bilibili Returns to Android Globally, Drops Overseas Posting ID Checks

Chinese streaming service bilibili relaunched its global Android app on August 19. Users posting overseas no longer need to verify their identity, a requirement in the previous app.

The app reportedly combines Chinese and international content. The company plans to release it on iOS and in additional countries soon.

bilibili partnered with Aniplex on the animated project To Be Hero X, which debuted in April 2025. Crunchyroll streams the series worldwide outside Asia. In Japan, it streams on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

In February 2021, bilibili acquired Shanghai-based animation company Haoliners Cultures Media Co., Ltd. The purchase included Haoliners’ Japanese subsidiary, Emon Animation Company.

American anime publisher Funimation and bilibili announced an anime licensing partnership in March 2019. They said they would jointly acquire licenses over the following few years, covering these IP rights in the United States and China:

• Broadcast television
• Video-on-demand
• Electronic sell-through
• Home entertainment
• Gaming
• Merchandise

Sony Corporation of America spent approximately US$400 million in 2020 on 17.3 million bilibili shares, representing a 4.98% stake. After signing their business agreement, the companies planned to collaborate in China’s entertainment market, including animation and mobile games.

Founded in 2009, bilibili is China’s largest streaming platform for Japanese animation, ahead of TencentVideo and iQIYI. It streams anime and invests in anime productions.

Its website also hosts Chinese animation and user-uploaded content. The service earns revenue through advertising and pay-per-view subscription charges.