Apple bans anonymous chat apps from the App Store

Apple has updated its App Review Guidelines, expanding the list of user-generated content apps that can be removed from the App Store without prior notice.

The company has added “random or anonymous chat” to its prohibited categories, joining apps associated with pornographic content, physical threats, and bullying.

The new language appears in section 1.2, “User-Generated Content.” It states that apps primarily used for pornographic material, Chatroulette-style interactions, random or anonymous chats, the objectification of real individuals, physical threats, or bullying do not belong on the App Store and may be removed without warning.

Earlier versions of the guidelines already referenced “Chatroulette-style services,” but the wording is now broader and more explicit. Apple has not disclosed the exact reasons for the update. The move may be part of the company’s broader efforts to protect minors, as anonymous chat apps are widely used by younger audiences and have been linked to harassment and abuse.