access to your Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and other social media accounts.

Also Read: 14 Best Android Apps to Download Paid Apps for Free

3. APK Mirror

If you’ve used Android phones from the very start, you’ve probably encountered the APKMirror website on the Internet at some point. Well, the Google Play Store has removed it with a tag being one of illegal prank apps.

Reasons:

• As a result, practically all of the apps that are offered on the Play Store are also available on our APK Mirror. But you might also see nefarious programs on this website.
• Therefore, this APK Mirror has never released a standalone application.
• However, someone made this APK Mirror (Unofficial) app and once posted it to the Play Store.
• When Google detected that this app was breaking the rules, the Play Store promptly withdrew this application. However, there are still several sources where you may get the APKMirror software.
• This APKMirror is, incidentally, widely used. There are download links for practically all Android apps and games here.

4. Terrarium TV

An extensive library of TV programs and movie lists may be found on Terrarium TV. All it contains is a list of movies and TV series.

Reasons:

• Additionally, Terrarium offers various third-party websites or video URLs that play the exact content we have chosen.
• Terrarium only hosts content from outside sources. A third source provided the videos, subtitles, and other content.
• It is fully lawful to use in India, excluding a website or application that hosts this data directly on their platform. The videos that the app showcases are also unlawful or pirated, despite the fact that they are from a third party. Terrarium is blocked from the Play Store for breaking all of these rules.

5. Smart Kit 360

Another famous app Smart Kit 360 was taken down due to it being fake and leaking its user’s data to fraud companies.

Reasons:

• It’s banned because they unlawfully gathered and sold a tonne of people’s private information, and the app’s creators ran into difficulty.
• People’s precise GPS coordinates, account passwords, phone numbers, email addresses, and other data were among the things they gathered.
• Measurement Systems, a dishonest business, received large sums of money to use a third-party SDK (Software Development Kit) that was included in a huge variety of Google Play Store apps to collect users’ private information.
• Security analysts at a business named AppCensus stumbled onto the whole data collection operation.
• After the controversy over improper data collecting was put to an end, Smart Kit 360 was briefly reinstated to the Google Play Store. However, owing to its manipulation techniques, the app is now completely prohibited.

6. Lucky Patcher

With the use of the utility Lucky Patcher, you may change a number of applications to give away premium functionality that would often cost money or require unlocking or paying for. This software was a favorite of many due to its ease of usage and how well-liked it is for not requiring root access on Android devices.

Reasons:

• It was immoral since it is seen as theft to alter the software that costs a price for a certain item or function in order to use it.
• It is now considered to be an unlawful one among illegal prank apps on the Play Store.
• Applications like Lucky Patchers employ hack apps to disable an app’s ad service and control its in-app purchase functionality.
• Developers are deterred from creating new apps by the use of these hacking techniques.

7. TubeMate YouTube Video downloader

An app to download videos from YouTube is what Tubemate and its hype, are all about.

Reasons:

• Any YouTube video downloaded through a third-party app or website is prohibited under Google policy.
• Due to the fact that it enables users to download YouTube videos directly in their phone’s File Manager, the Tubemate program has broken this regulation.
• Furthermore, this procedure blatantly contravenes the rule. The Play Store has withdrawn this app as a result.
• On Tubemate’s official website, however, you may download this software. Additionally, this program is downloaded and used frequently mainly due to the fact that users highly value this software.
• So even after it was outlawed, individuals continued to use it.

8. Girls Around Me

Girls Around Me is an app that shows the user where the closest ladies are by combining Facebook and Foursquare data and layering it over Google Maps with real-time GPS position data.

Reasons:

• The software encourages users (mostly men) to physically locate and contact local girls using details taken from the ladies’ Facebook pages, such as their photo galleries.
• The targeted individuals lack the opportunity to opt-in or opt out and are unaware that they are being tracked.
• The app has been removed from the Play Store and even the iOS App Store (by the developer), and Foursquare has stopped API access to the Girls Around Me program, claiming that it violates their API rules. This is because of the app’s potentially harmful nature.

