The Dalai Lama launches app, but it’s blocked on China’s app store

The Dalai Lama has created a free iPhone app for anyone who wants to learn more about his teachings.

The 82-year-old exiled Tibetan spiritual leader announced the launch of the app to his 16.6m Twitter followers on Thursday.

The Office of His Holiniess the Dalai Lama has released ‘Dalai Lama’, a new iPhone App now available for download at the Apple App Store https://t.co/F7V8IpkgDl. With Dalai Lama stay up to date with what His Holiness is doing, his travels, and his teachings. pic.twitter.com/zQnY5QNP8j

— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) 14 December 2017

The app promises to give users up-to-date news, live videos and regular photos of the Dalai Lama.

However, it will be blocked on China’s app store, meaning most Tibetans will not be able to access the app.

Does the Dalai Lama’s see technology as a good thing?

The Dalai Lama has long praised the benefits of technology, but he has also pointed to its drawbacks.

Last year, he tweeted:

Whether technology’s effect is good or bad depends on the user. It’s important that we shouldn’t be slaves to technology; it should help us.

— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) 11 March 2016

In 2015, he said people can become so dependent on electronic devices that they detach from their emotions:

Without technology, humanity has no future, but we have to be careful that we don’t become so mechanised that we lose our human feelings.

The Dalai Lama’s app, entitled Dalai Lama, does not have enough ratings yet for a score on the app store.

Religious apps

The Roman Catholic Church launched the Pope App in 2013, which followed the Confession app unveiled in 2011 where users could keep track of their sins.

At the time, Confession’s developers, who are based in Indiana said:

Our goal with this project is to offer a digital application that is truly ‘new media at the service of the word’.

In 2007, the Vatican launched its own YouTube channel.