If Gmail is banned along with social networks, problems may arise for all Android phones and apps

 If Gmail is banned along with social networks, problems may arise for all Android phones and apps

If Google services including Gmail are banned along with social networks, it is seen that there will be a serious and far-reaching impact on the use of Android phones. Since Gmail is not only an email service but also the cornerstone of most Android devices, it is seen that there will be disruptions to the entire Google ecosystem.

Even though the deadline set by the government until 12 midnight on Wednesday has passed, social networks have not been included in the list. In response to which, it is seen that the government may ban social networks.

The directive on which the government is basing the ban on social networks defines a social network platform. According to which, social networks are publicly available systems based on the Internet or information technology that allow an individual or organization to exchange ideas or information with each other or to disseminate content created by users. This definition also seems to cover other email services including Gmail.

If Gmail is banned, Nepali users will not be able to send, receive or access emails through its app or web interface. Since the Google Play Store is the main way for Android users to download and update apps, access to it may also be blocked without Gmail. This can cause problems downloading new apps, updating existing apps, and making in-app purchases.

If Google services are banned, other Google default apps besides Gmail and the Play Store may also stop working or lose important functionality. This may include Google Maps, Google Drive, Photos and Docs, YouTube, Google Assistant, and others.

Email, contacts, calendar, Drive, and photo backups, and device settings synchronization based on the user's Google account may stop. The risk of users losing access to data stored in the Google cloud will also increase.

Not only this, users are signing in to various other websites and apps through Google. Many such apps and corporate services use Google as an authenticator. Without access to Google's authenticator points, users will face problems signing in to those apps or logging in based on authentication.

Apps such as messaging apps, social networks, calendars, wallets, and more rely on Google Cloud Messaging (Firebase Cloud Messaging) to send push notifications. Without this service, users will only receive notifications when they manually open the app.

Most apps are coded in Google Mobile Services and Android itself. As a result, those apps may display errors like "App won't run without Google Play Services" and may be unusable. This includes many banking apps, ride-sharing services, and games.

Even if GPS works, fast and precise location services may be disrupted. This can affect apps that require precise location data.

Similarly, Google Play Protect (which scans for malware) and automatic system updates will also be disabled. Failure to receive important security patches may increase the risk of insecurity on phones.

In this sense, banning social media and Gmail would reduce the usefulness of Android phones for many users. This could pose a serious crisis for Nepal, which lacks its own digital ecosystem.