Telegram Curbs Trigger Record VPN Downloads in India, Alternative Apps See Surge
Telegram restrictions in India triggered a record surge in VPN downloads, with users also flocking to alternative messaging platforms such as Telegram X, iMe and Signal to maintain connectivity.
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Data from app intelligence firm App Figures shows that the largest surge in VPN downloads this year has been in India, where restrictions on Telegram have seen users scrambling to find ways to retain access to the messaging platform and explore alternative communication apps.
According to reports, after the Centre’s temporary ban on Telegram from June 16, there was a spike in downloads of the top 100 VPN apps in India. On June 17, there was a record of 919,000 VPN downloads, representing a 76% increase from the average of June 9-15 and a 63% increase from the baseline of June 1-15.
Downloads had already surpassed 645,000 by June 16, making June 17 the biggest day for VPN installs in India since at least the start of 2025.
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VPN Download Surge:
Some users also use a Virtual Private Network ( VPN ) to encrypt their internet traffic and route their connection through servers in other locations to get around some network restrictions and keep accessing blocked services . Demand for these apps often increases when popular digital platforms have glitches.
The jump came after government crackdowns on Telegram over fears of exam-related fraud and misleading content spreading on the platform.
Proton VPN was the biggest winner among VPN providers. The day saw a 157% jump in downloads, from a recent daily average of about 60,500 to 155,430. Downloads for Turbo VPN nearly doubled to 122,030, while Ninja VPN saw a 669% increase and ExpressVPN a 345% jump.
The rise also changed app store rankings. Proton VPN moved from eighth in the Google Play Store’s Tools category on June 17 to first on June 19, and Turbo VPN went from eleventh to second.
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Platform Shift:
At the same time, users increasingly shifted to alternative messaging platforms. Following the restrictions, Telegram Messenger downloads fell from a recent daily average of 125,048 to only 38 on June 17.
But other services that were integrated with Telegram boomed in growth. Telegram X saw a 6,509% increase in downloads to 350,764, while messaging platform iMe jumped 22,018% to 170,372 downloads.
The disruption also helped Signal, the privacy-minded messaging app, which saw downloads spike 571% to 32,106.
According to the data, users responded to the restrictions with a combination of VPN adoption and migration to other messaging services. But for bigger players like WhatsApp, the growth was marginal as they are already popular with Indian users.
