Apple has revealed it stopped US$2.2 billion (A$3 billion) in potentially fraudulent transactions in the App Store last year, adding to a total of more than US$11.2 billion (A$15.7 billion) over the past six years. Apple also took measures to block malicious software, rejecting over 2 million app submissions last year.
The App Store, with 850 million weekly visitors across 175 storefronts, is successful because it’s trusted. If you’ve ever submitted an app, then you know it’s not a simple rubber stamp process. But as the App Store increases in size, so does the difficulty in keeping consumers safe and secure. Apple uses human review and artificial intelligence to combat malicious activity. Apple rejected over 2 million problematic app submissions and blocked more than 1.1 billion fraudulent account creations in 2025.
App Review Process
Last year, Apple’s Review team evaluated more than 9.1 million app submissions. It cleared more than 306,000 new developers to join the platform while rejecting 2 million plus app submissions — including 1.2 million new apps and nearly 800,000 app updates — for failing to adhere to the App Store review guidelines.
Apple’s App Review system has relied on humans and machine learning to weed out the bad guys. Now, Apple uses a multilayered approach to help reviewers analyse submissions at scale. They are able to identify complex malicious patterns and flag potentially fraudulent apps with greater speed and accuracy.
By utilising AI to rapidly identify complex malicious patterns, analyse app similarity, and flag potentially problematic changes in app updates, Apple’s systems help human reviewers focus their expertise where it matters most. This not only improves the customer experience by ensuring a high-quality, curated storefront, it also helps legitimate developers get their great apps and updates to users faster.
As deceptive tactics increase in complexity, App Review remains highly vigilant in catching problematic apps. This includes apps that were initially approved as standard games or utilities, such as a puzzle or calculator app, that then modified their software post-review with the intent of financial fraud. In 2025, the team removed nearly 59,000 apps for engaging in such bait-and-switch manoeuvres.
Apple also rejected over 22,000 submissions for containing hidden or undocumented features; over 371,000 submissions that copied other apps, were found to be spam, or otherwise misled users; and over 443,000 submissions for privacy violations.
Apple provides developers with a number of tools and features to assist them as they build their apps, including TestFlight — a service I use all the time to test new apps from tech companies. Apple checks prerelease software before it’s made available to users on TestFlight to help ensure apps maintain the company’s high security and safety standards. In 2025 alone, Apple blocked more than 2.5 million submissions from distribution on TestFlight due to fraud or security concerns.
Account Fraud
Bad actors have evolved their methods to defraud users, using tactics like bot networks to create fake accounts, spam users, manipulate charts, or generate fake reviews.
In 2025, Apple’s Trust and Safety teams stopped multiple large-scale attempts to create fraudulent accounts. Last year, Apple’s systems also successfully rejected 1.1 billion fraudulent customer account creations — blocking bad actors at the outset — and deactivated an additional 40.4 million customer accounts for fraud and abuse.
Last year, Apple terminated 193,000 developer accounts over fraud concerns and rejected more than 138,000 developer enrolments. The company also detected and blocked 28,000 illegitimate apps on pirate storefronts, which include malware, pornography apps, gambling apps, and pirated versions of legitimate apps from the App Store. By restricting these storefronts and illicit distribution channels, Apple also protects developers from having their apps cloned, altered, or weaponised for spreading malicious software.
In the last month alone, Apple has also prevented 2.9 million attempts to install or launch apps distributed illicitly outside the App Store or approved alternative app marketplaces.
Ratings and Reviews
Ratings and reviews are important to help users navigate the App Store with confidence. Apple uses a combination of human review and artificial intelligence to identify dodgy reviews and inflated ratings. Apple’s Trust and Safety teams integrate AI throughout the entire moderation process to detect spam, offensive content, and inauthentic reviews at scale. Additionally, AI-powered dashboards and rapid data analysis tools accelerate the discovery of new fraud vectors, enabling Apple’s teams to react quickly to deceptive activity and protect the integrity of the platform.
In 2025, Apple processed over 1.3 billion ratings and reviews. Using proactive detection tools, Apple identified and blocked close to 195 million fraudulent ratings and reviews from ever appearing. To further protect the integrity of app discovery, Apple blocked nearly 7,800 deceptive apps from appearing in App Store search results and an additional 11,500 apps from appearing on App Store charts, ensuring that honest developers are properly showcased for their innovation and hard work.
Payments
When consumers make a purchase with Apple Pay or StoreKit, their payment information is protected by industry-leading encryption. Today, over 680,000 apps employ Apple’s secure payment technologies to sell goods and services safely.
Apple uses both human review and advanced technology to identify and stop the use of stolen financial information. By leveraging machine learning, Apple teams build powerful models to accelerate fraud detection and quickly evaluate new deceptive tactics. These technologies also provide a comprehensive view of fraudulent activity across customer accounts, devices, and payment methods.
Last year, Apple prevented more than $2.2 billion in fraudulent transactions, stopped more than 5.4 million stolen credit cards from being used to make fraudulent purchases, and banned nearly 2 million user accounts from transacting again.
User Empowerment
There are a number of tools and features designed to empower users and families to manage their own App Store experiences with confidence. The Kids category on the App Store is a great way for families to easily find apps that are designed for children. Apps in this category must adhere to a stricter set of App Review guidelines, such as restrictions on age ratings and in-app advertising.
In 2025, Apple rejected more than 5,000 apps from appearing in the Kids category for failing to adhere to the App Store’s strict rules. In addition to this category, Apple provides developers with many cost-free tools to help them build age-appropriate experiences within their app, including the Declared Age Range API and PermissionKit.
Apple also offers features like Screen Time to help parents manage their child’s device usage, including the ability to set app limits, downtime schedules, and content and privacy restrictions. Parents can also use Apple’s Ask to Buy feature to approve every app download and in-app purchase on their child’s devices. If users do encounter issues with any app download or purchase, they can use Apple’s Report a Problem tool to flag concerns.
