The answer requires some flexing, legal at that. Each country has its own rules on top of international statutes and treaties that are applicable across signatory countries. And for an app like Lucky Patcher, which is basically a tool that can be downloaded anywhere in the world, the question on whether it is legal or not requires a contextual answer.
What Is Lucky Patcher exactly?
Lucky Patcher is a mobile app that works like a “patch” on apps. Like a patch, it fills in the gap created by in-app purchases and permissions.
The two main selling points of Lucky Patcher are:
- Removes or modifies in-app permissions
- Unlocks apps that require payment
By getting lucky as its name implies, you gain full control of a patched app and use it to the full extent. Lucky Patcher is available for download through an APK file. You have to enable the “Unknown sources” option so you can download the file to your Android phone.
The Case of Lucky Patcher
Google Play Store does not carry Lucky Patcher in its roster of apps. There are many speculations behind Google’s decision to do so including the rooting of devices and removing restrictions to some apps.
The practice of rooting devices (think of Apple’s jailbreaking) itself can be legal or illegal depending on the country. Indeed, some countries or brands are legally fine with rooting their devices.
Now, the removal of restrictions is a different matter. Some users have been asking if using Lucky Patcher is hacking but that can be an exaggerated claim. Indeed, one Quora user pointed out that it’s not a case of getting a paid app for free. Lucky Patcher works more like getting a refund and keeping the app.
Bypassing license verification makes the app inappropriate. It cuts into the revenues of software and game developers whom we all know put in a lot of time, effort and money to develop a game or an app, for that matter.
The key takeaway: the app can be illegal if you are using it to break the law.