Privy, the pop-up, email and SMS app, is no longer on the Shopify App Store. As of October 24, 2026, its listing reads "This app is not currently available on the Shopify App Store." Privy hasn't explained why.
The removal came during a wave of Shopify app security incidents. In October, Hulk Product Options, Selleasy and Swym Wishlist Plus confirmed attackers changed their settings to redirect shoppers to fake checkouts. Shopify also disabled Boost AI Search & Filter over a security issue. We don't know whether Privy's removal is related. Until Privy explains, check your setup and plan a fallback. Our summary of the October incidents covers the rest.
Why pop-up apps deserve extra care
Pop-up tools load on nearly every page, displaying content you design in their dashboard. The October attacks used that same pattern: vendor dashboard content running on your storefront. These tools also hold your subscriber list, one of your most valuable assets.
Check your store now
- Test checkout the way a shopper would. Open a private window, add a product, click Checkout, and confirm you reach your real checkout. Repeat in fresh windows.
- Check your pop-ups' content for custom HTML or scripts, and remove what you don't recognize.
- Export your subscribers, with their consent status and signup source, to protect your list.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for every Shopify staff and collaborator account, and for your Privy login.
- Check where discount codes come from. If Privy creates your welcome codes, plan how new subscribers will get one if it stops.
Option 1: Shopify Forms
Shopify Forms is free and built by Shopify. It adds sign-up pop-ups and inline forms to your theme. Subscribers go straight to your Shopify customer list with their marketing consent, then to your email platform. It can't be pulled from the App Store out from under you.
It's simpler than Privy: fewer targeting rules, little A/B testing, and no built-in email or SMS. For a welcome pop-up and footer sign-up, it's often enough.
Option 2: Your email platform's own forms
If you use Klaviyo, Omnisend or Attentive, their sign-up forms are usually the better replacement. You get targeting and testing, subscribers enter your flows directly, and you remove one vendor from your store. For the common "Privy vs Klaviyo" question: if Klaviyo is your email platform, its forms make Privy redundant. (Netalico is a Klaviyo partner.)
If you'd rather keep a stand-alone pop-up tool, OptiMonk was listed on the Shopify App Store when we checked on October 24, 2026. Omnisend also includes pop-ups with its email and SMS plans. We haven't security-audited either.
Before you rely on any pop-up vendor, ask:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Can custom HTML or scripts be added to forms? | That's how the October attacks on other apps ran. If yes, who can use it? |
| Do you support two-factor authentication on every account? | Vendors that explained a cause pointed to compromised credentials. |
| Can we export our subscribers and consent records any time? | Your list should never be stuck with one vendor. |
| What happens to the storefront if your servers go down? | A pop-up that fails to show is fine. One that blocks the page is not. |
Option 3: When a custom build makes sense
For pop-ups, it rarely does. Shopify Forms or your email platform covers most stores. Custom work helps when sign-up connects to a business-specific process, such as a quiz, wholesale application or loyalty program.
Talk to us about custom Shopify app development
Before you change anything: an App Risk Audit
Black Friday is November 27, and most stores freeze code a couple of weeks before. Our App Risk Audit maps every app on your store, identifies those that can run code from their dashboards, tests what breaks when each fails, and gives you a written fallback plan for each critical app.
Book an App Risk Audit before Black Friday
FAQ
Is Privy still working on my store?
App Store removal stops new installs but doesn't always switch off existing installations. Check that your pop-ups load and contact Privy support about your account.
Why was Privy removed from the Shopify App Store?
As of October 24, 2026, neither Privy nor Shopify has said publicly. We'll update this article when they do.
What's the best free Privy alternative?
Shopify Forms, built and maintained by Shopify. If you use Klaviyo, its forms are included in your plan.
How do I keep my Privy subscribers?
Export them with their consent status now, then import them into your email platform or Shopify customer list.
