bilibili app relaunches globally without ID verification

bilibili has relaunched its global Android app without the identity verification previously required for overseas users posting on the service. The move could make the Chinese streaming platform easier to use internationally, while also bringing its Chinese and international content closer together.

Anime News Network reports that the new app launched on 19 August 2026. An iOS version and expansion into other countries are planned, but no exact timetable has been confirmed.

What's actually going on

The relaunch removes the identity-verification requirement for overseas posting that existed in bilibili’s previous app. The change applies to the global version and is separate from whatever verification or moderation rules may apply in individual markets.

According to Anime News Network, the new app mixes Chinese and international content. bilibili is best known outside China for anime streaming, but its wider platform also includes Chinese animation and user-uploaded videos.

The company plans to bring the relaunch to iOS and other countries. The announcement does not provide a stable iPhone release date, a complete list of launch territories or a detailed explanation of how regional catalogues will differ.

bilibili has also invested directly in anime. The company partnered with Aniplex on To Be Hero X, which premiered in April 2025, while Crunchyroll streams the series worldwide excluding Asia. The service has also acquired Haoliners Cultures Media and its Japanese subsidiary Emon Animation Company.

The platform’s business combines advertising revenue and pay-per-view subscription charges. Its catalogue and availability therefore depend on territory, licensing agreements and the distinction between professional streaming content and user uploads.

Why you should care

The identity-verification change is more than a small sign-up tweak. Requiring government-style identity checks can make an international app feel closed before a user has even watched a single episode. Removing that barrier could help bilibili compete more directly for anime viewers outside China.

The mixed catalogue is also a meaningful part of the relaunch. bilibili is not simply presenting itself as another anime-only service; it is carrying Chinese animation, international programming and community uploads under one roof.

That model creates a familiar trade-off. More open posting can encourage a livelier community, but it also increases the importance of moderation, copyright enforcement and clear rules for users in different countries.

The biggest unknown is still distribution. Without a confirmed iOS date, country list or regional catalogue details, the global relaunch is a direction of travel rather than a fully defined international rollout.

Our opinion

bilibili is making the right first move by removing a piece of friction that made its global app feel less global. Anime fans should not need to hand over unnecessary identity information just to participate in a platform’s overseas community.

The service still has to prove that its catalogue, moderation and availability work consistently outside China. A global app is not truly global if the best content disappears behind territory locks or the iOS launch remains permanently “coming soon”.

For now, bilibili is worth watching as an international anime platform with a more welcoming front door. The Android relaunch is promising, but the real test begins when iOS arrives and bilibili explains exactly where the rest of the world fits.