Apple has been exposing users' porn habits for years

Pornography adult content peeping — Image by Cybernews.

Apple continues to prove that in some ways, it’s way behind other phone makers. Users have encountered troubling and embarrassing issues with the iPhone’s interface for years.

It’s estimated that there are roughly 1.5 billion iPhone users worldwide in 2025, with 150 to 160 million people in the US using iPhones, according to BankMyCell.

While the global share of Android users is estimated to be almost double that of iPhone users (3.9 to 4.5 billion), Apple still continues to dominate the US and other Western markets.

This is despite Android phones, such as those from Google and Samsung, being far superior in contemporary functions like AI, as some Reddit users have pointed out. Users have presented troubling issues with the iPhone's interface for years, with most of them relating to pornography use.

Much like Apple Intelligence prioritizing phishing emails, iPhones seem to be prioritizing the wrong things when it comes to their functionality.

One X user re-posted a Reddit post, which Cybernews could not verify or locate, that showed an iOS user struggling with an embarrassing problem.

“How to fix? Won’t go away, no tabs open,” the post reads.

The supposed Reddit user, “TheCuriousWizard3,” attached an image that shows the screen of what appears to be a relatively new iPhone model with the PornHub logo affixed to the top of the interface.

The PornHub logo has appeared in Apple’s “Dynamic Island,” which was introduced on newer iPhone models (iPhone 14 Pro and above).

The Dynamic Island appears when apps are in use and takes the form of a pill shape on top of the screen.

Users “can check alerts and Live Activities, such as a Voice Memo recording in progress, an AirDrop connection, and directions from Maps, in the Dynamic Island at the top of the Home Screen or at the top of the active app,” Apple said.

While many X users in the comments section speculated whether this Reddit post was legitimate, it does demonstrate a wider issue that has been ongoing for years.

Apple is still behind, despite its popularity, and its buggy iOS operating system continues to let users down.

Apple Siri voice assistant — Image by Cybernews

One man’s “Now Playing” porn problem

Apple’s devices don’t seem to filter out sensitive content from users' devices, such as the “Now Playing” feature and its “Screen Time” function.

Back in 2023, LADBible reported that a man was struggling with an embarrassing issue.

The iPhone user’s device was stuck showing explicit videos on its lock screen in the “Now Playing” feature, even when the device wasn’t playing the video.

The user wrote to Reddit users saying, “So I watched a type of video on my phone a few days ago. It is no longer open in any web browser, it is not saved on my phone, yet every now and then, when my Bluetooth connects, this s**t pops up on my Home Screen. Any idea why it’s doing that?”

Many people came to the man’s aid, giving various solutions like playing another form of content or updating the iPhone's software.

It’s unclear as to whether updating his device resolved the issue, but Apple’s prolific porn issue continues beyond just the “Now Playing” feature.

Porn showing up on “Screen Time”

Even earlier in 2021, one Reddit user reported that their iPhone was recording hours and hours of porn use.

“How can I stop this? My phone is constantly tracking it, as if I’m on it 24/7, when I only used the site for like 10 minutes a week ago. I’ve closed apps and windows and deleted cookies and everything. Even set limits, but nothing works,” the Reddit user said.

How can I stop this? My phone is constantly tracking it as if I’m on it 24/7 when I only used the site for like 10 mins a week ago. I’ve closed apps and windows and deleted cookies and everything. Even set limits but nothing works.
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The possible bug made it look like the user watched over 100 hours of pornography in a week.

Another Reddit user posted asking, “What’s wrong with my screentime?” which obviously shows that the user had been on the popular porn site PornHub.

While it only seems to have been for three seconds, these sites continue to pop up on users’ iPhones in uncomfortable ways.

Cybernews has reached out to Apple for comment.

Do Android users experience the same embarrassing issue?

Cybernews uncovered that this issue isn’t exclusive to Apple users, as Android’s “Screen Time” feature also seems to log users' porn habits.

One Reddit user also took to the platform to ask fellow Redditors how to deal with this “Screen Time” porn problem.

“Successfully reduced screentime.... Just need help with porn,” said the user, who seemed to suggest that their Android device is still recording their pornography use.