After its colossal effect on the users that possibly made every layman turn impressive actor, TikTok, the Chinese video-sharing has now possibly lost its trade name. Adding up its woes, the Mitron app, the desi rival to the Chinese app has suddenly shot into the spotlight in the country with over 50 lakh downloads within a month.
The new 'made in India TikTok' was launched in April this year and has soon reached among the top 10 most popular apps used in the country on Google Play Store.
What is Mitron?
Created by IIT-Roorkee alumnus Shivank Agarwal and his team based out of Bengaluru, Mitron was launched in April on Play Store. The app, created with features much similar to TikTok, helps the users create short videos and share it widely across other social media sites.
The app's interface lets the users create, edit, and share videos as well as browse through the library of top videos across the countries. Although widely popular, the app is now available only on Android phones.
At number seven spot out of all the free apps on Google Play charts, Mitron has already garnered a 4.7 rating there, yet still remains behind its 'ancestor' TikTok which is at number two and Aarogya Setu which is at number one at the Indian Google Play Store.
Overtly, the Mitron app is a replica of TikTok. The Indian app allows its users to create short 15-second videos, where they can choose to create content with humour to show their talents. In a means to stand apart from the Chinese video-making app, the Mitron app has introduced a new theme of 'light humour'.
According to some sources, the "app itself doesn't seem to offer anything that stands out so much, but a combination of good branding (using a word that means friends in Hindi, and is also extremely familiar in the country as it is often associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi), and anti-TikTok sentiment could be its moment in the Sun."
As the anti-TikTok sentiments are seen developing in India, Mitron can probably climb more heights in the tech world in no less time. To add its features, Mitron also helps the users to watch the videos sans the creation of an account, which meanwhile is not permitted in TikTok.
Security risks in Mitron?
Albeit the loud applause for the app, questions concerning the app's guaranteed security are raised by many tech-geeks.
Seemingly, the app's privacy policy is linked to the domain 'shopkiller.in', which offers no results at all and loads a blank page. Additionally, its second URL, 'mitron.tv', redirects to the Google Play Store page for the Mitron app, thus offering no gateway to contact its developers either.
Some of the users have even publically posted comments in the user review section regarding the issues on its services, security, privacy as well as on troubles in logging in, and deletion of the uploaded videos.
