Hackulous Shuts Down, Taking Down Popular Pirated App Source Installous

installous iconAs noted by iDownloadBlog, popular iOS pirated app community Hackulous has announced that it is shutting down, taking down the Installous jailbreak tool used to install pirated apps on iOS devices. A statement from Hackulous reads:

We are very sad to announce that Hackulous is shutting down. After many years, our community has become stagnant and our forums are a bit of a ghost town. It has become difficult to keep them online and well-moderated, despite the devotion of our staff. We're incredibly thankful for the support we've had over the years and hope that new, greater communities blossom out of our absence.

As iDownloadBlog observes, it is almost certain that other piracy tools, both existing and new, will rise in prominence to fill the void left by the removal of Installous, as there is certainly no shortage of users seeking to cheat developers out of their app fees.

Piracy is a major problem for many iOS app developers, and there have been several instances of piracy forcing developers to remove their apps from the App Store. One such case earlier this month saw Hunted Cow shut down its multiplayer title Battle Dungeon after piracy rates of roughly 90% made it impossible to handle the game's server load based on the revenue generated through legitimate sales.

Popular Stories

Golden Apple Logo

Every Apple Secret That Leaked Wednesday

Thursday August 14, 2025 4:13 am PDT by
Apple made a major slip Wednesday when it accidentally included hardware identifiers in software code linking to numerous unannounced products. The leaked information provided MacRumors with concrete evidence of Apple's hardware development across multiple product categories. Here's everything that was confirmed through the code discoveries: New HomePod mini with updated chip – New...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Pro to Start at $1,049 With Doubled Base Storage

Wednesday August 13, 2025 1:45 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro will have a starting price that is $50 more than the iPhone 16 Pro but it will come with a minimum 256GB of storage, doubling the base capacity compared to last year's model. The information comes from Chinese leaker Instant Digital, posting on Weibo. The account, which has 1.5 million followers, has now made the claim three separate times in recent weeks....
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Chassis Offers First Look at All-Aluminum Body

Thursday August 14, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
An alleged iPhone 17 Pro production leak may provide a first look at the device's milled all-aluminum chassis, which this year includes the camera bump – in contrast to last year's iPhone 16 Pro model that features a glass camera module attached to an all-glass back panel. Originally shared by leaker Majin Bu, the image below could be of a moulding, but it still lines up with rumors that...
iPhone 17 Pro Feature Dual

When Will Apple Announce the iPhone 17 Event?

Tuesday August 12, 2025 12:46 pm PDT by
It is now mid-August, meaning that Apple's annual iPhone event is just around the corner. This year, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17, the all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Here are some of the key rumors for those devices:iPhone 17: Same design as iPhone 16, but with an A19 chip, a larger 6.3-inch display, an upgraded 24-megapixel front camera, ...
maxresdefault

Top 5 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday August 12, 2025 11:48 am PDT by
We're just about a month away from Apple's annual September event, and we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. There are some useful new features rumored for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which we've summarized below. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Satellite Connectivity - The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be the first...
Apple TV 2025 Thumb 2

New Apple TV Coming Later This Year With A17 Pro Chip

Wednesday August 13, 2025 5:29 pm PDT by
Rumors suggest that Apple is working on an updated version of the Apple TV that's slated for launch later this year. Information about the upcoming device that was found in Apple code indicates that it will be equipped with the A17 Pro chip. There have been multiple rumors about a new Apple TV coming in 2025 with a new A-series processor, but it hasn't been clear which chip Apple would use...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.6.1 is Coming Today

Thursday August 14, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
In case you missed it — this is the post for people who mainly only read headlines — Apple has announced that it will be releasing iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 later today. Apple shared this information in a press release on its Newsroom website. The software updates will re-enable the Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 models sold in the United States....
ios 26 liquid glass lock screen beta 6

Apple Changes Liquid Glass Again in iOS 26 Beta 6

Monday August 11, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to tweak the way that the Liquid Glass design looks ahead of the iOS 26 launch, and the latest beta makes a change to the Lock Screen. The Lock Screen clock has been updated with additional transparency, allowing more of the background to peek through. Beta 6 on left, beta 5 on right The clock also has more of a 3D, floating look, which is in line with the rest of the ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Just Weeks Away — Here Are the Top 4 Rumored Features

Wednesday August 13, 2025 7:59 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is just around the corner, with the iPhone 17 series expected to be announced in early September, and availability to follow later in the month. As always, the Pro and Pro Max models will have the most new features. Below, we have recapped rumors about four of the most interesting iPhone 17 Pro features. This list is subjective, of course, so sound off in the...

Top Rated Comments

dlewis23 Avatar
165 months ago
Good. The rest need to go with them and hopefully in iOS7 there will be some improvements to help stop pirated apps.
Score: 76 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Icculus Avatar
165 months ago
Hackulous...you will not be missed.

Pay the developers for the apps you use.
Score: 69 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeekLawyer Avatar
165 months ago
Good riddance. Jailbreaking shouldn't be about pirating.
Score: 68 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blueroom Avatar
165 months ago
I never understood the kiddies who could afford an iPhone but couldn't afford $1 apps. Guess they'll flock to Android and crush that platforms app programmers.

Good news for developers.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tknull Avatar
165 months ago
I found this very amusing. A site whose existence was based on helping its users avoid paying revenue to the people who develop software... is unable to figure out a way to make enough revenue, from those same users. I really hope they see the irony in that.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KylePowers Avatar
165 months ago
Not that there were many (if any) moral uses for Installous, but the idea of trying an app before you buy it would be a great feature for the App Store. Like a one hour or one day trial period.

Yes, many developers have free versions, but many don't. Just an idea :)
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)