9. Grooveshark

Grooveshark program outperforms Pandora and other well-known streaming services. It’s important to note that this program enables you to get all of your preferred songs from the internet. Instead of all this, it gained a reputation as one of illegal prank apps kind for Google and is removed from the Play Store.

Reasons:

• Grooveshark was previously banned, resurrected, and then shut down multiple times.
• Google’s decision to remove it from the Play Store was controversial because no explanation was given. Since hundreds of applications have been removed from the Play Store, this has happened.
• After being accused of copyright infringement in 2011, Grooveshark received a DMCA notification.
• In order to address concerns about piracy, the business then contacted Android and stated that they had restricted access to change the program.

10. Amazon App store

When Amazon revealed that the official Amazon app had its own secret app store, the Google Play Store had to delete the Amazon Appstore app.

Features:

• If an app explicitly imitates a feature of the app store itself, Play Store often doesn’t permit it to be released through them.
• As soon as Amazon disclosed the store in a news release, Google realized that it had secretly included a hidden app store inside its own app.
• Due to subsequent rules breaches, the Google Play store temporarily removed the Amazon app, but it has since completely banned the versions with the store.
• However, downloading the shop from Amazon’s official website is still an option.

11. CreeHack

Without paying any actual money, CreeHackdisables all paid programs on your phone and lets you modify them. Just like Lucky Patcher, it is another one of illegal prank apps which are banned from the Google Play Store.

Reasons:

• This implies that employing CreeHack will let you utilize some premium-priced applications for free.
• For APK modifications with infinite coins and in-app purchases, this program requires an internet connection and a rooted Android smartphone.
• In informal games, this one of illegal prank apps might provide you with an advantage over your pals. Get limitless game points and all of the game’s assets, including unique skins and objects, will be unlocked.
• All these features disable the ad facility and in-app purchases which is hurtful for developers and hence the app is banned from the Play Store.

12. Amazon Underground

Amazon Underground is another store from Amazon that can provide many other apps which can’t be found on the Play Store.

Reasons:

• This is also one of the reasons that the store isn’t there on the Play Store, the first being an app store itself.
• The reason it isn’t on the Play Store is that it is a rather suspect store.
• The Google approval process and automated virus scans do not apply to sideloaded programs (Amazon does their own).
• There is no option to read reviews, and there are no security update automated downloads. If they can convince you to download their program, it may be a hacker’s heaven.

13. WhatsApp Sniffer

Due to WhatsApp’s strong security and tight encryption by default, messages cannot be readily read by a third party. That is why people search for the Sniffer tool. The WhatsApp Sniffing tool would be the best option for you if you are one of the individuals who are in critical need and concerned about their children, partner, or other loved ones. It anyway qualifies well enough amongst best illegal Android apps on the Google Play Store.

Reasons:

• With the use of WhatsApp Sniffer, users may view the chats of other app users who are on the same network as them. Of course, it can take the data from adjacent devices without their knowledge.
• All of your WhatsApp conversations, along with all of your images, videos, and other files, can be recorded.
• The devices must be linked to the same network. The sniffer tool will not function if your device and the other’s device are connected to separate networks.
• Open, WPA/WPA2, WEP, and other Wi-Fi network types are all supported by Sniffer.
• This was offered on the Google Play Store, however, it was taken down due to terms of service breaches.

14. Secret SMS Replicator

Invading your privacy severely, the Secret SMS replicator is also a spooky one from illegal prank apps.

Reasons:

• With the aid of this software, it is possible to smile triumphantly in the face of your paranoid partner, resentful ex, and desperate stalkers.
• On the Android phone of your target, you may install the program, which functions as spyware and runs covertly in the background.
• The target’s phone will start forwarding all incoming texts to your number as soon as you enable the program.
• When you become a victim of this software, it would be really concerning. The Google Play Store was made aware of this and hence the app is unavailable.
• This is one of the illegal prank apps that was removed by Google as a result of violations of the Android Market Content Policy.

