Apple's controversial new iOS 18 feature branded a ‘cheater's paradise’ amid backlash

Next week, Apple is due to announce the new iPhone 16 and along with it, a major upgrade with the iOS 18 update.

With the update will come a lot of exciting new features including Apple Intelligence and personalized home screens.

However, there is one new feature that is causing quite a stir online.

Apple are making some big announcements next week (Filip Radwanski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A new addition that’ll come with iOS 18 is facing backlash after it was branded a “cheater’s paradise”.

This is due to the fact that users will be able to keep their apps hidden from anyone who might be looking at their screen.

Explaining how the feature works, the Apple website stated: “iOS 18 gives users even more control with tools to manage who can see their apps, how contacts are shared, and how their iPhone connects to accessories.

“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.

“Users can now lock an app; and for additional privacy, they can hide an app, moving it to a locked, hidden apps folder.

“When an app is locked or hidden, content like messages or emails inside the app are hidden from search, notifications, and other places across the system.”

Not only will this feature be able to obscure the app’s icon but it can alter the name on the home screen and even pause push notifications.

Not everyone is happy with a new feature coming with iOS 18 (Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

While this could be awesome for parents who need to keep banking and shopping apps private, it could promote some shady behavior in adults.

Taking to social media to have their say, one user of X, formerly Twitter, wrote that it was a “cheater’s paradise”.

A second said: “This new iOS18 update was made for cheaters by cheaters only. Now you can lock and hide apps. Ladies, just focus on yourself and let that man cheat in peace. You don’t need that stress.”

“This new iOS 18 update is messy as hell,” claimed another. “They have a feature to ‘lock an app’ so if someone gets in your phone they can’t get to any of social media

“It will need a passcode or Face ID. Some IT developer at Apple got caught cheating and said “Nah, let me fix this’.”

However, many others said they were looking forward to using iOS 18 on their iPhones, with one typing: “Really excited for iOS 18. Lots of nice quality-of-life changes and Apple finally adding RCS support. Ngl I’m just happy to finally get scheduling in iMessage and a cleaner Photos app.”

LADbible Group has previously contacted Apple for comment.