Tea Dating Advice is women-only and it is making men mad: Here is everything you need to know about Tea app

India Today

25-07-2025

Dating apps are one key characteristic of the time we live in. They all promise users a shot at finding their perfect match. And they typically offer a digital showcase of potential singles or even married people who are looking for love outside the marriage. But dating is a contested scene, with lots of drama and emotions running high. The dating apps are also places where what is real and what is not, who is fake and who is not, is often not clear. Now, there is an app that aims to solve this problem, at least for women, and it is Tea Dating Advice. In no time, the app has become darling of women, while men are fuming at it, calling it a breach of privacy.advertisementThe idea behind Tea Advice App, which is rising in download charts and is already No 1 app in the iOS App Store, is simple: it promises to help women date more safely. And how? By letting women spill the 'tea' about men. But, as you can guess, it is making men mad.What is this Tea app?They say women love gossip, and the Tea app allows its women users to do exactly the same. And talking of women users, the app is ONLY open to women. Once someone is part of the Tea network — the bills itself as a sort of sisterhood — it allows women to review men: they can talk about them, rate them, and warn others. Essentially, it aims to help women make informed decisions based on experiences shared by fellow users. The app claims to help women avoid red flags in modern dating, where people often fail to truly know someone's identity, background, or intentions even after dating them for a while.
The Tea app is currently topping the App Store charts in the US. It is available for downloading in India, although it might lack the kind of public data about men that it has access to in the US through various government database.Now, Tea isn't some new app. It was actually launched in 2023 by San Francisco-based entrepreneur Sean Cook, a former executive at Salesforce and Shutterfly. Yes, the app 'for women' was created by a man. Interestingly, Cook was inspired by his own mother's dating experience. She was catfished and unknowingly dated men with criminal records. That disturbing reality sparked the idea in Cook's mind to create a platform where women could talk about potential partners before it's too late.
About section of the Tea Dating Advice
The app is exclusively for women and allows users to post anonymous reviews of men, including their photos, first names, approximate ages, and locations. Think Yelp, but for dating. Or Glassdoor. But again for dating. Women can flag red or green signals and leave commentary based on their experiences.advertisementTea app says its core mission is dating safety for women and it also backs it up with a suite of features in the app that includes:– Background checks– Reverse image searches (to catch catfishers)– Phone number lookups– A women-only forum for advice, support, and unfiltered storiesTo protect user privacy, the Tea app also blocks screenshots. Try to take one, and the user will get a black screen. It also claims to donate 10 per cent of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.Why women are loving the Tea AppIt's an app designed to help women date safely. At least, that's what the app description says. And the surge in popularity of this app has largely been driven by word of mouth and viral posts on social media. Many women are sharing their stories on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram about how Tea helped them spot serious red flags in men. From discovering a date was on the sex offender registry to finding out he had a history of domestic violence, women are calling the app their lifesaver.'From the very little I've heard about it, it lets women anonymously share with each other if they encounter red flags when dating men. It could help save women from abuse, stalking, or worse,' wrote one Reddit user.advertisement'Good for them. Any step towards ensuring women are safe—like Uber's option to request a female driver—I'm all for it,' said another.One even praised the app for helping her stay away from a toxic ex and for allowing her to warn others about him. 'I think this app will save lives. If even one of the girls he's (her ex) swiping on sees him on Tea and listens to my warning, then what I went through feels worth it. Download and share this app—not just for you, but for your sister or your friend. Woman to woman, protect each other.'But not everyone is happyNot all women are convinced, and the app has certainly triggered backlash, particularly from men. For many women, Tea looks like an empowering tool. But for many, it feels like a trial of men on social media. Being talked about, having photos of men shared without consent, and being judged by millions, with no way to defend themselves or even be notified. Some have even raised concerns about the app's potential to allow some users to make false allegations and character smearing.advertisement'This app needs to be shut down. Too many clowns hiding under it to lie and ruin people's names,' one Reddit user wrote.'If a men's version of this existed, women and the mainstream media would be up in arms,' said another, pointing to a perceived gender bias.Interestingly, Tea isn't the first attempt at creating a review system for romantic partners. Facebook groups like 'Are We Dating the Same Guy?' have been around since 2022. Before that, apps like Lulu tried and failed to create similar platforms. But Tea may have hit the right formula at just the right cultural moment.Some users say it's less about safety and more about gossip, just digitised and globalised. 'This is just taking what women have always done—talking about men—and putting it online,' one Reddit user quipped.While the app is getting all the hype right now, it remains to be seen how it'll be perceived in the long run. And whether it can handle the concerns around privacy, false allegations, and fairness that some men seem to be demanding on social media rather loudly.- Ends