# Apple's iOS 18: A Privacy Feature or a Threat to Dating Apps? > By DII Regulatory Monitor | Published: 2024-06-11T00:00:00+00:00 | Section: Regulatory Monitor | Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/new-ios18-feature-hide-dating-apps | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) iOS 18's 'Hidden Apps' feature challenges dating app engagement. DAU metrics may drop as users hide apps, impacting retention strategies. ## Key points - Apple's iOS 18 update allows iPhone users to lock apps behind Face ID in a Hidden Apps folder that suppresses all push notifications, search results, and home screen icons. - Push notifications drive open rates above 40 percent and increase daily session frequency by 30 percent for dating apps, making notification suppression a risk to engagement. - Apple does not flag hidden app status in developer analytics, preventing operators like Match Group and Bumble from directly attributing declining daily active user numbers to the feature. - Dating app operators expect full iOS 18 adoption across iPhone users within months, with potential engagement impacts appearing in fourth-quarter financial results. ## Article - Apple's iOS 18 introduces a 'Hidden Apps' folder that locks apps behind Face ID and removes all notifications, icons, and search results - Push notifications can drive open rates above 40% and increase daily session frequency by 30% for dating apps - Apple doesn't flag hidden app status in developer analytics, making attribution of declining DAU metrics impossible - Full iOS 18 adoption expected across iPhone user base within months, with Q4 impact on dating app metrics anticipated Apple's iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to lock apps behind Face ID authentication and remove all visible traces of them from the home screen—no icons, no notifications, no indication the app exists at all. For dating operators who've spent a decade perfecting the push notification as a retention tool, that's not a privacy feature. That's an existential threat to their engagement model. The update, rolling out this month, introduces a 'Hidden Apps' folder that functions as a complete invisibility cloak. Apps placed inside vanish from search results, notification feeds, and Siri suggestions. According to Apple's announcement, the feature is designed to protect 'sensitive information' on shared or borrowed devices. ### The DII Take > This is the first meaningful challenge to the notification-driven engagement loop that underpins dating app retention since push alerts became standard. Dating operators can't respond with product changes—they don't control iOS—and can't publicly object without admitting their business model depends on persistent visibility. The feature will almost certainly suppress DAU metrics for hidden apps, which means [Match Group](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/match-group-eliminates-chief-operating-officer) (MTCH), Bumble (BMBL), and every other operator will need to recalibrate retention forecasts. The industry has spent years normalising dating app usage amongst singles. Apple just handed partnered users a tool to keep using them invisibly. Person using smartphone with privacy features ### Notification suppression threatens retention economics Dating apps generate revenue through subscription conversions and in-app purchases, both of which depend on habitual engagement. Push notifications are the primary lever. According to industry benchmarks, a well-timed notification can drive open rates above 40% and increase daily session frequency by 30% or more. Hidden apps disable that entire channel. When a user moves Hinge or [Tinder](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/tinder-names-vccp-uk-social-agency) into the locked folder, the app continues to function—but iOS blocks all notifications whilst the phone is locked. The app effectively becomes invisible until the user proactively decides to open it. That shifts behaviour from reactive (responding to a notification about a new match) to intentional (deliberately seeking out the app), which fundamentally alters engagement patterns. The challenge for operators is that they can't see this behaviour in their analytics. Apple doesn't flag whether an app is hidden in the data it shares with developers. Dating companies will only notice the symptom: declining DAU figures or reduced notification open rates. Attribution will be impossible without user research, and asking subscribers 'are you hiding our app from your partner?' isn't a question most operators will want to field in a survey. [Bumble](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/bumble-lawsuit-over-preventable-data-breach) has historically reported notification open rates as a key performance indicator in investor materials, noting that timely alerts drive session frequency. Match Group has discussed push notification strategy in earnings calls as part of its user re-engagement playbook. Neither company has commented publicly on iOS 18's hidden app feature, and requests for comment from both operators went unanswered at the time of publication. Mobile phone displaying app notifications ### Privacy feature or infidelity infrastructure? The feature has attracted attention on social media, where reactions split predictably. [Tech privacy advocates have framed it as overdue protection for personal data](https://www.techradar.com/phones/im-a-privacy-experthere-are-the-4-ios-18-features-im-excited-about). Relationship commentators and therapists posting on platforms including TikTok and X have described it as a tool purpose-built for deception, with some noting that the existence of a 'Hidden Apps' folder could itself become a source of relationship conflict. > The act of hiding an app often signals intent to conceal