On August 9, 2025, just 10 days after launch, TeaOnHer sat at No. 2 on Apple’s U.S. App Store list of top free Lifestyle apps, according to Apple’s own rankings. It had leapfrogged over Instagram, Netflix, and Uber a remarkable rise for a niche dating “safety” app aimed exclusively at men.
Marketed as a place where men can
“share red flags, swap information, and get feedback about dating women,”
TeaOnHer mirrors the premise of the viral Tea app only with the genders reversed. The developer, Newville Media Corporation, says the goal is to give men
“a safety companion” in the world of online dating.
Sensor Tower data reported by Business Insider estimated roughly 165,000 installs in its first few days. By August 9, Sensor Tower placed its active user base at around 53,000.
The original Tea app, launched in 2023 by Sean Cook, became a cultural flashpoint for letting women post anonymous dating reviews about men. By July 2025, Tea had more than six million users and dominated social media discourse about dating safety until disaster struck.
Between July 25 and July 28, 2025, investigative reporting by outlets including 404 Media, Reuters, and AP News confirmed a massive Tea data breach. Around 72,000 images many of them verification selfies and government IDs were exposed, followed weeks later by reports that 1.1 million private messages had also been leaked. Lawsuits began landing in early August.
In that climate, TeaOnHer launched on July 30, 2025, billing itself as the male counterpart to Tea. Its App Store description even borrowed language from Tea’s listing. Within days, it was climbing the charts.
By August 7, TechCrunch reporters Amanda Silberling and Zack Whittaker published findings that TeaOnHer itself had serious vulnerabilities. The app’s API and publicly accessible URLs were exposing:
One exposed record was linked to the developer’s own CEO, Xavier Lampkin. Malwarebytes and Cybernews corroborated the flaws, noting that
“anyone with a direct link could view sensitive data without authentication.”
TeaOnHer’s verification system which requires users to upload IDs before posting or browsing reports was intended as a safeguard. Instead, it became a liability. As of publication, Newville Media Corporation has not responded to multiple press requests for comment.
Privacy experts warn that such exposures invite doxxing, harassment, and identity theft.
“When you’re dealing with personal identifiers and images, the harm from a leak is instant and long-lasting,”
said one security researcher quoted by Business Insider.
TeaOnHer and Tea are part of a growing category of crowdsourced dating “watchlist” apps platforms that claim to improve safety but walk a fine line between community protection and digital vigilantism.
Legal experts say these services face defamation risks if users post false accusations.
“Truth is a defense, but proving truth in court is costly and complicated,”
noted guidance from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP). Meanwhile, journalist safety groups like GIJN caution against publishing any leaked materials without independent verification and redaction.
Feminist groups argue TeaOnHer enables retaliatory behavior, potentially amplifying gendered harassment. Supporters counter that it levels the playing field after Tea gave women a similar outlet.
The debate echoes previous tech privacy scandals from Ashley Madison’s 2015 hack to the Grindr location-data sales controversy in which sensitive user information was exposed on platforms that promised intimacy or safety.
In U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, dating app safety features are a major selling point, but breaches like these undermine trust. Apple, which vets apps for the App Store, has faced renewed questions about its responsibility to ensure apps handle personal data securely.
A tweet from X.
TeaOnHer remains available for download as of mid-August 2025, with a low average rating of 2.0 stars. Regulators have not yet announced investigations, but privacy advocates are calling for Apple to enforce stricter security reviews.
Meanwhile, online debate rages. On Reddit and X, some men hail TeaOnHer as “long overdue,” while others warn that it’s “a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
Women’s safety groups call it
“a mirror that reflects the worst of both sides.”
