Zapya
Zapya and Kuai Ya are peer-to-peer file sharing apps that allow users to transfer files between mobile devices without the need of an Internet connection. DewMobile, Inc. initially conceived Kuai Ya in Silicon Valley, California, USA to target the Chinese market in 2012. However, the demand for the app spread to neighboring countries such as Myanmar and Pakistan. When the international user base had grown to a reasonable size, DewMobile created a separate app known as Zapya to publish on Apple App Store and Google Play Store. While Kuai Ya and Zapya are similar to each other, they include different APK and features in order to comply with Google Play policies.
Zapya gained popularity in countries with low Internet penetration and poor Internet architecture, because it allows users to share files without relying on an Internet or cellular data connection. The app is available on multiple platforms, including lower-end phone models, so that it is accessible to everyone. Users can transfer files using a transfer method similar to Bluetooth and AirDrop. Some cellphone stores use Zapya's "Phone Replicate" feature to transfer the data from their customers' old phones to their new ones.
Impact
Zapya has become ingrained in Cuban youth culture due to limited Wi-Fi access in Cuba. The Miami Herald reported on 11 July 2015 on how Cuban tech start-ups use Zapya to overcome the lack of internet penetration and poor Internet architecture in Cuba. They also found that the youth of Cuba use Zapya as a free platform to talk to their friends and share funny videos and photos.The popularity of Zapya in Cuba has only grown stronger over the years to the point that Cubans have coined the verb "zapyar" as a slang term to refer to sharing files. Cachivache Media deemed Zapya as "the network for the disconnected" in 2016. Travelers and students planning to study abroad in Cuba are recommended to download Zapya before going to the country.