Apple unveiled a new feature with its upcoming iOS 18 that has sparked controversy among users - with some saying it is 'a cheater's paradise.'
The new update will let uses hide or lock apps on their iPhone home screen, keeping their personal hobbies and information from prying eyes.
While Apple touted it as keeping banking apps private and stopping kids from buying items on Amazon, many people see the feature as helping partners cheat easily.
Social media erupted with posts about the new app, some calling it 'sick' while others praised the new feature for letting them hide dating apps from their spouse.
Apple unveiled a new feature with its upcoming iOS 18 that has sparked controversy among users - with some saying it is 'a cheater's paradise'
The new update will let uses hide or lock apps on their iPhone home screen, keeping their personal hobbies and information from prying eyes
'Users can now lock an app; and for additional privacy, they can hide an app, moving it to a locked, hidden apps folder,' Apple shared in an announcement following its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday.
'When an app is locked or hidden, content like messages or emails inside the app is hidden from search, notifications, and other places across the system.'
Hide an app lets users obscure the icon and name of the app on the Home Screen, which will also pause notifications.
That includes all apps downloaded from the App Store, such as those for dating and social media.
But the feature creates a 'Hidden App' folder in the App Library, showing the user is trying to keep some things a secret.
Users can also lock built-in apps like Mail, Messages, Notes, Phone, Photos and Safari that can only be opened with Face ID.
'Locked and hidden apps offer users peace of mind that information they want to keep private, such as app notifications and content, will not inadvertently be seen by others,' Apple shared in the announcement.
'Users can now lock an app; and for additional privacy, they can hide an app, moving it to a locked, hidden apps folder.'
Hide an app lets users obscure the icon and name of the app on the Home Screen, which will also pause notifications.Users can also lock built-in apps like Mail, Messages, Notes, Phone, Photos and Safari that can only be opened with Face ID
Users instantly flocked to Elon Musk's X after the feature was announced, with some saying they had waited for years for the function - Apple previously said Lock an app was a long-requested item. But many people deemed it a way for cheaters to stay under the radar
Users instantly flocked to Elon Musk's X after the feature was announced, with some saying they had waited for years for the function - Apple previously said Lock an app was a long-requested item.
But many people deemed it a way for cheaters to stay under the radar.
'Thanks Apple. I will be trying to hide online dating app from my wife,' one X user shared.
'With lock app and hide app, I can finally do it.'
Others made jokes that the feature 'is going to break up relationships.'
The feature comes as 40 percent of Americans reported using dating apps while they were in a serious relationship.
The feature comes as 40 percent of Americans reported using dating apps while they were in a serious relationship
While Lock and Hide an app received mixed reviews many other new features in the upcoming iOS 18 were fan favorites
While Lock and Hide an app received mixed reviews many other new features in the upcoming iOS 18 were fan favorites.
Apple announced what it is calling Apple Intelligence, an entire new AI-powered system running across its platforms and devices that can solve users' problems and respond to prompts and is also able to create new text and images.
The system will be able to take information from across apps such as Maps, Mail and Messages to help with scheduling and planning, offer rewrites, summaries and proofreads of text and create new images based on prompts or ideas from users – already common in generative AI tools available elsewhere.
In an attempt to stand out from its rivals, Apple has pitched Apple Intelligence as more 'personal', saying it is 'grounded in the things that make you, you' to help users complete tasks 'in a way that works for you', and spoke of the ability of the system to understand a user's 'personal context' in order to provide them with the most helpful solution.
