Android Market is now accessible in China after the app store had been blocked and lagging for many phone owners in the country, as we reported earlier this week.
Despite the speculation, the issues were not the result of censorship from the Chinese government according to the explanation put forward by Google.
“We identified a technical issue during a software update and have now fixed it,” Google spokesman Taj Meadows wrote in an e-mail published on CNET.
The Android app store is one of many Google sites to experience regular access issues in China, so the return to normality is not a complete surprise but you can never be sure when it comes to China’s Great Firewall.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
All manner of theories for the blockage had emerged this week, ranging from it being China’s response to Google allowing the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu to connect via Google+, to a move to benefit Baidu’s upcoming Qiushi mobile operating system at the expense of Google Android.
The unblock is good news for Google and Android, however the vast majority of Android apps in China will continue to come from local, unofficial app stories in the country.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.