If you want a Secret dating app, you’re usually after two things: low visibility and low drama. I signed up, read the policies, used throwaway accounts, and checked at billing/permissions so you can see what actually works and what’s mostly marketing. Below are the apps I tested, with inline links so you can verify sources.
How These Secret Dating Apps Work
DailyNewsTalk
DailyNewstalk is exactly the kind of product that makes sense when you need cover. On the surface it’s a news reader like breaking headlines, categories, normal-looking UI but long-pressing the reload button opens a hidden sign-in that leads to chat. Notifications appear as “breaking news” so they don’t draw attention. In my throwaway account I tested chatting, voice, and video calls. The app requires both parties to be in the chat window for calls, and it offers a one-tap delete conversation feature that remove messages and media from both sides. That’s handy if you need a private dating app workflow that looks innocuous on your home screen.
This app is available for both Android and IOS. I couldn’t find a public audit or transparency report for DailyNewstalk. Plus you need to know the username of the person to chat with, unlike other social dating apps, you cannot find new people or explore their profiles.
Ashley Madison
Ashley Madison still shows up in conversations about secret online dating sites because it built its brand on discretion such as blurred photos, minimal profile details, and paid reveal features. It’s best known as the “affairs” site, attracting mostly married or partnered people often men in their 30s–50s looking for discreet encounters. I set up a burner account and tried the blurred-photo feature. It actually works you keep control of your pictures until you decide to reveal them. But the 2015 breach and later FTC investigation are real and change how I approach any site that markets secrecy. See WIRED and the FTC for background.
Inside the app I looked at billing and skimmed Trust & Safety pages. The reveal control is useful, but payment traces and account metadata can still link back to you unless you take extra steps like using a prepaid card, burner email, or VPN I didn’t find clear proof of totally anonymous billing.
Gleeden
Gleeden has built its reputation as the first extramarital dating app designed by women, famous for its privacy-first features. It’s most popular among married or partnered people especially women over 30 who want discreet connections without tying their dating life to their main identity. When I tested it with a burner account and a small purchase, two things stood out: neutral billing (your statement shows a generic label) and a panic button that instantly hides the page. Both are practical if you’re sharing a bank account or someone might glance at your screen.
Profiles stay low-key, photos can remain private until you choose to reveal them, and there’s no push to link socials. That makes it useful if you’re trying to keep dating separate from your main identity.
Practical tip: the tools help, but always pair them with a separate email and avoid linking personal accounts. Available for both Android and IOS.
Pure
Pure is built for short-term encounters. When I tried it, posts expired, chats auto-deleted, and profiles didn’t linger, so it feels safer if you don’t want a long trail. Their privacy page makes clear that messages and profiles are temporary by design, with data stored only as long as needed for that session.
The app doesn’t push you to connect social accounts or fill out heavy profiles, which lowers the risk of tying activity back to your real identity. You do need an account, but you can engage with minimal details. That said, “disappearing” isn’t bulletproof screenshots and copy-pastes still happen. Pure works best as a damage-control tool, useful if you want low-trace interactions but not a guarantee of invisibility.
Fleed
Feeld caters to poly, kink, and queer communities, making it a go-to app for people seeking connections outside mainstream dating norms. After researchers (Fortbridge) flagged security issues in 2024, Feeld responded with fixes by May 28 and later published transparency reports useful context if you want a private dating app where trust matters.
When I tested it, I saw solid control: you can hide your profile from Discover, stay invisible to Facebook friends if you link FB, and fine-tune what parts of your profile are visible; couples can also “pair” accounts to browse together without exposing extra details.
Because it doesn’t force heavy identity linkage, Feeld gives you room to be discreet but the earlier issues are a reminder , share carefully until you’re confident.
Secret Dating Apps That Look Like Game
Some examples of secret dating apps that look like games include Undercover (appears as a social deduction party game but hides a private chat flow inside—you can find it on Google Play and the App Store). Desire, which looks like a playful board-game-style couples challenge app and supports private messaging (available on Google Play and App Store). and Couple Game: Relationship Quiz, which masquerades as a trivia app but offers a discreet space for partners. These aren’t mainstream dating platforms, but their game-like covers provide cover when your phone is lying face-up on a café table.
Short Checklist
- Use a throwaway email and unique password.
- Don’t link socials or phone numbers until you trust someone.
- Check app permissions before installing; watch for contacts/SMS/location requests.
- Look for a privacy page, transparency report, or audit absence is a concern.
- Assume screenshots happen; never send anything you wouldn’t want public.
Final Take
If your worry is casual privacy (roommates, shared cards), discreet dating apps like Gleeden help. For short-lived chats, anonymous dating app patterns like Pure’s ephemeral posts work. If you need community accountability, Feeld’s transparency pages are a positive sign. For DailyNewstalk, the disguise model is useful for plausible deniability but verify permissions and ask for published privacy docs if you plan to use it regularly.
Sources
- WIRED — “Hackers Finally Post Stolen Ashley Madison Data” (Aug 2015): https://www.wired.com/2015/08/happened-hackers-posted-stolen-ashley-madison-data/
- FTC — Operators of AshleyMadison.com Settle FTC, State Charges (Dec 2016): https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2016/12/operators-ashleymadisoncom-settle-ftc-state-charges-resulting-2015-data-breach-exposed-36-million
- Pure — Privacy Policy: https://pure.app/content/en/privacy
- Feeld — Transparency / Member Resources: https://feeld.co/ask-feeld/member-resources/dsa
- Gleeden — FAQ (anonymous billing details): https://en.gleeden.com/faq/
- Gleeden — News (anonymous billing announcement, optional): https://en.gleeden.com/news/new-more-modes-of-payment-on-gleeden-com_443.html