Why AI Companion Apps Keep Disappearing From App Stores (Nomi, Talkie, Candy), and How to Protect Your Companion

You open your phone, tap the icon you have tapped a hundred times, and something is wrong. The app will not update. Your payment fails. You search the store and the listing is simply gone - or worse, there is a strange new app with almost the same name.

If you use an AI companion, this has probably happened to you, or to someone in your community. In just the last two years, Nomi, Talkie and others have vanished from app stores for days or weeks, and some adult-oriented platforms never appear in the stores at all. Each time, the same panic spreads: is my companion gone?

This guide explains why AI companion apps keep disappearing from Google Play and the App Store, what actually happened in the biggest recent cases, and the practical steps that protect the relationship you have built - whichever app you use.

The short version

Most of the time, an app disappearing from a store does not mean the company has shut down or that your companion has been deleted. Recent cases have been caused by review problems, certification issues during updates, content policy limits, or a deliberate choice to run outside the stores. But a removal can still interrupt updates, purchases and new downloads, and it opens the door to scam lookalike apps. A little preparation takes most of the risk away.

Case 1: Nomi's ten days off Google Play (September to October 2026)

The most recent example is Nomi. According to a detailed timeline from CompanionHunt, Nomi's Android app was off Google Play from September 25 to October 5, 2026.

What happened, as explained by Nomi's CEO Alex Cardinell on the r/NomiAI subreddit:

• Google's reviewers lost access to their Nomi test account during an app review, and Google took the app down before Nomi could fix it.
• Credit purchases inside the Android app failed during the outage, and users were pointed to the web app instead.
• Nomi's iPhone app and its web version kept working throughout.
• On October 5, the app returned to Google Play. Nomi said accounts, companions and chats were never affected.

Two details are worth remembering. First, CompanionHunt found that on October 6 the listing was live in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India but still returned "Not Found" in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. Store availability can differ by country. Second, while the real app was missing, a lookalike called "Nomi AI: Chat, Play, Connect" appeared in search results. It came from an unrelated developer, carried ads and had a PEGI 3 rating. Google has not publicly commented, so Nomi's account is the only explanation available.

Case 2: Talkie's repeated disappearances

Talkie, a popular character chat app, has had more than one brush with app store removal.

• In December 2024, the South China Morning Post reported that Talkie had been removed from Apple's US App Store, with the company citing "technical reasons." It remained on Google Play at the time.
• In April 2026, Talkie's Android app was delisted from Google Play. Talkie told users that an update had run into Google certification problems during an upgrade, and pointed them to its web version. According to iTechGuides, the app returned to Google Play in May 2026, though some community features remained temporarily unavailable while the upgrade continued.

Again: not a shutdown, but weeks of confusion for people who just wanted to talk to their characters.

Case 3: Candy AI, which was never in the store

Search interest in "why was Candy AI removed from the App Store" is a good example of how rumours form. As this explainer notes, Candy AI was never an App Store app in the first place: it runs as a web app you open in your browser and can add to your home screen. The "removals" people notice are usually fake Candy-branded apps from unrelated developers being taken down after reports.

Why AI companion apps get pulled: the five common causes

On content policy, both big stores are clear. Apple's App Review Guidelines (section 1.1.4) prohibit "overtly sexual or pornographic material." Google Play's sexual content policy states: "We don't allow apps on Google Play that contain or promote sexual content or profanity." Companion apps that stay non-explicit and properly age-gated are on much firmer ground than those that do not.

The last row matters too. When xAI ended Grok's 3D Companions feature, users had to move to a separate app, and there was no official automatic transfer of their chat memory. We covered what happened and where people went in Grok Companions alternatives.