15. XTunes

Users may download songs to their cellphones using Xtunes, a music downloader. Basically, XTunes has a big music selection, including both current and classic songs. It is also one of best illegal Android apps.

Reasons:

• If you recall the time-consuming renaming procedure and the YouTube to MP3 programs, XTunes won’t seem like such a headache. To make it simpler for you to locate what you’re searching for, the app arranges your music by band, year, playlist, and cover picture.
• The greatest music streaming software was found to have broken the Google Play Store’s rules, which led to its removal.

16. Droidsheep

The main function of the Android software DroidSheep, which is absolutely unlawful, is to gather data on any wireless device.

Features:

• This program was mostly made keeping hackers in mind or those who are learning how to hack.
• Although that is the only reason these applications are created, unethical hacking has just been added to the list of prohibited activities performed through it.
• The latter is what is considered legal ethical hacking. But because the DroidSheep software is wholly unlawful, it was removed from the Play Store for violating several different rules about privacy.

17. Sarahah

Founded in 2016, Sarahah was a straightforward texting app. You may send messages anonymously, which is why it gained so much popularity.

Reasons:

• The implication is that anyone can receive a message without knowing who delivered it to them. Sadly, after occupying the top rank for more than two years, the popularity of the app declined.
• Until this date, the Google Play Store no longer offers the app. The app’s popularity was largely due to a feature that also contributed to its demise.
• It wasn’t enough to stop the app from being used for bullying, despite the makers’ best efforts to solve the problem by including a function to filter messages and blacklist people.

18. TV Portal

The TV Portal was a hit with viewers who enjoyed television programs. Users who have the app loaded on their Android smartphones may immediately access and watch TV shows.

Reasons:

• The extensive list of shows available on the app improved it.
• But because of copyright issues, Google took the TV Portal out of the Play Store.
• Additionally, the provision of your favorite TV shows and films for free or at a price without the necessary authorization added to the misery.
• Content infringement is intolerable and hence it is among illegal prank apps which are removed from the Play Store.

19. GBWhatsApp

The GBWhatsApp takes the official app and modifies it by adding several features that users find useful, such as the ability to adjust different privacy settings, better texting, additional emoticons to pick from, and the ability to personalize your theme.

Reasons:

• Since GBWhatsApp is an unauthorized fork of the original WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, the Play Store does not carry it.
• As opposed to the official WhatsApp Application, GBWhatsApp might not be as dependable.
• Because Google Play Store feels that GBWhatsApp infringes on the official app and is not owned by or authorized by Facebook or WhatsApp Inc. They refuse to offer the app as a method to express their displeasure and support for the original version.

20. AndroDumpper

AndroDumpper is an Android application that may rob access points of their security using weak WPS protocols. It is therefore one of the best illegal Android apps from when Play Store is concerned.

Reasons:

• With a WPS switch, certain public wifi networks may really have their wifi passwords cracked by this program.
• With the help of this unlawful Android program, you can break any Android device’s wifi password but only the ones which have WPS enabled.
• When you are nearby and connected to the right wifi router, it truly works. These are all the explanations for why it was removed from the Play Store.

Also Read:25 Best Free Video Cutter Apps

21. Fortnite

You must be amazed that Fortnite is also one of best illegal Android apps. It is one of the most well-known video games ever created by Epic Games and is not available on the Google Play Store.

Reasons:

• There are a variety of factors contributing to this, including the Play Store’s high cost and Fortnite’s extensive in-game store.
• The Play Store’s useful marketing, distribution, and payment methods are in return for a 30% cut of all in-app sales from Google.
• The Play Store has strong rules in place for game creators who wish to utilize it, which is fair to developers and safeguards consumers from potentially harmful games, in Google’s opinion.
• Even though Fortnite is a legitimate game software, Google has refused to add it to Google Play because of policy infractions.

22. Faceniff

Users using the same Wi-Fi network might give FaceNiff their unencrypted login information. It definitely held a loose position amongst illegal prank apps initially.

