Steve Jobs Would Be Furious: First iPhone Porn App Now Live in Europe

Europe now has its first 'Apple-approved' adult app for iPhone, available via AltStore PAL, challenging Steve Jobs' original vision of keeping such content off the device.

AltStore PAL developer Riley Testut announced that Hot Tub, an ad-free adult content browser, has successfully passed Apple's notarisation review—verifying that it is free from fraud, security risks, and functional issues. Testut also confirmed that the browser will be available for EU AltStore PAL users to download from 3rd February.

Notably, Apple's own iOS store does not allow 'overtly sexual or pornographic material.' In response to a customer email about App Store policing, Steve Jobs once stated that Apple has 'a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone,' adding that people who wanted such content should 'buy an Android phone.'

Apple's Pushback And EU Regulations

The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) has given iPhone users in the bloc more freedom to install apps from various sources. The emergence of a porn app on iPhones through third-party app stores has prompted Apple to push back against European Union regulations.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that the Hot Tub app was falsely advertised as 'Apple-approved.' Apple clarified that while it does scan third-party apps for malware and compatibility, it doesn't assess their quality or content.

'We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps create for EU users, especially kids,' an Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg. '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.'

The App: Hot Tub Controversy

AltStore PAL posted on Threads: 'iPhone turns 18 this year, which means it's finally old enough for some more ~mature~ apps...Introducing Hot Tub by c1d3r, the world's 1st Apple-approved porn app! Try it now exclusively on AltStore PAL — just in time for the season of love.'

AltStore PAL has announced that, in conjunction with the Hot Tub app launch, it will donate all its Patreon proceeds from February "to causes that support sex workers and the LGBTQ+ community. 'We feel this is necessary to fight back against recent harmful policies by politicians, Meta, and others,' Testut told The Verge.

The reference to Meta likely concerns changes to its Hateful Conduct policy in the US, which will eliminate protections for LGBTQ+ people, women, immigrants, and other marginalized communities on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

AltStore PAL, a pioneering alternative iOS app marketplace in Europe, launched in April 2024 and has since expanded to offer utilities, game emulators (previously banned by Apple), torrenting software unavailable on the App Store, and even games like Fortnite from Epic Games.

Porn Is Already There

Meanwhile, Apple has clarified that it did not approve the app and 'would never offer it' in its own App Store. They attributed the situation to EU regulations, stating that they are now required to permit such apps through third-party marketplaces like AltStore and Epic Games under new European Commission rules.

Epic Games, in a message to iPhone in Canada, highlighted CEO Tim Sweeney's comments on X concerning the matter. 'Contrary to Apple's false statement, the Epic Games Store doesn't carry this app, doesn't carry any porn apps, and has never carried porn apps,' he said.

Sweeney also highlighted the fact that the Reddit app, available on the App Store with a 17+ rating, allows access to pornography for numerous individuals.