When you're searching for app startup ideas that can disrupt the market, you might want to think twice about creating an app that allows users to stream pirated movies and TV shows. This is exactly what Kimi, a sneaky piracy app, did, and it managed to climb to number eight in the Apple iOS App Store's trending list of free entertainment apps.
At first glance, Kimi appears to be a vision testing app, but once you download it, you'll find yourself watching movies instead. The app's description claims it tests your eyesight, but top reviews reveal that users are actually using it to watch their favorite films and TV shows, including Frozen II. The app's design is surprisingly straightforward, with no need to unlock the real app or provide any sort of legitimacy.
One of the most striking aspects of Kimi is its uncanny resemblance to Popcorn Time, a popular piracy app that allowed users to stream movies from torrents. While it's unclear whether Kimi is using a similar approach, hosting all this content would undoubtedly be expensive.
Despite its questionable nature, Kimi does have some redeeming qualities. The app offers nice filtering options and a Ranking tab that shows the most-watched content or what's new. You can even download movies, which seem to be of good enough quality for casual viewing on your smartphone (although there are definitely some lower-quality videos).
However, it's worth noting that Kimi lacks any effort to provide additional context or information about the films and TV shows available. Instead, it focuses solely on getting you to the content as quickly as possible, regardless of its legality.
The removal of Kimi from the App Store serves as a reminder that app review processes can be flawed, and that even the most popular apps can still pose a threat to user safety. Apple has removed Kimi from the App Store, citing concerns over piracy and copyright infringement.
Update: Shortly after publication, Apple removed the Kimi app from the App Store on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. An Apple spokesperson confirmed the removal, but declined to comment on how the app managed to pass the review process in the first place.