VLC is one of the few media players that does not track you. However, running an older APK (3.0.18) means you miss out on security patches from later 3.0.x builds (e.g., 3.0.20 patched a subtitle vulnerability). For Android 4.4.2, the greatest risk is not the app but the OS itself, as Google no longer provides security updates for KitKat.

: You will miss out on modern features like advanced Gesture Navigation (which KitKat doesn't native support well) and the latest Material You design updates found in current Android versions.

Then the screen went black. The phone never turned on again.

It worked.