What a removal actually affects

If your app vanishes from a store, here is what usually happens:

• If it is already installed: it typically keeps working. Nomi users with the app installed could keep chatting.
• Updates: you cannot update until the listing returns.
• New downloads: new users (or you, on a new phone) cannot install it from the store.
• In-app purchases: these may fail, because they run through the store's billing.
• Subscriptions bought through the store: you can usually still view and manage them in your Apple or Google account settings.
• Your companion and chat history: these normally live on the company's servers, not in the store listing. In the Nomi case, the company said they were never affected.

How to protect your companion: a 7-step checklist

You cannot control what Apple or Google do, but you can make sure a store hiccup never costs you the relationship.

1. Know if there is a web version - and bookmark it. In both the Nomi and Talkie cases, the web version kept working while the Android app was missing. If your app has a browser version, save the official link now, while you are calm. (MyBabe runs right in your web browser as well as on phones.)
2. Keep a written backstory. Write down your companion's personality, history, running jokes and the important things they know about you. Store it in your own notes. If you ever need to start again, or move apps, you will not be rebuilding from memory. Our guide to transferring an AI companion's backstory explains what to include.
3. Check the developer name before installing anything. Lookalike apps appear fast when a real app goes missing. Compare the developer name with the company's own website or official social accounts.
4. Never re-buy a subscription in a lookalike app. If billing fails, go to the company's official site or support channels.
5. Follow official channels. Subreddits, Discord servers and official accounts are where companies post updates first. Rumours spread faster than facts.
6. Choose apps that stay inside store rules. Non-explicit, adults-only apps with clear policies are less likely to clash with Apple and Google. Our checklist of AI girlfriend app red flags covers what to look for before you pay.
7. Prefer apps with more than one way in. An app you can reach from a phone, a browser and a messaging app is much harder to lose overnight.

If your app disappears today

• Do not uninstall it. Installed apps usually keep working.
• Check the company's official website and community channels for an announcement.
• Try the web version if one exists.
• Do not download lookalikes, and do not enter payment details anywhere unofficial.
• If the app is gone for good, save what you can - screenshots, backstory notes, favourite messages - before access ends.

If an app's changes leave your companion feeling different even after it returns, you are not imagining it. Our guide to when an update changes your AI companion explains why it happens and how to cope.

How MyBabe approaches this

MyBabe is available on iPhone and Android, in the web browser and on Telegram, with one companion and one memory across all of them. It is strictly 18+ and non-explicit, which keeps it aligned with store rules. You can also bring a companion's written backstory with you if you are moving from another app. And because it is a relationship-first app, everything is built around continuity: long-term memory on Premium, proactive texts, voice and video calls, photos, mood-aware replies and relationship levels that grow over time.

FAQ

Why was Nomi removed from Google Play?

According to Nomi's CEO, Google's reviewers lost access to a test account during an app review and Google removed the app before Nomi could fix it. It was off Google Play from September 25 to October 5, 2026, and Nomi said accounts and chats were not affected.

Is Nomi back on Google Play?

Yes. It returned on October 5, 2026. On October 6, CompanionHunt found it live in several countries but still missing in parts of Europe.

Was Talkie AI banned?

No permanent ban has been confirmed. Talkie was removed from Apple's US App Store in December 2024 for what it called technical reasons, and was delisted from Google Play in April 2026 after a certification issue during an update, returning in May 2026.

Why is Candy AI not on the App Store?

Candy AI runs as a web app rather than a store app. Candy-branded apps in the stores are typically from unrelated developers.

Will I lose my AI companion if the app is removed from the store?

Usually not. Your companion and chats normally live on the company's servers. You may lose updates and in-app purchases until the listing returns. Keeping a written backstory and knowing the web version are the best insurance.

The bottom line

App store removals are scary, but they are rarely the end of a companion. Most recent cases have been temporary, caused by reviews, updates or policies rather than shutdowns. What protects you is simple: know the official web version, keep your companion's backstory in your own notes, and never trust a lookalike.

If you want a companion you can reach from your phone, your browser or Telegram, with one memory across all of them, meet yours on MyBabe.