Apple has removed two controversial dating safety apps, Tea and TeaOnHer, from the App Store worldwide, citing failures in content moderation and user privacy. The apps remain available on Google Play. App analytics firm Appfigures first noticed the takedowns, and Apple later confirmed the decision, pointing to an unusually high volume of user complaints and negative reviews. Some reports alleged that minors’ personal information had appeared inside the apps.
According to Apple, both apps violated App Review Guidelines 1.2, 5.1.2, and 5.6. In plain terms, those rules require apps with user-generated content to provide robust reporting and blocking tools and to remove objectionable material; prohibit using or sharing personal data without clear permission; and bar developers from behavior that triggers excessive customer reports and poor ratings. Apple said it communicated the issues to the developers, but they were not addressed. The developers did not respond to requests for comment.
Tea, which quietly launched in 2023 and surged in popularity in 2025, marketed itself as a dating safety resource for women—akin to the “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” groups—encouraging users to share details about men they’d encountered, especially on dating apps. Profiles could be tagged with “green flag” or “red flag” labels and sometimes included personal details and Yelp-style commentary. The format drew sharp criticism from many men who viewed the practice as invasive and potentially defamatory.
The controversy deepened over the summer when Tea suffered a major data breach. Attackers accessed 72,000 images, including 3,000 selfies and photo IDs used for account verification, plus 59,000 images pulled from posts, comments, and direct messages. Not long after, TeaOnHer appeared as a mirror-image service for men to review women. That app quickly ran into its own security problems, with reports in August indicating that users’ sensitive information—such as government IDs and selfies—had been exposed.
Despite the backlash, both apps amassed significant audiences. Appfigures estimates Tea reached 6.1 million lifetime downloads and generated $5 million in gross revenue. TeaOnHer drew about 2.2 million downloads and did not offer in-app purchases. With both now gone from the App Store, copycat services are trying to fill the vacuum. One example, Tea on Her & Him – Overheard, has tallied roughly 354,000 total downloads and recently climbed from No. 90 to No. 27 on the Overall Top App Charts.
The removals underscore Apple’s stricter stance on privacy, safety, and moderation in user-generated platforms—especially those dealing with dating and reputation. For users, the episode is a reminder to scrutinize how apps handle verification data, IDs, and images, and to look for clear reporting tools and transparent privacy practices before participating in any review-based dating communities.
