Apple Says It Was Ordered to Pull WhatsApp From China App Store NYT: Technology Tripp Mickle and Mike Isaac 19 April 2024 at 14:23 Apple said it removed WhatsApp and Threads from its China app offerings Friday on Beijingβs orders, amid technological tensions between the U.S. and China. Β© Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse β Getty ImagesA recently-opened Apple Store in Shanghaiβs Jingβan district in March. Apple said it removed WhatsApp and Threads, which are owned by Meta, from its app store in China.