Apple has tightened its App Store rules: it banned apps that create intimate AI deepfakes of people without their consent ("nudify" apps) and separately wrote in a ban on hidden functionality, also known as cloaking. The App Review Guidelines update was published on October 16, 2026, and TechCrunch reported on it on October 19. Here is what exactly changed, why apps get removed from the App Store, what developers risk and how to pass App Store review now.
What did Apple ban in the App Store in October 2026?
In short, two things. The first is apps that use AI to create intimate images of people without their consent. The second is apps that hide their real functionality during review and switch on harmful features after approval. Pornographic content has long been banned in the App Store, but deepfakes and "bait-and-switch" apps now have their own direct wording.
What changed in the App Store rules: guidelines 1.2 and 2.5.19
- Guideline 1.2 directly names intimate imagery made without consent, including content generated with AI tools. Apps with user-generated content, and now AI generators too, must filter objectionable material, let users report it and block abusive accounts.
- New Guideline 2.5.19 bans hidden, dormant and undocumented features. It covers apps that pose as harmless during review and activate harmful capabilities after approval.
Nudification was already banned, so the new text does not introduce the ban from scratch: it states it explicitly and strengthens it.
What are "nudify" apps and nudification?
Nudification refers to AI apps that take an ordinary photo of a person and generate an intimate image of them without consent. Such deepfakes are used for harassment and blackmail, which is why these apps keep drawing attention from regulators and app stores. Apple now expects developers not just to avoid this, but to build adequate filtering and prevention.
What are cloaking and bait-and-switch in the App Store?
The scheme is familiar: a "clean" app, such as a photo editor or a game, is submitted for review, and after approval it gains something Apple would never have approved. The English term is bait-and-switch, and in affiliate marketing it is commonly called cloaking. Apple says it will remove apps that add features that were not in the version submitted for review. Media reports add that using code obfuscation or other concealment to bypass review now counts as direct grounds for removal.
Why do apps get removed from the App Store, and can you lose a developer account?
Yes, violations carry two risks:
- App removal from the App Store.
- Developer account termination and loss of access to the Apple Developer Program.
For scale: according to Apple, its review process blocked more than 150,000 apps from reaching users last year, and 193,000 developer accounts were removed for fraud and abuse. The threat is not just on paper.
How to pass App Store review and avoid a ban
A few practical takeaways follow from the rule text:
- Every feature should be in the version you submit for review and honestly described. Nothing dormant or undocumented.
- Ship new capabilities through an update that goes through review, rather than switching them on remotely after approval.
- If your app has user-generated content or AI image generation, you need filters for objectionable material, a report button and user blocking.
- Do not hide functionality behind obfuscation: it is named as grounds for removal.
Does this affect affiliates and gambling apps?
Guideline 2.5.19 is worded more broadly than nudification alone: the ban on hidden functionality formally covers any app that shows one thing at review and another to users. Apple does not mention gambling in the announcement, so that reading is our inference from the rule text, not a statement from the company. Still, for "clean app at review, different functionality afterward" schemes, the risk of losing the app and the developer account is now higher, because Apple has a specific rule to cite.
What is still unclear
Violators could be removed before, so the main question is how much practice will change. How often and how strictly rule 2.5.19 will be applied remains to be seen. Apple does not name a single app or company that triggered the update.
FAQ
What did Apple ban in the App Store?
Apps that create intimate deepfakes without people's consent, and apps with hidden or undocumented functionality that is revealed only after approval.
When did Apple update the App Store rules?
The App Review Guidelines update was published on October 16, 2026, and the media reported on it on October 19.
What is App Store guideline 2.5.19?
It is a new App Review Guidelines rule that prohibits hidden, dormant and undocumented features, including the bait-and-switch tactic.
What is cloaking in the App Store?
It is when an app shows one set of features during review and unlocks different ones after approval. Apple's rules call it hidden features and bait-and-switch.
What are nudify apps?
They are AI apps that generate intimate images of real people from their photos without consent. Apple bans them and requires developers to implement filters and prevention.
What do developers risk for violating App Store rules?
App removal from the App Store and termination of the developer account with loss of access to the Apple Developer Program.
Can I add a feature to my app after approval?
Apple says it will remove apps that add features not present in the version submitted for review. New capabilities should ship through an update that passes review.
Why did Apple update the rules now?
Apple cites its fight against intimate deepfakes and deceptive apps. It does not name a specific app or company behind the changes.