In a sudden turn of events, the highly popular battle royale game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) was banned in India on July 28th. Reports suggest that it was the government of India’s order to block public access to BGMI

under section 69A of the Indian IT law in the interest of national security. The title has since been

taken down from Android and iOS app marketplace Google Play Store and App Store respectively. This means that the new users cannot download BGMI on their devices. However, there is a workaround for Android mobile phones. They can not only download the game on their device but play it as well:




Is BGMI still playable after the ban?



Yes, despite the ban and removal from Google Play Store and App Store, BGMI is still available to play as long as you’ve got the game installed on your smartphone. This is simply because the BGMI servers are still up and running in the country, and players can hop onto the game and play the online battle royale. This will continue until a full-fledged ban notice is issued to the game developers.




How to download BGMI on Android mobile phone



Despite BGMI being banned and removed from the Play Store, you can still install and enjoy the game by downloading the app’s APK from the internet.




What is BGMI APK?



BGMI APK just like any other APK (Android Application Package) on the Android OS is a file that contains a series of codes and assets required to run the app. It is the core aspect that makes up an Android app which allows you to run applications simply by installing them on your Android mobile phone. As for BGMI, since the game is no longer available on the Play Store, an APK is a medium through which you can install the app and play matches as long as the servers are active.




Is it safe/ legal to download BGMI via APK file?


Although BGMI has been removed from respective app stores, those who’ve installed the game prior to the ban are still able to play it. This means the Indian servers are active and will continue to do so until further notice is passed by a higher authority to fully unplug the servers as well. As for the safety of downloading BGMI via an APK file, it solely depends on the website you’re downloading from. Make sure it’s not a shady website which may also lead to the installation of malware into your Android mobile phone. That said, download APKs at your own risk as your phone may not scan the file for any unwanted threats like the ‘Play Protect’ system found on the Play Store during an app installation.



How to install BGMI apk on your mobile phone


The BGMI APK download is only available for Android mobile phone users. So if you are one of them, here’s how to install BGMI APK on your device:




  • On your Android mobile, go ahead and open a browser such as Chrome and search for “BGMI APK download”. Alternatively, you can head over to this

    website

    for a direct download link.


  • Next, simply tap on the download button and the APK will begin to download.


  • In the meantime, you’ll need to enable the ‘Unknown source installations’ option from ‘Settings’ to be able to install the APK


  • Once the download is complete, tap on the APK file and hit ‘Install’


  • The app will begin installing and soon you’ll have BGMI installed on your Android phone


  • Open the game to download the additional in-game resources and sign in as an existing player or play it as a guest account.



FAQs



What are the system requirements for BGMI apk?



  • Android phone running Android 5.1.1 or above

  • At least 2GB of RAM (3GB recommended for smooth gaming experience)



How to download BGMI on iPhone?


There is no BGMI APK workaround available for iPhone users. However, what they can do is ask someone who already has the game on their device to share their Apple ID and password –> login into their phone –> open App Store –> go to Purchase item –> and download the game. However, it is not something Apple would like and sharing the Apple ID would mean you will have to let his device sync to your iTunes library and give him access to your account each time he needs to update the installed apps in this way.



BGMI ban news



BGMI is still playable on some devices (August 5th)


Despite reports suggesting otherwise, it seems BGMI is still playable in India. I was able to load up and play the game on my device without running into any server-related issues.



BGMI is no longer available to play in India (August 2nd)


BGMI has stopped working in India. The game is no longer playable in the country on devices where it is already available. It seems the company has pulled the plug off its servers following the BGMI ban in the country.