Apple removed two major gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, from the China App Store after an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, Wired reports. The removals affect new downloads in China but some users say the apps still work on devices where they were previously installed. The move follows the 2022 takedown of Grindr and highlights ongoing censorship and legal limitations faced by China’s LGBTQ+ community. Apple says it is complying with local law while maintaining its stated commitment to inclusion.
Apple Removes Two Major Gay Dating Apps from China App Store After Regulator Order
Apple removed two major gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, from the China App Store after an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, Wired reports. The removals affect new downloads in China but some users say the apps still work on devices where they were previously installed. The move follows the 2022 takedown of Grindr and highlights ongoing censorship and legal limitations faced by China’s LGBTQ+ community. Apple says it is complying with local law while maintaining its stated commitment to inclusion.
03:46 PM, 11/12/2025Society
Apple pulls Blued and Finka from China App Store after regulator directive
Apple has removed two of China’s most widely used gay dating apps — Blued and Finka — from its China App Store after receiving an order from the country’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), according to reporting by Wired.
An Apple spokesperson said the company complies with local laws when operating in different countries and confirmed the removals applied only to the China storefront.
"We follow the laws in the countries where we operate. Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only."
The takedown is seen as a setback for China’s marginalised LGBTQ+ community. While homosexuality was decriminalised in 1997, same-sex marriage remains unrecognised and censorship policies restrict portrayals of LGBTQ+ people in film and television.
This action follows an earlier removal: the popular gay dating app Grindr was taken off Apple’s China store in 2022. Some users have reported on social media that both Blued and Finka continue to function on devices where they were already installed, but new downloads are no longer available from the China App Store.
Context and reactions
Apple has long promoted itself as an advocate for inclusion — for example, selling "Pride Edition" accessories and supporting advocacy groups — and its CEO, Tim Cook, publicly came out in a 2014 personal essay. In that essay Cook wrote that being gay "has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority" and said the company would continue to support human rights and equality.
Critics argue the removals highlight the tension between complying with local laws and protecting marginalized communities' access to digital services. The situation underscores broader concerns about online censorship and the availability of safe, digital spaces for LGBTQ+ people in China.