Beware! Baba Ramdev's Kimbho app gone, but fakes replace it on Google Play Store

Baba Ramdev led Patanjali Kimbho app has become the talk of the town. Pitched as a desi rival of WhatsApp, the messaging app was rolled out on Wednesday, but taken down from Google Play Store just a day later on Thursday. Patanjali Yogpeeth spokesperson SK Tijarawala has explained the reason behind removing the app. Tijarawala tweeted saying that, the Kimbho app was made available for only 1 day on a trial basis. He even pointed out that the popularity of this app was massive as within 3 hours it saw 1.5 lakh downloads.

Tijarawala said, “Technical work is in progress & #KIMBHO APP will be officially launched soon @yogrishiramdev.” He further tweeted, saying, “Our trial version of #kimbho app is no longer available for download on any platform. We don't take any responsibility for many dulicate apps showing on anywhere. Beware! आम सूचना..!”

Just a few days after launching the Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards in alliance with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), guru Ramdev led Patanjali stirred competition in the social media networks space by launching Kimbho app to take on WhatsApp.

Kimbho app was made available for download at Android and iOS mobile platform.

On Google Playstore, Kimbho was defined as an app which empowers private group chat with free phone and video calling. It has dozens of amazing features to share text audio, photos, videos, stickers, quickies, location, GIF, Doodle and more.

The procedure to get the Kimbho app is somewhat similar like downloading WhatsApp on Playstore and iOS platforms.

However, with Ramdev vacating the space, a number people have taken advantage and have posted their fake apps there to lure the gullible people. Considering the popularity of Baba Ramdev’s Kimbho app, a huge number of people were duped into downloading them thinking they were actually getting the original ones. So, to warn the public, here is a list 21 fake apps on Play Store which are Kimbho look-alikes, as per a Youthapps report. 

These are some names of fake apps which are look likes of Ramdec’s Kimbho. 

• Kimbho FunTime : Jokes, Status, Shayari, Quotes
• Kimbho by Gandharva Pahwa
• Kimbho App by Techy Rajnish
• Kimbho Messaging Official Mathematical Games
• Kimbho Swadesi Indian App
• Kimbho - Ab Bharat Bolega by Status Fan
• Kimbho by Status Fan
• Kimbho – Secure Chat, Free Voip Video Calls
• Kimbho app ~ chat ~ call ~ Earn Money Online
• Kimbho Latest Status 2019
• Kimbho messaging app ~ Chat ~ video call
• Kimbho - Secure Chat, Free Voip Video Calls by Status fan
• Patanjali Kimbho Guide
• Kimbho - Chat securely by Radhakund
• Kimbho Messenger - Free
• Kimbho Guide by Status Fan
• Kimbho Free Video Call Tips
• Kimbo Meditation App
• Kimbho Official App by Urvik Solutions
• Kimbo Chatter - Made in India Fast Messenger Guide

According to GizBot report, here’s how you can identify a fake app. 

• The user should be careful enough to check for the details of the publisher as it often happens that scammers and hackers use similar names to confuse users and making them download the wrong, fake app.
• Whether an app is fake or real, checking the review right below the app confirms it. Just in case the app has a negative impact on download, reading the customer review will surely reveal it, and if the review is bad, most probably its because of that not the original app.
• Also, in case if it's a fake app, it might not have any comments by the customers, whereas an original app always gets a feedback comment.
• Most of the time, a fake app with having the publish date as the recent one, which is often build up after the original app. So, the original app will always have "update on" date unlike that of the fake ones.
• Often, a fake app may have spelling errors in the description or title unlike that of the original app, which will never have any error.

Faisal Kawoosa, Head New Initiatives, CyberMedia Research (CMR) on his twitter account highlighted issues regarding the Kimbho app. He said, “Can #kimbho create a space dominated by @WhatsApp just on being #swadeshi So far just around 5k installations and reviews are full of issues and concerns. Nevertheless, seems Patanjali is getting serious about communications.”