Reasons:

• Additionally, it functions with WEP, WPA, or WPA2 security-encrypted networks.
• Your Android mobile device has to be rooted in order to run FaceNiff.
• Despite the fact that the FaceNiff website explicitly states that this software is exclusively intended for instructional reasons, it is very unlikely that users would uphold these objectives, hence the Play Store has banned it.
• As a result, Google Play does not officially provide the software since this one of illegal prank apps infringes on users’ privacy.

23. Royal Likes

With the use of the Royal Likes app, you may increase the visibility of an Instagram post, boosting the trustworthiness of your company. You can gauge the popularity of your Instagram tags with this tool.

Reasons:

• This app is not supported by Google Play in their store since it breaks its policies and promises to the user and also has no obvious pricing, which makes it unclear under Google’s terms and conditions.
• Royal likes functions also clash with the Instagram Terms and Services as it aids with fake account following and the app hence can’t make it to the Play Store.
• Additionally, it lacks the fundamental components of a complete app—an FAQ page and a help section.

Also Read:16 Best Free Screen Recorders for PC

24. Ad-Away

As the name reflects, Ad-Away app prevents adverts from appearing on your phone or tablet. In such cases, it has to fall in best illegal Android apps category without a doubt.

Reasons:

• For the same reason, Google made the decision to remove it from the Play Store.
• Google was unable to approve it because software like this creates a big barrier to Android smartphone advertising.
• It was a good anti-adware tool that only prevented the appearance of such inconvenient programs while you were surfing the internet.
• Any applications you have installed on your phone may no longer function after installing Ad-Away.
• It is software that will shield you from any potentially useful adverts.

25. Vidmate

With the help of VidMate, users may search for and download films from a variety of social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, and many more. Users of the app may also access a variety of Android-compatible mobile applications and video games. Additionally, it has a live TV option that provides free access to a variety of TV stations.

Reasons:

• Soon after it was introduced to the Google Play Store, VidMate was removed.
• Due to the app’s violation of the company’s rules, it was taken off the platform.
• The video grabber program, according to security researchers at a mobile technology company in London, displays a lot of covert advertisem*nts and discreetly subscribes users to premium services.
• There have also been concerns about the software continuously using user data on their mobile devices.
• There have also been claims Upstream researchers allege that VidMate tends to subject its customers to a number of suspicious behaviors that not only disclose their personal information but might also cost them money.

26. Showbox

Showbox allows users to immediately view and download their favorite movies and TV episodes on their Android devices. These movies and television programs are free to view. It still falls very much in best illegal Android apps category for Google for many reasons.

Reasons:

• Direct sources, such as hazardous, or malicious viruses, are used to load the video content.
• It’s also conceivable that it won’t have the authorization to broadcast its contents, in which case it may potentially steal some of your personal data.
• It is one of the most frequently used online unlawful streaming applications, despite not being available on Google Play. Even though it’s not accessible right now on the Play Store, it was formerly among the most widely used apps for unauthorized internet streaming.

27. Popcorn Time – Watch free movies and TV shows

Due to the platform’s sharply declining popularity, Popcorn Time was shut down in January 2022. It is also one of best illegal Android apps.

Reasons:

• The last several years have seen a constant addition of material on streaming services like Netflix, HBO, Amazon, and others.
• Additionally, movie releases are now frequently made available on such platforms immediately or a few weeks following their theatrical debut.
• Other illicit streaming websites have also proliferated recently, many of which do not employ torrent technology (making it harder for users to be discovered).
• The makers of other projects faced legal pressure or possibly litigation, which led to Popcorn Time being taken down.
• Other times, there were significant differences amongst team members over how a project should be carried out.

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Above were some of the best illegal Android appsincluding illegal prank apps you would’ve heard of or may find on the internet. Cybercrime and cyber theft start from these micro-level ignorances and we as content developers won’t promote or advise you to try out or use these applications without proper surveillance. Hence, this article must be considered or taken in the form of a knowledge-based or study-based piece of content. Also, do share your experiences and valuable feedback in the comment section. Do mention any other apps which you think should’ve been here that we might have missed. Keep reading and upgrading and we’ll see you with a fresh topic in a fresh article.