We monitor 175 App Store storefronts to answer one question —

Is Background Player for Cloud Platforms censored by Apple?

Gone.

Background Player for Cloud Platforms is gone from every App Store storefront we test. It was last seen available on May 6, 2021.

891 tests on record·last checked 28 days ago

Why it is unavailable

Five things can put an app out of one App Store. Each is weighed below against what can be seen from outside — open a card for the reasoning.

  • A government or a court demanded itPossible

    and Apple complied. Apple publishes a count of these per country each year and never says which apps they were. Apple's 2025 App Store Transparency Report

    • Productivity apps in the United States are unavailable at 3%, near the 5% for everything there, which cuts neither way.
    • Apple reports 1,213 government-ordered removals in Russia for 2025, naming none of them.
  • Apple applied a rule, unaskedPossible

    either its own review guidelines, or its own reading of a local law, with nobody having demanded anything. This is the largest category in Apple's own removal figures by a wide margin, and it covers distribution permits as well as content — Apple kept a free Bible app out of mainland China in 2021 for want of one. Apple's 2025 App Store Transparency Report

    • Productivity apps in the United States are unavailable at 3%, near the 5% for everything there, which cuts neither way.
  • The developer withheld itPossible

    freely, or under legal advice of their own, or because Apple's guidelines require that kind of app to be limited to certain countries. Switching a country off is easy for a developer to do in Apple's own tools: it needs no new version of the app, and it leaves no public trace other than the app being unavailable.

  • Something brokeUnlikely

    a rejected update, a lapsed certificate, a payment or licensing problem, a mistake nobody has got round to noticing.

    • Gone for 7 years.
  • A local rule about paying for itRuled out

    gambling licences, financial rules, tax — the kind of law that governs a transaction. Apple can obey every one of them by refusing the payment, which is why this is the only restriction we would accept and the only one that cannot touch a free app.

    • It is free, so Apple sells nothing here.
How this is weighed, and what it cannot tell you

Weighed from the evidence under each card, not from a model. There is no published figure for how Apple's removals divide up, so these are ordered words rather than percentages. For scale on the same-day counts: across the whole record an app leaves a storefront with fewer than two others, so a dozen at once is not a dozen coincidences.

None of this is certain, and a citation does not make it so: Apple naming a Chinese agency tells you what Apple said, not everything that happened. What can be said is that the readings alone cannot separate these five — a developer switching off a country and a government ordering it removed arrive at Apple's catalogue looking identical — and that nobody has ever measured how they divide across the App Store. The one careful study of the question was done on Google's store, using an error message Apple does not emit.

Apple publishes no record of which apps are unavailable in which of its App Stores. For the removals it makes on a government's demand it publishes the agency and the law behind every one — 2,045 of the 166,899 apps it removed during 2025 — and never which app. Where a reason reaches the public at all, it is usually because a developer chose to say so. Apple's App Store Transparency Report

Know of a statement, notice or order we have missed? Tell us →

Background Player for Cloud Platforms

Developer: JIAN WANG · Category: Productivity · Released: Jun 13, 2013 · Rating: 2.7★

View in App Store ↗
0stores where available
118stores where blocked
4.36Bpeople behind the block
118of 175 stores tested
891tests on record

Other Productivity apps missing from mainland China

Everything missing from mainland China →

Life of this app

  1. Jun 13, 2013Released on the App Store
  2. Aug 12, 2019First tested by AppleCensorship
  3. May 6, 2021Last seen available anywhere
  4. Sep 6, 2022Gone from 118 storefronts
  5. Aug 21, 2026Most recent test

Testing history

One column per month, every month from the first reading to the last. Height follows how many readings we took that month; red is the share of them that found the app unavailable. An empty month is one nobody tested.

2019-082026-08

Found availableFound unavailable

Availability by storefront

Every storefront we test, current status first. Data is a measurement, not a promise: each row carries its own date.

