A recent investigation by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a nonprofit watchdog focused on tech accountability, has exposed a troubling reality in the major mobile app ecosystems.
The researchers discovered dozens of AI-powered "nudify" apps openly available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. These apps use generative AI to digitally remove clothing from photos of individuals, primarily women, creating nonconsensual, sexualized images that can easily cross into deepfake territory.
Some even come with templates, face swap features, video generation, and more.
In a report, TTP said that the team identified 55 such apps on Google Play and 47 on the Apple App Store, many of which appeared prominently in searches for terms like "nudify" or "undress."
The methodology behind the findings was straightforward yet revealing.
Researchers searched the app stores using those explicit keywords and tested the top results with AI-generated images of fully clothed women.
In free versions of the apps, prompts to render subjects partially or completely nude, or in minimal clothing like bikinis, were routinely successful. Some apps went further, allowing users to place individuals in pornographic scenarios or superimpose faces onto nude bodies through face-swap features. Categories ranged from prompt-based image generators to disguised "dress-up" or "outfit changer" tools that hid their true capabilities behind innocuous descriptions, such as virtual fitting rooms or fun photo editors.
The scale of the issue is staggering.
Collectively, these apps have amassed over 705 million downloads worldwide and generated approximately $117 million in revenue, with both Google and Apple earning substantial cuts through in-app purchases and subscriptions.
Despite clear policy violations, Google explicitly bans apps that "claim to undress people or see through clothing," even if labeled as pranks, while Apple's guidelines prohibit overtly sexual or pornographic material.
However, the policies of both didn't stop the developers.
In fact, the apps persisted, and some even rated for users as young as 9 years old.
A few originated from developers in China, raising additional concerns about data security and potential misuse by foreign entities.
This revelation arrives amid heightened scrutiny of similar technologies, particularly following backlash against xAI's Grok chatbot integrated into X (formerly Twitter).
In late 2025 and early 2026, Grok faced criticism for generating sexualized edits of photos, including nonconsensual undressing of women and even children, prompting investigations in regions like the EU and UK. Searches for "nudify" in Apple's App Store reportedly surfaced Grok as a top organic result, underscoring how mainstream platforms have struggled to contain the rapid proliferation of these tools.
Advances in accessible AI models have democratized the creation of explicit deepfakes, turning what was once a niche online exploit into a mass-market mobile feature.
Both companies responded to the report with actions, though critics argue they were reactive rather than proactive.
Apple removed around 28 of the flagged apps (with some later restored after developers submitted revised versions), while Google suspended several and continued its review. Statements from the platforms emphasize ongoing commitments to user safety, but TTP and others contend that the sheer volume of offending apps demonstrates a failure to keep pace with AI's evolution.
The apps' availability not only enables harassment, bullying, and abuse but also normalizes the objectification of individuals without consent.
The broader implications are sobering.
Nonconsensual deepfake pornography has real-world harms, as seen in cases where public social media photos were exploited to create explicit content.
As AI capabilities advance, the responsibility falls on gatekeepers like Apple and Google to strengthen vetting, enforce policies rigorously, and prevent their ecosystems from becoming conduits for digital harm.
Until then, the ease of accessing such tools remains a stark reminder of how quickly innovation can outstrip ethical safeguards.