The Viral App for Women That Lets You Spill the Tea on Your Ex (And That Guy From Hinge)
Modern dating is a mess. Ghosting, love bombing, catfishing, and yes, full-on predators are part of the terrain. But now, one app for women is giving daters something we’ve been screaming for since the first unsolicited pic hit our DMs: accountability.
Why Tea might be the dating safety revolution women have been waiting for
Tea is the viral app for women that lets users anonymously review and verify men, and it’s blowing up. According to Forbes, over 1 million women signed up in just one week, making it the number one lifestyle app in the App Store.
Think of it like a crowdsourced background check. Women can post photos of men they’re dating and ask for “tea,” meaning any red flags, lies, or secret relationships. It’s giving “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” energy but with built-in safety tools like background checks, reverse image searches, and access to public records. The goal? Make sure your date isn’t a scammer, predator, or catfish before you ever meet up.
The app for women that goes beyond vibes: It uses AI to verify identities
Unlike dating apps that focus on swiping and aesthetic bios, Tea wants women to stay safe before meeting anyone IRL. Their Catfish Finder AI uses reverse image search to catch fake profiles. You can also run a phone number lookup to see if your match has a hidden marriage, or check criminal histories and sex offender maps.
Founder Sean Cook launched the app after his mom was catfished by men with criminal records, according to Tea’s press release. “Dating should be exciting, not dangerous,” he said. “We’re here to revolutionize online dating safety for women.”
Inside the group chat: Tea’s anonymous review space is the heart of the app
Tea also includes a private chat feature called the Tea Party Group Chat, where women can share experiences, ask questions, and connect with others nationwide. It’s anonymous and community-driven, kind of like a digital whisper network for dating survival.
Daniella Szetela, the app’s Social Media Director and viral influencer behind @Daniella.Your.BFF, has helped Tea gain major traction online. “Tea isn’t just an app; it’s a movement,” she said in a statement.
This app for women comes with real safety features, and real controversy
Tea has protections in place, like SafeSip AI moderation and screenshot restrictions. You can even “green flag” a man if your experience was positive. But there’s pushback.
Critics, including cybersecurity experts quoted by Forbes, argue that the app could be weaponized. Jake Moore from ESET stated that the platform’s anonymous setup could be exploited for revenge or defamatory posts. And yes, some men are already attempting legal action after seeing themselves named.
One Reddit user claimed he’s featured on the app without a solid argument, and men in the thread are accusing “toxic gay men” of “puppeting” women. Others have raised concerns about privacy and libel. Tea’s team says they have a zero tolerance policy for defamatory content and ask users to report abuse directly.
Apps like Tea exist because dating platforms have failed us
Per a 2019 investigation by ProPublica and Columbia Journalism Investigations, over one-third of women surveyed had been sexually assaulted by someone they met through a dating app. Match Group, which owns Tinder, OkCupid, and PlentyofFish, only screens for sex offenders on its paid platform, Match. Free apps? Not so much.
The ProPublica report revealed that known sex offenders were able to use dating platforms and, in some cases, reoffend. One survivor, Susan Deveau, died shortly after reporting her assault. The charges against her attacker were dropped.
In contrast, Tea is setting a new standard. According to its press release, the app has already helped over 1.7 million women, boasts a 4.8 rating in the App Store, and donates 10% of profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
So… is this the future of dating?
Tea might not be perfect, and yes, legal gray areas exist. But in a dating landscape where safety is often an afterthought, women are saying: enough. Whether you see Tea as empowerment or digital vigilantism, one thing is clear: women are tired of being the ones taking all the risks.
“Every woman deserves to date without fear,” Tea’s team said in their statement. And in a world where dating apps have failed to protect us, maybe it’s about time we started protecting each other.
