Apple has removed Vibely, a social discovery app backed by ShareChat’s parent company Mohalla Tech, from its App Store over violations related to anonymous chat features, sources told Moneycontrol. The removal cites Section 1.2 of Apple’s App Review Guidelines, which prohibits apps facilitating random or anonymous chat, among other content concerns. Vibely was launched in 2024 as an experimental social networking app focused on connecting users through anonymous matching.
According to sources cited by Medianama, Vibely’s anonymous matching mechanism allows users to discover and connect with new people but prevents repeated interactions with the same individual. Apple flagged this as a violation of its policies against apps enabling Chatroulette-style or anonymous chat experiences. Vibely’s spokesperson denied offering anonymous chat functionality and stated the app has stringent content moderation standards. The company is currently reviewing Apple’s updated policies in response to the removal.
The removal highlights Apple’s strict enforcement of its content guidelines, especially concerning user-generated content and anonymous interactions. Vibely’s case underscores the challenges social apps face in balancing innovative social discovery features with platform policies aimed at preventing misuse. The app’s negligible contribution to Mohalla Tech’s overall revenue suggests this move may not significantly impact the parent company but signals regulatory scrutiny for similar experimental social products.
Vibely was launched in 2024 by Mohalla Tech, which also owns ShareChat and Moj. The app’s removal from the App Store was reported this week, marking a notable enforcement action under Apple’s updated content policies.