Apple have been warning iPhone users of a NSFW app that has been available for download on their devices.
While things like peanut butter and jelly always go better together, one mismatched pairing is pornography and iPhones. Without prying on what goes on behind closed doors, Apple has always frowned upon the idea of using our iPhones to get our rocks off.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs went as far as telling people to buy an Android if they wanted to watch porn on their phones, but that's all changed in 2025. Although Apple is trying to keep its 'no porn' policy, others are bringing the blue stuff to our devices.
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Worse yet for the tech giant, the AltStore storefront in the European Union has released the 'Hot Tub' porn app and said it's 'Apple-approved' - something Apple is keen to distance itself from.
Since the Digital Markets Act first started rolling out in 2022, it was mandated that Apple must allow third-party app stores on iOS.
Originally launched in 2019, AltStore PAL has proved insanely popular, especially after a so-called 'MegaGrant' from Epic Games led to it dropping its €1.50 (plus tax) subscription.
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In a statement released to The Verge, Apple spokesperson Peter Ajemian confirmed: "We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids."
Without regulation, there are fears that children could download Hot Tub onto iPhones, although AltStore PAL suggests it won't be that easy because you have to search in a specific section of the app store to find the app.
As noted by Tech Crunch, Hot Tub is an adult search browser that allows you to discover content from the likes of Pornhub, Xvideos, XNXX, and XHamster. Others have pointed to the fact that Porn Hub has a 'teen' category.
AltStore Pal says there were no problems getting Hot Tub approved, with pornography-based apps being frequently cited as the kind of ones that have to be allowed under the DMA.
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Looking at the bigger picture, it's the first time in the iPhone's 17-year history that it seems like it's out of its creator's control.
The infamous Epic Games v Apple lawsuit saw the former clap back at the latter's monopoly on the market and 30% cut of in-app purchases on the App Store, and while many agreed it was a big slice of the pay, Apple could also control what we were downloading (for better or for worse).
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Apple previously shared concerns in a 2024 Fast Company piece. Here, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller warned that the company has spent years working with parental organizations and governments to protect younger users: "Those rules will not apply in another marketplace unless they choose to make rules of their own, [with] whatever criteria they come up with. Does that increase the risk of users, and families, running into objectionable content or other experiences? Yes, it does."
The idea that Apple could now be associated with X-rated apps, gaming emulators, and torrent sites is not a good look for the company's typically squeaky-clean image. In fact, all Apple can do is check Hot Tub for malware and make sure it continues to hit 'baseline platform integrity standards'.
While it's always been possible to watch pornography on an iPhone via browsers, Hot Tub markets itself as an 'alternative' to sites by offering customizable controls, filters, and protection from spammy pop-ups.