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Baidu will be shutting down 91 Assistant, a mobile device management platform that the company invested heavily in back in 2013, at the end of this month. This closure signifies the conclusion of the early mobile internet boom and underscores the significant shifts happening within the third-party app store industry.
The platform, which was accessible on both personal computers and smartphones, will cease all operations at 11:59 p.m. on September 27. The shutdown affects various features, including phone connection management, file transfers, app installation and removal, and system cleaning.
Users are advised to back up their data before the deadline, as all information stored on 91 Assistant will be permanently lost once the service ends and cannot be recovered. The company will offer refunds to users with active memberships who submit a request, but those who do not apply will not be eligible for reimbursement.
No official comment has been made from the company.
The tech giant purchased the parent company of 91 Assistant for $1.9 billion in 2013, aligning with its mobile internet expansion strategy. At the time, the acquisition price was considered extraordinary—more than double the $1 billion Yahoo invested in Alibaba in 2005.
As one of the pioneering cross-platform content distribution platforms, 91 Assistant boasted over 100 million users across iOS and Android by 2013. Its associated content distribution network, 91 Wireless, had surpassed 10 billion downloads.
91 Wireless gained notoriety as China’s leading jailbreaking platform for iOS devices, enabling users to bypass Apple’s restrictions and install modified or cracked paid applications for free. The company monetized this user base primarily through advertising, gaming partnerships, and other revenue streams.
However, as Apple’s App Store and Android manufacturers’ native app stores improved in usability and security, the demand for third-party tools like 91 Assistant declined.
In February 2020, the company announced that its mobile open platform would no longer support uploads or management for 91 Assistant and other Android app packages, though some services remained operational. That same month, Alibaba shut down its PP Assistant, another app store similar to 91 Assistant. All versions—iOS, PC, and iOS-specific services—went offline permanently on February 28, 2020.
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