Apple has reluctantly allowed the first pornography app onto the iPhone, despite its long-standing ban on adult content. The app, named “Hot Tub,” is marketed as an “adult content browser” that helps users find and watch explicit material.
Historically, Apple has strictly prohibited pornography on its App Store. The restriction was first introduced under Steve Jobs, who said the company had a “moral responsibility” to keep such content off its platform. However, new European regulations have forced Apple to make exceptions.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act now requires Apple to let users access alternative app stores that do not follow Apple’s strict content rules. While Apple still checks apps distributed through these stores for security and functionality issues, it no longer has control over their content.
This loophole enabled “Hot Tub” to apply for distribution via AltStore PAL, one of the new alternative marketplaces.
Apple has distanced itself from the decision, warning about potential risks. “We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids,” Apple stated. The company emphasised that it does not endorse or approve of “Hot Tub” and would not allow it on its own App Store.
Apple claims its hand was forced by EU regulators, blaming alternative marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic for ignoring its user safety concerns. The company warns that such developments could undermine trust in its ecosystem, which it has worked to secure for over a decade.
