Apple bans LGBTQ pride watch face in Russia

Apple gay pride.
(Image credit: Max Whittaker/Getty Images)

Apple watch owners can set their watch face to a rainbow gradient in celebration of LGBT pride — unless they take their watch to Russia.

Apple unveiled the pride watch face and matching watch band in June, in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month. But the company apparently hardcoded its system to hide the pride face from users located in Russia, developer Guilherme Rambo discovered:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Marianne Dodson

Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.