Apple has said it is “deeply concerned” by the European release of what is believed to be the first porn app to become available on the iPhone.
Hot Tub is a new native app for iOS devices that lets you watch porn videos from sites such as Pornhub, xHamster and xVideos. The app says it protects users from pop-ups and advert trackers, and features its own control and video search and filter functions.
Hot Tub was developed by an independent developer who goes by the name c1d3r, who described the app as a “private, secure, and elegant way to browse adult content”.
The app (pictured below, showing ‘safe for work’ content) has been available since February 3, 2025 on AltStore PAL, a sideloading app store that works on iPhones as an alternative to the official Apple App Store. Riley Testut and Shane Gill, who run AltStore PAL, say it allows users to “discover apps that push the boundaries of iOS”.
How is this possible? I thought Apple prevented stuff like this?
The introduction of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), in effect since 2023 in the EU, means that developers have the right to use ‘alternative marketplaces’ such as AltStore PAL to launch iPhone and iPad apps.
Apps launched in this way still need to go through a ‘notarization’ process so they meet “baseline platform integrity standards”. Apple checks that the apps are not scams and don’t weaken device security or functions, but the apps do not go through a full review process. Apple cannot legally stop these apps featuring content banned in the App Store, including porn, violent content and hate speech.
Porn has consistently been banned on Apple’s App Store. The company said it was “deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids. 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.”
AltStore PAL (pictured above) said that Hot Tub was “Apple approved” as it became available on the alternative app store, despite the app not going through Apple’s full app review process.
“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,” Apple said.
Testut and Gill, AltStore PAL’s owners, say their ‘alternative’ app store is funded by donations. The project reportedly received a large donation from Epic Games, makers of the Fortnite game, which has been in dispute with Apple for years over app store payment issues.
Testut and Gill said that “iOS as a whole could benefit greatly from giving developers a chance to fully explore their ideas without arbitrary restrictions”.
They added that “sometimes people just want to make cool things that don’t fully align with Apple’s goals. Our hope with AltStore is to give apps like these another path forward.”
Leave a Reply