behaviour rather than protect privacy. Dr [Jessica Alderson](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/people/jessica-alderson), co-founder of relationship app So Syncd, told media outlets that the feature 'could create more dishonesty in relationships'. Others have noted that the folder's existence isn't itself hidden—it appears in the App Library if populated, meaning a partner who knows to look for it can still discover its presence, even if they can't access the contents without Face ID. That dynamic introduces a new trust layer. The dating industry has long contended with the stigma that using its products whilst in a relationship signals dissatisfaction or infidelity. Apple's feature doesn't resolve that tension—it just moves the evidence. For dating operators, the reputational challenge is secondary to the business one. The feature reinforces the idea that dating apps are something users might want to conceal, which runs counter to years of brand positioning that frames swiping as casual, mainstream, and socially acceptable. It's difficult to build a mass-market brand when the platform OS treats your product category as something users need to hide. ### What operators can—and can't—do about it Apple controls the distribution channel. Dating apps can't opt out of iOS features, and they can't prevent users from hiding their apps. That leaves product and messaging as the only response levers. Some operators could lean into transparency features—verified relationship status badges, mutual matching systems designed for partnered users exploring non-monogamy, or explicit positioning around ethical non-monogamy. Feeld has built a brand around that segment. [OkCupid](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/study-highlights-gender-differences-dating) has offered relationship status filters for years. The mainstream apps have been more cautious, wary of alienating either singles (who don't want to match with partnered users) or conservative user segments uncomfortable with open relationships. Dating app interface on smartphone screen Another option is reducing reliance on push notifications altogether by deepening in-app engagement loops—making the product compelling enough that users return without prompts. That's easier to propose than execute. Match Group has spent the past two years emphasising 'product-led growth' in earnings calls, but the results have been mixed. Revenue per payer has grown, but user growth has stalled across most brands. The longer-term challenge is whether this feature accelerates the bifurcation of the dating market. Mainstream apps designed for single users seeking monogamous relationships face reputational and engagement headwinds if hidden app adoption grows. Niche platforms explicitly designed for partnered users, discreet encounters, or non-monogamous structures may see hidden app functionality as a feature, not a bug. Grindr (GRND) has historically had a higher proportion of partnered users than heterosexual-focused apps, according to user research cited in academic studies. For that segment, invisibility is a selling point. The iOS 18 rollout began this week, with [full adoption expected across the iPhone user base within months](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/19/ios-18-3-new-iphone-privacy-and-security-features-arriving-soon/). Dating operators will be watching DAU and notification metrics closely through Q4. If the impact is material, expect the conversation to surface in Q4 earnings commentary—though no executive is likely to name Apple's feature as the culprit. That's not a fight anyone in the industry wants to pick publicly. - Dating operators face a fundamental shift from reactive notification-driven engagement to intentional user behaviour, with no ability to track or attribute the change in their analytics - The feature may accelerate market bifurcation between mainstream apps facing engagement headwinds and niche platforms where invisibility is a selling point - Watch Q4 earnings calls for coded references to iOS-related DAU impacts—no operator will publicly challenge Apple, but declining notification engagement metrics will tell the story ## Key takeaways - Dating app operators must shift from reactive notification-driven engagement to building intentional in-app habit loops, as iOS 18 limits push alerts for hidden apps. - The privacy update may accelerate market bifurcation, benefiting discreet or non-monogamous niche platforms like Grindr while creating retention headwinds for mainstream apps like Tinder and Bumble. - Investors should monitor fourth-quarter earnings calls for indirect references to declining notification open rates or altered daily active user metrics among online dating companies. ## FAQ ### How does Apple iOS 18 affect dating app notifications? Apple iOS 18 allows users to place dating apps into a locked Hidden Apps folder, which automatically disables all push notifications, home screen icons, and search visibility. ### Can dating apps track if a user hides their app in iOS 18? Apple does not provide hidden app status data in developer analytics, making it impossible for operators like Match Group or Bumble to track hidden apps. ### How do push notifications impact dating app engagement? Well-timed push notifications can drive open rates above 40 percent and increase daily session frequency by 30 percent or more for online dating platforms. ### Which dating apps could benefit from iOS 18 hidden app features? Niche dating platforms designed for discreet encounters or non-monogamous relationships, such as Grindr and Feeld, may see hidden app functionality as an advantage. --- Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/new-ios18-feature-hide-dating-apps Citation: "Dating Industry Insights" (https://www.datingindustryinsights.com)