Update: Added statement from Apple below.
The first Apple-notarized porn app, “Hot Tub,” is now available to iPhone users in Europe through the alternative app marketplace, AltStore PAL.
Apple does not allow pornographic or adult content apps on the official Apple App Store. However, to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple is now required as a “gatekeeper” to allow sideloading of apps through third-party app platforms, which can offer these types of apps.
AltStore PAL launched in April 2024 and is an alternative app marketplace for iOS users in the EU, initially created to distribute the founder’s Delta Nintendo emulator and the Clip clipboard manager for iOS.
The platform allows users in the EU to install apps not available on Apple’s official App Store, including those that may not meet Apple’s content guidelines, such as adult content.
Today, AltStore announced that they are now distributing the first Apple-Notarized porn app called “Hot Tub,” which was developed by c1d3r.
“iPhone turns 18 this year, which means it’s finally old enough for some more ~mature~ apps…,” reads a post on Threads.
“Introducing Hot Tub by c1d3r, the world’s 1st Apple-approved porn app! Try it now exclusively on AltStore PAL — just in time for the season of love.”
The app is described as an ad-free “adult content browser” and has successfully passed Apple’s notarization process, which reviews apps for security and privacy risks before they can be installed on iOS devices.
While the Hot Tub app has passed this process and thus is allowed to be installed on Apple devices, it does not mean Apple has approved it for its own app store.
For those looking to install the app, it is not visible by default in the AltStore PAL app store.
“Hot Tub is NOT visible in AltStore PAL by default, and it is not a Recommended Source,” explains AltStore.
“You must explicitly add its source before it will appear in AltStore PAL — just like the majority of AltStore apps. This means you’ll only see it if you want to.”
As part of the app’s launch, AltStore PAL says it will be donating all of its Patreon earnings to organizations supporting sex workers and the LGBTQ+ community.
Apple shared the following statement about the release of the “Hot Tub” app on the AltStore PAL.
“We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids,” Apple told BleepingComputer.
“This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world.”
“Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store. The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.”
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