Telegram apps vanish from the App Store [Update]

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Telegram flames
Telegram is yet to reappear.
Photo: Telegram/Cult of Mac

Telegram and Telegram X vanished from the App Store on Wednesday and are yet to return. It’s not yet clear if the apps were pulled by Apple or Telegram.

Telegram now boasts more than 180 million monthly active users. Its promise of strong encryption and a secret chat feature helped it quickly grow in popularity after it made its debut in 2013. But now iPhone and iPad users are unable to download it.

Telegram vanishes

Telegram users on Reddit noticed on Wednesday that the original app, as well as lightweight counterpart Telegram X, had been removed from the App Store. Their disappearance seemed to coincide with a major update announcement for Android.

It’s not yet clear if Apple pulled the apps, or if Telegram removed them. It’s likely that the timing of their disappearance, alongside the Android update, is just coincidental. Telegram has reportedly promised they will be back.

Any moment now

“This is not intended,” writes one Reddit user, citing Telegram support. “Hopefully it will be resolved quickly. Both versions should come back soon.”

That was posted over nine hours ago, and neither Telegram or Telegram X have reappeared yet, but it seems that should change soon.

UPDATE: Telegram founder Pavel Durov has now confirmed that the apps were pulled by Apple for “inappropriate content.”

“We were alerted by Apple that inappropriate content was made available to our users and both apps were taken off the App Store. Once we have protections in place we expect the apps to be back on the App Store,” Durov tweeted this morning.

Via: 9to5Mac

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