Introduction
Google services are totally banned in China and the Android Google Play Store is not available in the country, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered, because the Go.Learn mobile app for Android can be found and downloaded from other five Chinese app stores.
If you’re using an iOS device, you don’t need to use alternative stores, because the Apple App Store counts among the app stores accessible in China.
Downloading Go.Learn from a Chinese App Store
The Google Play Store is banned in China, but in the country there are more than 400 alternative app stores. All smartphone manufacturers have created their own store, but there is also a multitude of independent app stores. The landscape is extremely fragmented.
The Go.Learn app is available in the five main Chinese app stores. If you are using an Android device for the Chinese market, you can download the Go.Learn app from one of the following major app stores in China:
- Huawei AppGallery
- Oppo Software Store
- Tencent My App
- V-Appstore (final validation still in progress)
- MIUI App Store
If your device is neither Huawei nor Oppo nor Vivo nor Xiaomi (and therefore you cannot use Huawei AppGallery, Oppo Software Store, V-Appstore and MIUI App Store), remember to use the Tencent My App store, as this is the only store available for everyone no matter the brand of your device.
To find the app, type Golearn in the search box on the store home page (heads up: you won’t find Go.Learn if you write Docebo or if you write Go.Learn with the dot). Once you’ve found Go.Learn, you are ready to download it on your device!
Requirements & Limitations of Android Go.Learn App in China
The bureaucratic path to publishing an app on a Chinese app store is long and complicated. Many steps are required (from software copyright certificate to VPN connection setup to test response time) and a multitude of documents needs to be prepared. Even once the request to publish the app on a specific store has been approved and the app is finally available on the store, there are some limitations:
- Docebo’s China plug-in is still needed. Please contact your Account Manager for further info on the plug-in.
- Discover, Coach & Share functionalities are hidden (no channels, comments, Q&As, experts, asset sharing etc…) as a consequence of China’s Censorship and Anti-Secession Laws on Mobile Apps (August 2021)
- The update cycle can be slower than the one of Go.Learn
- Push notifications generated by the Virtual Coach are not supported
Android Branded Mobile App in China
Due to the limitations listed in the Requirements & Limitations chapter, the Go.Learn app available on the aforementioned Chinese app stores is a customized version of the Go.Learn app available on the Google Play Store and on the Apple App Store. The branded apps created with the Branded Mobile App Publisher feature, on the contrary, are built with standard packages, without all the customization and requirements needed to publish the app in Chinese app stores.
Therefore, if you want to publish your branded app in China, you need to avoid the app stores. You have two alternative ways to publish your app: you can distribute it using a Mobile Device Management system (MDM) or you can share a direct download link for the Android APK package that users can install by themselves.
You can also try to publish your branded app on any of the 400+ app stores, but the official ones pay a lot of attention to legal compliance, while others are more permissive. However, Docebo doesn’t support you with this activity. To get assistance, you can contact consulting companies specialized in this field.
Limitations of Android Branded Mobile App in China
Some features linked to Google Firebase are not available in the branded mobile apps published in China: