applecensorship

Far more than most · 45 of 175 storefronts

What is censored in Hong Kong?

More widely-used apps are missing from the App Store in Hong Kong than from most others Apple operates. 19.5% of the apps with 10,000+ user ratings worldwide that we have tested here are unavailable but still available somewhere else — 1,993 of 10,236, against 17.3% for the typical storefront.

19.5%of the widely-used apps tested here are missing
45rank of 1754,203apps missing here in total

1,993 widely-used apps unavailable here10,236 widely-used apps tested here = 19.5%

Fiji — 18.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTanzania — 17% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingWestern Sahara — no App StoreCanada — 14% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingUnited States — 12.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingKazakhstan — 15.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingUzbekistan — 17.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPapua New Guinea — 18.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingIndonesia — 16.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingArgentina — 18.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingChile — 16.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingDR Congo — 21.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSomalia — no App StoreKenya — 16% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSudan — no App StoreChad — 14.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingHaiti — no App StoreDominican Republic — 17.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingRussia — 27% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBahamas — 21.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingFalkland Islands — no App StoreNorway — 14.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGreenland — no App StoreFrench Southern Territories — no App StoreTimor-Leste — no App StoreSouth Africa — 14.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLesotho — no App StoreMexico — 12.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingUruguay — 14.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBrazil — 19.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBolivia — 20.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPeru — 15.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingColombia — 17.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPanama — 15.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCosta Rica — 18.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNicaragua — 16.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingHonduras — 15.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEl Salvador — 15.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGuatemala — 16.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBelize — 19.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingVenezuela — 15.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGuyana — 17.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSuriname — 16.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingFrance — 15.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEcuador — 16.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPuerto Rico — no App StoreJamaica — 17.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCuba — no App StoreZimbabwe — 17.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBotswana — 19.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNamibia — 15.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSenegal — 16.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMali — 16.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMauritania — 16.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBenin — 22.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNiger — 17.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNigeria — 17.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCameroon — 20.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTogo — no App StoreGhana — 17.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCôte d’Ivoire — 22.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGuinea — no App StoreGuinea-Bissau — 16.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLiberia — 16.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSierra Leone — 17.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBurkina Faso — 22.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCentral African Republic — no App StoreRepublic of the Congo — 20.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGabon — 21.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEquatorial Guinea — no App StoreZambia — 16.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMalawi — 15.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMozambique — 16.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEswatini — 15.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAngola — 21.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBurundi — no App StoreIsrael — 15.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLebanon — 17.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMadagascar — 16.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPalestinian Territories — no App StoreGambia — 16.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTunisia — 16.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAlgeria — 19.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingJordan — 18% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingUnited Arab Emirates — 22.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingQatar — 14.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingKuwait — 15.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingIraq — 21.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingOman — 15.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingVanuatu — 18.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCambodia — 17.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingThailand — 15.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLaos — 17.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMyanmar (Burma) — 19.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingVietnam — 18% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNorth Korea — no App StoreSouth Korea — 20.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMongolia — 17.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingIndia — 17.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBangladesh — no App StoreBhutan — 22.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNepal — 21.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPakistan — 16.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAfghanistan — 38.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTajikistan — 17.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingKyrgyzstan — 17.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTurkmenistan — 15% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingIran — no App StoreSyria — no App StoreArmenia — 23.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSweden — 15% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBelarus — 23.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingUkraine — 21% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPoland — 16.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAustria — 21.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingHungary — 16.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMoldova — 17.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingRomania — 16% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLithuania — 16.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLatvia — 22.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEstonia — 19.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGermany — 15.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBulgaria — 23.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGreece — 17% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTürkiye — 15.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAlbania — 23% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCroatia — 16.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSwitzerland — 18.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLuxembourg — 17.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBelgium — 22.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNetherlands — 16.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPortugal — 16% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSpain — 15.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingIreland — 16.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNew Caledonia — no App StoreSolomon Islands — 18.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNew Zealand — 14.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAustralia — 18.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSri Lanka — 18% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingChina (Mainland) — 48% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTaiwan — 16.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingItaly — 15.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingDenmark — 18.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingUnited Kingdom — 15.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingIceland — 15.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAzerbaijan — 23.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingGeorgia — 17% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPhilippines — 14.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMalaysia — 16.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBrunei — 25.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSlovenia — 16.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingFinland — 16.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSlovakia — 16.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCzechia — 19.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEritrea — no App StoreJapan — 14.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingParaguay — 16% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingYemen — 19% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSaudi Arabia — 16.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCyprus — 20.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMorocco — 23.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEgypt — 16.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLibya — 21.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingEthiopia — no App StoreDjibouti — no App StoreUganda — 16.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingRwanda — 18.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBosnia & Herzegovina — 27.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNorth Macedonia — 17.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSerbia — 16.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMontenegro — 18.7% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingKosovo — 19.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTrinidad & Tobago — 16.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSouth Sudan — no App StoreVatican City — no App StoreMicronesia — 18.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMarshall Islands — no App StoreNorthern Mariana Islands — no App StoreU.S. Virgin Islands — no App StoreGuam — no App StoreAmerican Samoa — no App StoreSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands — no App StoreBritish Indian Ocean Territory — no App StoreSt. Helena — no App StorePitcairn Islands — no App StoreAnguilla — 22.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCayman Islands — 15.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBermuda — 22.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBritish Virgin Islands — 16.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingTurks & Caicos Islands — 17.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMontserrat — 17% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingJersey — no App StoreGuernsey — no App StoreIsle of Man — no App StoreTonga — 20.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSingapore — 14.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSeychelles — 16% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSão Tomé & Príncipe — 16% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSan Marino — no App StoreSamoa — no App StoreSt. Vincent & Grenadines — 18% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSt. Lucia — 18.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSt. Kitts & Nevis — 15.9% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingPalau — 18.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingNiue — no App StoreCook Islands — no App StoreAruba — no App StoreCuraçao — no App StoreNauru — 22.8% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMonaco — no App StoreMauritius — 16.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMalta — 17.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingMaldives — 19.6% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingLiechtenstein — no App StoreKiribati — no App StoreGrenada — 17.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingSt. Pierre & Miquelon — no App StoreWallis & Futuna — no App StoreSt. Martin — no App StoreSt. Barthélemy — no App StoreFrench Polynesia — no App StoreÅland Islands — no App StoreDominica — 19.1% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingFaroe Islands — no App StoreComoros — no App StoreMacao — 17.3% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingHong Kong — 19.5% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingCape Verde — 20.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBarbados — 22.2% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingBahrain — 23.4% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingHeard & McDonald Islands — no App StoreNorfolk Island — no App StoreAntigua & Barbuda — 22% of the widely-used apps tested there are missingAndorra — no App StoreSint Maarten — no App Store
Missing the mostFar more than mostMore than mostAbout typicalFewer than mostNo App StoreShading is the share of the widely-used apps we have tested in a storefront — 10,000+ user ratings worldwide, still on sale somewhere — that are unavailable there. Both sides of that share are what we tested in that storefront, so the shading is not a report of where we have crawled hardest, and an app pulled from the App Store everywhere is not counted anywhere. It is not the share of all missing apps: most absence is commercial, and that figure says almost nothing about censorship. Read the shading by comparison rather than as a verdict — a region-locked app is missing nearly everywhere, so about three-quarters of a typical share is a floor almost all of them stand on, and the three at the top of the scale exceed that floor by far more than the rest.

Open these apps in Explore →

What this number counts, and what it cannot show

Of the apps we have tested here that have at least 10,000 user ratings worldwide and are still on sale somewhere, the share you cannot get here. Both sides of the fraction are what we tested in this storefront, so an app we have not tested here is in neither and cannot move the figure either way — which is the whole reason this is a share and not a count. Nothing about how widely an app is distributed enters it, so an app sold in one other storefront counts exactly as much as one sold in all 175.

1,993 of the 10,236 widely-used apps we have tested here are unavailable — 19.5%. · median 17.3%

This correlates 0.51 with how many apps we have tested here — better than a raw count of missing apps, slightly worse than the fixed-basket count it replaced, because which widely-used apps we happened to test here is not a random sample of them. Its other weakness is shared by every version of this measure: a region-locked app is missing from nearly every storefront, so about three-quarters of a typical share is a floor almost everyone stands on. That is why the middle of the ranking is much flatter than its ends, and why a rank in the middle should not be read as a finding.

Measured Sep 29, 2026

Which notable apps are missing, by kind

The 200 apps above, sorted by what kind of app each one is. We watched 41 of them disappear from this storefront; the rest have been absent for as long as we have been testing here.

How these kinds are worked out

200 widely-used apps are missing here, sorted by what they are. Every one is classified from its name and Apple's own category, so nothing is left out and nothing depends on a list being kept up to date: 65 of the 200 fall into a kind we defined — VPNs, news, messaging, privacy tools and so on — and the rest are shown under Apple's own category. Within each kind the most-reviewed apps come first, because the point is which apps people actually use.

Each kind is shown twice over: the apps in it people actually use, and the same apps by when they went. Of the 200, we watched 41 disappear from this storefront, 3 of them in the last year. The rest have been absent for as long as we have been testing here, which is a different thing from having been removed and is shown as such.

Names are matched conservatively, and the misses are the deliberate kind: an app called "IP Location Changer" is a VPN and is caught by name, while a privacy browser is filed under privacy rather than VPN. Apple's category is used wherever it is the better answer — every news app it labels `News` is one, whereas a name rule for "news" also catches a football-scores app and a jobs board. Dates are when we last saw an app available here, and we have been testing this storefront since Feb 26, 2019 — anything that went before then is counted as missing but not as removed.

VPN and proxy11

Most used

and 6 more

Most recently gone

Social and messaging171 in the last year

Most used

and 12 more

Most recently gone

News9

Most used

and 4 more

Most recently gone

Privacy and security1

Most used

Most recently gone

Religion2

Most used

Most recently gone

LGBTQ+2

Most used

Most recently gone

Dating201 in the last year

Most used

and 15 more

Most recently gone

Gambling and betting3

Most used

Most recently gone

Games19

Most used

and 14 more

Most recently gone

Entertainment171 in the last year

Most used

and 12 more

Most recently gone

Finance13

Most used

and 8 more

Most recently gone

Lifestyle13

Most used

and 8 more

Most recently gone

Utilities12

Most used

and 7 more

Most recently gone

Shopping11

Most used

and 6 more

Most recently gone

Photo and video10

Most used

and 5 more

Most recently gone

Productivity8

Most used

and 3 more

Most recently gone

Food and drink6

Most used

and 1 more

Most recently gone

Music6

Most used

and 1 more

Most recently gone

Education4

Most used

Most recently gone

Business3

Most used

Most recently gone

Travel3

Most used

Most recently gone

Health and fitness2

Most used

Most recently gone

Medical2

Most used

Most recently gone

Weather2

Most used

Most recently gone

Books1

Most used

Most recently gone

Graphics and design1

Most used

Most recently gone

Reference1

Most used

Most recently gone

Sports1

Most used

Most recently gone

How we test

The total at the top of the page is every app we have tested here that we cannot get but that is still available somewhere — 13.1% of the 32,206 apps we have tested in this storefront, at any size. How many we have tested differs eightfold between storefronts, so that total compares poorly across countries. It is the share beside it, whose denominator is what we tested here, that is comparable.

Availability is checked against Apple's own catalog servers for every storefront, the same way the App Store app asks. "Unavailable" means Apple's servers say the app cannot be offered in that country — it does not say who asked for the removal. Removals initiated by the developer and removals demanded by governments look the same from outside; the history and context on this page are how we tell them apart.