After its acquisition, the future of MX Player is unclear
-
Following Amazon's acquisition of MX Player, the Pro version of the app has been removed from the Play Store.
-
Amazon India now manages MX Player, though the free app continues to be available to users in all regions.
-
MX Player's development team promised to bring the Pro version back soon, though it's unclear if that's a promise still being held.
Android users have long had their pick of media players, but few carried the popularity of MX Player . Back in June of this year, Amazon acquired MX Player, along with its streaming service MX Player TV, ostensibly with the intent of expanding its own streaming platform. Whatever Amazon's original goals, fans of MX Player are now facing a crisis, as the paid version of the app is disappearing from the main storefront that once hosted it.
As reported by AFTVNews , MX Player Pro has been removed from the Play Store, while the standard MX Player app has had its developer title shifted to Amazon India (via HowToGeek ). In a XDA Forums post from over a month ago citing concerns over the disappearance of the Pro app from Android, a representative for the company referred to a temporary suspension in sales for a "significant technical upgrade," and that current Pro users could continue to download the APK for sideloading from its website. It's worth noting, however, that the app has not reappeared since this comment was posted in late September.
All of this follows a similar story with MX Player's streaming service MX Player TV, which has since been region-locked to India exclusively following its merger with Amazon's miniTV earlier in October.
What are your video player options?
While Amazon hasn't officially confirmed what will be happening with the app specifically it's Pro version you do have some options. Obviously, the free variant continues to exist on the Play Store at this time, though with the developer shift, it's unclear if the main MX Player app will eventually be restricted solely to Indian users. There are also plenty of other alternatives for your video player needs worth turning towards, including VLC. In our eyes, it's one of the best picks out there, completely free, open-source, and compatible with practically every video file you could possibly throw at it.
VIDEOPLAYERS
Price: Free
4.3
