Over 400 hidden nudify apps found on App Store and Google Play

How the trick works

According to the investigation, there is no definitive checklist that determines which version a user sees. One identified trigger, however, is installing the app straight after clicking a Meta ad that contains explicit deepfake content. The operators are reportedly running such ads to promote the software.

The apps were traced back to Chinese developers and to Hong Kong-based KeLing Technology Limited. The company reportedly removed its connection to the apps after being contacted.

Apple and Google respond

Apple put the blame on developers. "We review every app before it's published, and these apps complied with our rules when we reviewed them," the company said, adding that developers changed the website the app pulls its content from after approval, replacing it with pornographic content promoted through ads on a third-party platform.

Both Apple and Google have already removed a substantial number of the apps, according to the report. Google had not yet provided a statement.

The findings follow earlier research this year that identified around 38 nudify apps across both stores, with a combined 483 million downloads and $122 million in revenue. The new network suggests the problem is larger, and that server-side switching lets apps pass review as benign before changing behavior. For users and parents, an app's store description is no guarantee of what it does after launch.