Test now
AlgeriaDZUnavailableJan 8, 20223 years ago
AngolaAOUnavailableFeb 5, 20224 years ago
ArgentinaARUnavailableJun 11, 20263 months ago
ArmeniaAMUnavailableDec 31, 20212 months ago
AzerbaijanAZUnavailableAug 3, 20238 months ago
BahamasBSUnavailableJul 6, 20242 years ago
BarbadosBBUnavailableJan 22, 20243 years ago
BelgiumBEUnavailableFeb 23, 20222 years ago
BermudaBMUnavailableMay 4, 20228 months ago
BhutanBTUnavailableJan 22, 20245 months ago
Bosnia & HerzegovinaBAUnavailableJan 21, 20243 years ago
BrazilBRUnavailableOct 8, 20232 years ago
BruneiBNUnavailableMay 17, 20223 years ago
BulgariaBGUnavailableNov 12, 20224 years ago
CanadaCAUnavailableApr 9, 20242 years ago
Cayman IslandsKYUnavailableFeb 11, 20223 years ago
ChadTDUnavailableSep 6, 20224 years ago
China (Mainland)CNUnavailableAug 12, 20194 years ago
Costa RicaCRUnavailableApr 10, 20242 years ago
CyprusCYUnavailableOct 6, 20242 years ago
CzechiaCZUnavailableAug 5, 20242 years ago
DenmarkDKUnavailableDec 31, 20212 months ago
DominicaDMUnavailableJul 21, 20242 years ago
Dominican RepublicDOUnavailableJun 28, 20263 months ago
DR CongoCDUnavailableAug 31, 20223 months ago
EcuadorECUnavailableDec 31, 202128 days ago
EgyptEGUnavailableDec 19, 20222 years ago
EstoniaEEUnavailableJan 9, 20223 years ago
EswatiniSZUnavailableDec 27, 20223 years ago
FinlandFIUnavailableJun 29, 20232 years ago
GabonGAUnavailableJul 3, 20224 years ago
GeorgiaGEUnavailableJun 24, 20233 years ago
GhanaGHUnavailableJan 20, 20222 years ago
GreeceGRUnavailableOct 4, 20233 years ago
GuatemalaGTUnavailableMay 30, 20222 years ago
Guinea-BissauGWUnavailableApr 9, 20233 years ago
GuyanaGYUnavailableJul 9, 20262 months ago
Hong KongHKUnavailableDec 31, 20213 months ago
HungaryHUUnavailableAug 4, 20242 years ago
IcelandISUnavailableDec 31, 202139 days ago
IndonesiaIDUnavailableAug 10, 202639 days ago
IraqIQUnavailableAug 21, 202628 days ago
IsraelILUnavailableNov 26, 20233 years ago
JamaicaJMUnavailableJun 1, 20223 years ago
JapanJPUnavailableJul 12, 20222 years ago
JordanJOUnavailableSep 16, 202512 months ago
KosovoXKUnavailableSep 6, 20242 years ago
KuwaitKWUnavailableJun 23, 20224 years ago
KyrgyzstanKGUnavailableJan 26, 20242 years ago
LaosLAUnavailableSep 1, 20233 years ago
LatviaLVUnavailableAug 10, 20224 years ago
LebanonLBUnavailableMay 21, 202516 months ago
LiberiaLRUnavailableAug 25, 20233 years ago
LibyaLYUnavailableNov 26, 20224 years ago
MadagascarMGUnavailableFeb 23, 20222 years ago
MalawiMWUnavailableJan 20, 20223 years ago
MalaysiaMYUnavailableJul 3, 20224 years ago
MaldivesMVUnavailableFeb 26, 20242 years ago
MaliMLUnavailableJun 10, 20223 years ago
MaltaMTUnavailableJun 4, 20233 years ago
MauritaniaMRUnavailableAug 1, 20242 years ago
MauritiusMUUnavailableOct 15, 20242 years ago
MicronesiaFMUnavailableMay 24, 20264 months ago
MongoliaMNUnavailableJan 23, 20223 years ago
MoroccoMAUnavailableDec 14, 20224 years ago
MozambiqueMZUnavailableMar 9, 20222 years ago
NamibiaNAUnavailableFeb 16, 20222 years ago
NauruNRUnavailableJun 22, 202428 days ago
NepalNPUnavailableDec 10, 20222 years ago
NetherlandsNLUnavailableJan 18, 20223 years ago
NicaraguaNIUnavailableFeb 16, 20222 years ago
NigerNEUnavailableJun 1, 20225 months ago
North MacedoniaMKUnavailableMar 9, 20222 years ago
NorwayNOUnavailableJun 13, 20223 years ago
OmanOMUnavailableJun 22, 20242 years ago
PanamaPAUnavailableMay 11, 202243 days ago
ParaguayPYUnavailableMay 24, 20222 years ago
PhilippinesPHUnavailableJul 29, 20224 years ago
PolandPLUnavailableMay 17, 20224 years ago
PortugalPTUnavailableAug 9, 202513 months ago
Republic of the CongoCGUnavailableFeb 11, 202215 months ago
RomaniaROUnavailableMay 31, 20232 years ago
RussiaRUUnavailableMar 9, 20222 years ago
RwandaRWUnavailableJun 23, 20224 years ago
Saudi ArabiaSAUnavailableDec 31, 20212 months ago
