Rave vs. Apple: A Q&A on the Antitrust Battle Over Co-Viewing Apps

In August 2025, Apple removed the cross-platform co-viewing app Rave from the App Store, sparking a series of antitrust lawsuits. Rave, which lets users watch movies and TV shows together across iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows, claims Apple's move was anticompetitive, favoring its own SharePlay service. However, Apple cited fraud and content moderation concerns. This Q&A breaks down the key issues, allegations, and legal actions.

What is Rave and how does it work?

Rave, founded in 2016, is a cross-platform service that allows users to watch movies, TV shows, and other video content simultaneously with friends and family, no matter what device they're on. It includes built-in chat and discussion features, enabling real-time reactions. Initially available on iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows, Rave positioned itself as a universal co-viewing solution. Unlike Apple's SharePlay — which is limited to Apple devices — Rave bridged the gap between operating systems, letting iPhone users watch with Android-using friends. After its removal from the App Store, Rave now only functions on Windows and Android devices. The app gained popularity for its ease of use and broad compatibility, but also faced criticism over unmoderated public chatrooms that allowed inappropriate content.

Rave vs. Apple: A Q&A on the Antitrust Battle Over Co-Viewing Apps — Source: www.macrumors.com

Why did Apple remove Rave from the App Store?

Apple pulled the Rave app from the App Store in August 2025, citing "unspecified allegations of fraud and vague concerns about content moderation", according to Rave's lawsuit. Apple did not provide detailed public explanations, but the company typically enforces strict guidelines against apps that host harmful or illegal content. Reports from Reddit and security firms suggest Rave had significant issues: unmoderated public chatrooms where pornography, scams, and Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) were shared. Additionally, Rave was flagged as malware by Kaspersky, BitDefender, Microsoft Windows, and Google — not just Apple. This external labeling suggests Apple may have had legitimate security reasons beyond competition to remove the app. Apple has not yet commented officially on the lawsuit or the app's removal.

What allegations does Rave make against Apple?

Rave's antitrust lawsuits claim that Apple targeted the app because it competes directly with SharePlay, Apple's own co-viewing feature. Rave alleges Apple used the fraud and moderation concerns as a pretext to eliminate a rival and corner the smartphone co-viewing market. Beyond removing the iOS app, Rave also claims Apple falsely labeled the Rave Mac app as malware, preventing Mac users from installing it — a move Rave describes as a smear campaign. The company argues that Apple's actions are anticompetitive and violate antitrust laws in multiple jurisdictions. Rave contends that SharePlay, launched in 2021, lacks cross-platform support (no Android or Windows), giving Rave a unique market position that Apple unfairly destroyed. The lawsuits seek to force Apple to reinstate Rave on iOS and macOS and recover damages from lost revenue and reputation harm.

What evidence suggests Rave had security and content moderation problems?

While Rave disputes Apple's reasoning, external sources indicate the app faced serious issues. Discussions on Reddit and other forums highlighted unmoderated public chatrooms where users shared pornography, engaged in scams, and even distributed Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Security firms — including Kaspersky, BitDefender, and Microsoft Windows Defender — also flagged the Rave app as malware, and Google's Play Protect labeled it similarly. These independent assessments suggest that Rave's removal wasn't solely driven by Apple's competitive interests. In response, Rave claims it has since developed "industry-leading" content moderation and age verification technologies, likely to address the very concerns Apple cited. However, the company maintains that these improvements should allow its reinstatement, while critics argue the prior issues were severe enough to justify removal.

How does Rave compare to Apple's SharePlay service?

Apple's SharePlay, introduced in 2021, allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to watch and chat about movies, TV shows, and music in sync. It integrates deeply with Apple's ecosystem and services like FaceTime. However, SharePlay is limited to Apple devices only — it does not work on Android or Windows. Rave, in contrast, was designed from the start to be cross-platform, enabling co-viewing sessions that included users on iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows. This made Rave attractive to groups with mixed device ecosystems, a market SharePlay cannot serve. Rave's lawsuit argues that Apple removed Rave precisely to eliminate this competitive advantage. Without Rave on iOS, users who want cross-platform co-viewing must either abandon Apple devices or use less seamless alternatives. SharePlay's device lock-in gives Apple a strategic benefit, which Rave claims is anticompetitive.

What legal actions is Rave taking and where?

Rave has filed antitrust lawsuits in five jurisdictions: the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Russia. The legal strategy targets Apple's dominant position in the app distribution market and its control over iOS and macOS ecosystems. Rave is seeking injunctive relief to force Apple to reinstate the Rave app on the App Store for iOS and macOS, as well as monetary damages for lost revenue, reputational harm, and the cost of developing countermeasures. The lawsuits argue that Apple's removal of Rave — based on vague fraud allegations and content moderation concerns — was a pretext to stifle competition. Rave believes its new moderation and age-verification technologies address any legitimate security issues. The outcomes could set precedents for how Apple polices competing services on its platforms, especially those that offer features Apple itself provides in a limited form.

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