Every AI Chat App Pulled From the App Store in 2026
Chai, PolyBuzz, Tipsy Chat and Botify AI have all left the iPhone App Store. The full list, what still works, and where to go that cannot be pulled.
If an AI chat app you use has vanished from the App Store, you are in a big club. PolyBuzz went on 15 October 2026, Tipsy Chat a week later, and Chai on 22 October. Botify AI went back in the spring. This page keeps one list of every AI chat and roleplay app that has left Apple's store this year, what still works for each one, and what to do this week if yours is on it.
Last checked 2 November 2026
PolyBuzz, Tipsy Chat and Chai are all still missing from the iPhone App Store. Their Android apps and websites still work. Character.AI, Talkie Lab and Janitor AI are still listed.
The list: AI chat apps removed from the App Store
| App | Left the App Store | Still works on | What the company said |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chai | 22 October 2026 | Android, web | Its founder said the iPhone app is unavailable while the team works on improving it, and installed copies keep working. |
| Tipsy Chat | About 21 to 22 October 2026 | Android, web | No public reason. |
| PolyBuzz | 15 October 2026 | Android, polybuzz.ai | No public reason. What still works on PolyBuzz. |
| Botify AI | March 2026, iPhone app shut down 16 April | Android, web | Apple cited "dishonest or fraudulent activity". The developer, Ex-Human, is suing Apple. |
| Emochi (original app) | 2026 | Web, and a separate moderated iPhone app | The original app is unavailable in every storefront. Why Emochi got stricter. |
| Talkie | Pulled in December 2024, back in 2025 | iPhone as Talkie Lab, Android, web | Blamed "technical reasons", then returned under a new name. |
Linky AI is an older case: it has been off the US App Store since late 2024 and is still not back. Linky AI alternative.
Still on the App Store, for now
As of the end of October, Character.AI, Talkie Lab, Janitor AI and CrushOn (listed as Crushmash) still had iPhone apps. Character.AI is a special case: the app is listed, but the company is being sold in bankruptcy, with a sale hearing set for 3 and 4 December. Will Character.AI shut down?
Why AI chat apps keep disappearing
On 16 October 2026 Apple updated its App Review Guidelines. The rule on user-generated content now names AI content creation apps directly. They have to filter objectionable material, handle reports quickly, and stop AI-made intimate images of real people. If Apple is not satisfied, it can keep an app off the store until the developer shows it has improved. Chai's statement, that the app is unavailable "while we're working on improving" it, reads like the other half of that conversation.
Google Play has its own rules on sexual content and AI output, which is why so many of these apps soften their filters on Android too. The full story is in why AI chat apps are getting censored.
The short version: an app that lives in a store can be taken out of it overnight, by a review its users never see.
If your app just vanished: what to do this week
- Do not delete it. If the app is still on your phone, it usually keeps working. Once you delete it, you cannot download it again until it returns.
- Check your subscription. If you paid in the iPhone app, Apple is still billing you. Open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and decide whether you want it to renew.
- Save your characters now. Copy each character's name, greeting, personality and backstory into a note. Most of these apps have no export button.
- Save the chats that matter. Copy the conversation text from the website or the app while you still can.
- Use the website in the meantime. PolyBuzz, Chai and Tipsy Chat all still run in Safari with your same login.
Somewhere that cannot be pulled from your phone
I built RolePlaya after leaving PolyBuzz, where I was the number one creator. It is a web app, so there is no store listing to remove. On iPhone you open roleplaya.com in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen, and it opens full screen with its own icon. The Android app is downloaded from roleplaya.com, not Google Play, and billing happens on the website, so no store sits between you and your account.
- Free to start. 50 messages a day, no card details and no adverts on any plan.
- Bring your characters. Paste a character's details into Create a Character, or import a JSON file or PNG character card. How card import works.
- Bring your chats. Import Chat is free on every plan. For apps with no export, like Chai, PolyBuzz and Talkie, copy the conversation and choose Copied text, and the story carries on where it stopped.
- Thousands of public characters, group chats, voices and images, and long-term memory across chats on Total Playa.
- 18+ only. You confirm your age at sign up. There is no face scan and no ID upload.
There is a step by step move-in guide on my blog: moving to RolePlaya after your app was pulled.
Try it on your phone
Open roleplaya.com in Safari or Chrome, sign up free, and add it to your home screen. 18+ only.
Per-app guides
- Tipsy Chat alternative with no gems
- Botify AI alternative
- Linky AI alternative
- Chai alternative after the App Store removal
- PolyBuzz gone from the App Store? What still works
- AI roleplay on iPhone without the App Store
- Talkie alternative
- The best AI roleplay sites
Questions
Why are AI chat apps being removed from the App Store?
Apple tightened its rules for AI apps on 16 October 2026. Apps where users create or generate content must filter objectionable material, act on reports and prevent AI-made intimate images, and Apple can keep an app off the store until it shows it has improved. Most removed apps have not given a public reason.
Is Chai banned?
No. Chai's iPhone app left the App Store on 22 October 2026, but Chai still runs on Android and on the web, and copies already installed on iPhones keep working. Its founder said the app is unavailable while the team works on improving it.
Is PolyBuzz coming back to the App Store?
Nobody has said. PolyBuzz's iPhone app has been missing since 15 October 2026 with no public reason. Talkie came back after its removal under a new name, while Botify AI is still missing months later.
Will Apple keep charging me for a removed app?
Yes, if you subscribed in the iPhone app. Removal from the store does not cancel an Apple subscription. Check it under Settings, your name, Subscriptions.
Can I still use an app that was removed from the App Store?
Usually, if it is still installed. Do not delete it, because you cannot download it again until it returns. Most of these services also work in Safari with the same account.
Which AI roleplay apps cannot be removed from the App Store?
Web apps that are not listed there. RolePlaya runs in the browser, installs to your home screen from Safari or Chrome, and bills on its own website, so an App Store decision cannot take it off your phone.
Where do I get help or ask for a feature?
RolePlaya has an active Discord community where members get help, report bugs and ask for new features, and the developer answers them directly. Most fixes land the same day, and many features on the site started as member requests there. Join the RolePlaya Discord.
Chai, PolyBuzz, Tipsy Chat, Botify AI, Emochi, Talkie, Linky AI, Character.AI, Janitor AI, CrushOn, Apple, App Store, Google Play and all other names used on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. RolePlaya is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or connected to any of them. Statements about other platforms reflect publicly reported information as of 2 November 2026 and may change.