SerbiaRSUnavailableNov 12, 20224 years ago
SeychellesSCUnavailableMar 4, 20267 months ago
Sierra LeoneSLUnavailableJun 10, 20228 months ago
SingaporeSGUnavailableJul 10, 20242 years ago
SlovakiaSKUnavailableJan 20, 20223 years ago
SloveniaSIUnavailableAug 29, 20233 years ago
Solomon IslandsSBUnavailableOct 31, 202312 months ago
South KoreaKRUnavailableDec 31, 20218 months ago
SpainESUnavailableDec 24, 20233 years ago
Sri LankaLKUnavailableFeb 5, 20222 years ago
St. Kitts & NevisKNUnavailableJan 3, 20243 years ago
St. LuciaLCUnavailableMar 12, 20242 months ago
St. Vincent & GrenadinesVCUnavailableFeb 26, 20222 years ago
SurinameSRUnavailableSep 1, 20224 years ago
SwedenSEUnavailableJan 16, 20243 years ago
SwitzerlandCHUnavailableJan 23, 202210 months ago
TaiwanTWUnavailableMay 30, 20222 years ago
TanzaniaTZUnavailableDec 31, 202143 days ago
ThailandTHUnavailableJul 5, 20224 years ago
TongaTOUnavailableJul 12, 20223 years ago
Trinidad & TobagoTTUnavailableMar 28, 20222 years ago
TürkiyeTRUnavailableAug 1, 20223 years ago
Turks & Caicos IslandsTCUnavailableJan 12, 202413 months ago
UkraineUAUnavailableMar 9, 20228 months ago
United Arab EmiratesAEUnavailableDec 10, 202228 days ago
United KingdomGBUnavailableJan 26, 20243 years ago
United StatesUSUnavailableDec 31, 202128 days ago
UzbekistanUZUnavailableDec 31, 20213 years ago
VanuatuVUUnavailableAug 27, 20242 years ago
VietnamVNUnavailableDec 31, 20218 months ago
YemenYEUnavailableDec 10, 20224 years ago
ZambiaZMUnavailableDec 25, 20233 years ago
ZimbabweZWUnavailableJan 9, 20223 years ago
AfghanistanAFNot tested0
AlbaniaALNot tested0
AnguillaAINot tested0
Antigua & BarbudaAGNot tested0
AustraliaAUNot tested0
AustriaATNot tested0
BahrainBHNot tested0
BelarusBYNot tested0
BelizeBZNot tested0
BeninBJNot tested0
BoliviaBONot tested0
BotswanaBWNot tested0
British Virgin IslandsVGNot tested0
Burkina FasoBFNot tested0
CambodiaKHNot tested0
CameroonCMNot tested0
Cape VerdeCVNot tested0
ChileCLNot tested0
ColombiaCONot tested0
Côte d’IvoireCINot tested0
CroatiaHRNot tested0
El SalvadorSVNot tested0
FijiFJNot tested0
FranceFRNot tested0
GambiaGMNot tested0
GermanyDENot tested0
GrenadaGDNot tested0
HondurasHNNot tested0
IndiaINNot tested0
IrelandIENot tested0
ItalyITNot tested0
KazakhstanKZNot tested0
KenyaKENot tested0
LithuaniaLTNot tested0
LuxembourgLUNot tested0
MacaoMONot tested0
MexicoMXNot tested0
MoldovaMDNot tested0
MontenegroMENot tested0
MontserratMSNot tested0
Myanmar (Burma)MMNot tested0
New ZealandNZNot tested0
NigeriaNGNot tested0
PakistanPKNot tested0
PalauPWNot tested0
Papua New GuineaPGNot tested0
PeruPENot tested0
QatarQANot tested0
São Tomé & PríncipeSTNot tested0
SenegalSNNot tested0
South AfricaZANot tested0
TajikistanTJNot tested0
TunisiaTNNot tested0
TurkmenistanTMNot tested0
UgandaUGNot tested0
UruguayUYNot tested0
VenezuelaVENot tested0

Testing asks Apple whether it will sell this app in that storefront, right now, by the same method the crawler has used since 2019. Your browser asks Apple directly, so the answer describes what Apple serves your connection — and if your browser cannot reach Apple at all, we ask on your behalf and say so. The result is a link: open it to see Apple's own answer and check ours. Readings are added to the record above; roughly a quarter of the readings taken each day come from people testing.

How we test

Availability is checked against Apple's own catalog servers for every storefront, the same way the App Store app asks. "Unavailable" means Apple's servers say the app cannot be offered in that country — it does not say who asked for the removal. Removals initiated by the developer and removals demanded by governments look the same from outside; the history and context on this page are how we tell them apart.