Apple, Google reportedly still promoting “nudify” apps
Apple and Google are reportedly still pointing users toward “nudify” apps on their app stores—even though both companies say they ban sexual or pornographic content.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that “nudify” apps were showing up in their stores despite clear policies barring such material. Nearly three months later, Misryoum newsroom reported that these apps aren’t just still available, they’re being actively promoted on the iOS App Store and Google Play. And, yes, some are labeled “E” for Everyone, which means kids can download them. That detail alone makes this feel less like a hiccup and more like a system that’s letting something through.
Digging into the stores for terms like “nudify,” “undress,” and other similar searches, Misryoum newsroom reported that users can find apps that can make real people nude—or place real people into pornographic videos. Misryoum editorial desk noted that the new report alleges these platforms are “key participants in the spread of AI tools that can turn real people into sexualized images.” The report also claims the app stores ran ads for similar nudifying apps right in search results.
Misryoum editorial team stated that the group identified 18 nudify apps in Apple’s App Store and 20 in Google Play. Some were marketed with sexual images. Others, the report says, weren’t advertised as such—but they could still be used to create deepfakes. Overall, Misryoum newsroom reported the apps have collectively generated around $122 million in revenue and been downloaded 483 million times. Those numbers are the kind that make your stomach do a small, delayed drop—like seeing a familiar street sign in a place you didn’t expect to be.
One app cited in Misryoum reporting is called Video Face Swap AI: DeepFace. It advertises itself by showing an actress’s face swapped onto another actress’s body, and it claims it can put a real person’s face on the bodies of partially undressed women. It was rated “E” for Everyone.
The story is now landing in the middle of a bigger policy fight. Misryoum newsroom reported that governments are proposing laws targeting nudify and AI deepfake apps that create nude or sexual images—especially when children are involved. The UK’s Children’s Commissioner recently called for a ban on AI deepfake apps that create nude or sexual images of children. In the US and other countries, Misryoum editorial desk noted that laws have been proposed or created to ban explicit deepfakes. Misryoum analysis indicates California Attorney General recently sent Elon Musk’s X a cease and desist order over Grok’s explicit deepfakes.
Apple and Google both have policies banning sexual or pornographic material, and Google also has a specific policy against nudifying apps. Misryoum newsroom reported that Apple told Bloomberg it removed 15 apps identified by the group, while Google said it suspended a number of them. Still, Misryoum editorial team stated the apps remain visible and, in at least some cases, actively promoted. In a comment tied to an update dated April 16 at 3:42 AM ET, Google said Google Play does not allow apps that contain sexual content, and that when violations are reported, it investigates and takes action. Google also said many of the apps referenced in the report have been suspended, and that its investigation and enforcement process is ongoing.
If nothing else, the timeline here is what’s unsettling: policies on paper, enforcement in practice, and a marketplace that keeps steering users toward the very content it says it doesn’t permit. And whether that’s a review failure, a category problem, or just… something more tangled, the result is still the same for users searching for “nudify.”
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