Patanjali’s WhatsApp Rival App Kimbho Launch Delayed

Patanjali-owned messaging app Kimbho re-launch has been delayed.

(Photo: The Quint)

The launch of Patanjali Ayurved's WhatsApp-rival Kimbho app is in limbo as it missed the official roll-out date on Monday, 27 August.

“We will announce new date of official launch asap,” Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna, who earlier this month declared the August 27 launch date, said in a tweet on Monday.

The "swadeshi" app was hastily taken down from Google Play Store in May due to poor security and performance.

A refurbished trial version of the mobile messaging app with "end-to-end encryption" reappeared on 15 August. But users who downloaded the app again reported several issues, including problems in setting up profile pictures and complained about poor user interface (UI).

Acharya Balkrishna tweeted out that the app is still going through some trials, reviews and upgradation and wants to push out a final version of the app which is safe and secure.

There were earlier instances when the app had to be taken down due to security concerns and flaws in the apps interface.

The privacy policy of the app's trial version states that the company will not sell or share personal information of users (such as the mobile phone number) with other third party companies for their commercial or marketing use.

However, it also added that it may share your personal information with third party service providers "to the extent that it is reasonably necessary to perform, improve, or maintain Kimbhoh Service".

Following the complaints, the app developed by Noida-based Social Revolution Media and Research Pvt. Ltd. again disappeared from the Play Store, only to reappear later. As of Monday, the trial version of the app was downloaded 50,000 times.