Apple has recently removed the dating applications Tea and TeaOnHer from its App Store, citing violations of its content moderation and user privacy policies. This action follows numerous user complaints and negative reviews, including reports of minors’ personal information being shared on these platforms.
Background on Tea and TeaOnHer
Tea, launched in 2023, gained significant popularity in 2025 as a platform for women to share experiences and information about men they encountered on dating apps. Users could post personal details, reviews, and categorize individuals as green flags or red flags. This concept drew parallels to the Are We Dating the Same Guy? Facebook groups. However, the app faced criticism for potential privacy invasions and defamation concerns.
In response to Tea’s success, TeaOnHer was introduced, allowing men to share similar information about women. This app also faced scrutiny due to privacy issues and the potential for defamatory content.
Security Breaches and Privacy Concerns
Both applications encountered significant security breaches. Tea experienced a data breach that exposed 72,000 images, including 3,000 selfies and photo IDs used for account verification, as well as 59,000 images from posts, comments, and direct messages. Similarly, TeaOnHer had security flaws that exposed users’ personal information, including government IDs and selfies.
Apple’s Response and App Store Policies
Apple’s decision to remove these apps aligns with its App Review Guidelines, specifically:
– Rule 1.2: Requires apps with user-generated content to offer reporting and blocking features and to remove objectionable content.
– Rule 5.1.2: Prohibits apps from using or sharing someone’s personal information without permission.
– Rule 5.6: Addresses excessive customer reports and negative reviews as violations of Apple’s Developer Code of Conduct.
Apple communicated these issues to the developers, but the concerns were not addressed, leading to the removal of both apps from the App Store.
Impact and Market Response
According to Appfigures, Tea had 6.1 million total downloads and generated $5 million in gross revenue, while TeaOnHer had 2.2 million downloads without offering in-app purchases. Despite their removal from the App Store, both apps remain available on Google Play.
The removal has led to the rise of similar applications. For instance, TeaOnHer and Him – Overheard has seen a surge in downloads, moving from No. 90 to No. 27 on the Overall Top App Charts, with 354,000 total downloads.
Conclusion
Apple’s removal of Tea and TeaOnHer underscores the company’s commitment to user privacy and content moderation. This action highlights the challenges in balancing user-generated content with privacy and security standards in the digital age.
