“Guess it continues to stay secret”: Starbucks officially adopts a “secret menu,” but customers can’t get it to load in the app

After years of “hacks” videos and social media fervor, Starbucks officially acknowledged the “secret menu” by adding it to the app. Starting Monday, Starbucks Rewards customers can find fan favorite drink customizations they can order with a tap.

How to find the Starbucks secret menu on the app

On July 14, the Starbucks Rewards app will include “customer creations” under the “offers” tab. New varieties will be featured regularly, starting with four familiar twists: Cookies on top, dragonfruit glow-up, lemon, tea & pearls, and just add white mocha.

@coffeepassport New in the Starbucks App 💚🥰 Are you trying these drinks? 🤔 #Starbucks #StarbucksApp #StarbucksMenu #StarbucksSecretMenu #CoffeePassport #MeghsCups #NewAtStarbucks ♬ original sound – ⚜️Megh | Cups and Coffee ☕️

“Inspired by the popular Starbucks Not-So-Secret Menu broadcast channel on Instagram, the Starbucks secret menu in the app allows Starbucks Rewards members to easily order the featured, popular drink customizations at participating stores,” the company press release states.

Furthermore, from today until July 20, users can participate in the “secret menu contest” by submitting and/or voting for their favorite drink hacks online. The finalists will line up for a vote on the Starbucks Instagram from August 18-20.

The secret menu has been an online trend for several years now as customers spread their favorites or offered advice on how to order official Starbucks drinks in a way that lowers the price. Popular customizations have included the Apple Pie Frappuccino, the Cocoa Puff Latte, and the Purple Drink.

@mimidarlingbeauty ❌THE BEST FRAPPE I’ve ever had from @starbuckscoryton @starbucksuk starbucks secret menu 🔥WOW 🔥 good speech day with my stammer and this drink is supposed to taste like a Twix chocolate bar 🍫 #Starbucks #starbuckssecretmenu #starbuckssecretmenuuk #drivethru #stammer #mimidarlingbeauty #CapCut ♬ Peace – Official Sound Studio

The trend was perfect for visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok, with the best inventions gaining viral status for lucky users. The downside fell upon Starbucks baristas, who struggled to accommodate demanding customers and their eager cameras.

While these workers are often happy to brew up any customization, they complained that customers would march in and demand a “Stranger Things Frappuccino” like they were supposed to know what that was. It’s also not very considerate during the busy hours.

“Like, my dude,” one barista said to Today in 2022, “do you NOT see the line of 30 people behind you, and you’re here trying to get me to magically know how to make some stupid frou-frou-looking drink that has a dozen modifications?”

“Guess it continues to stay secret”

The adoption of the secret menu on the app may make things a little easier for baristas, giving them a heads up on which recipes customers will ask for. It may take a while to find out whether this will help or hurt, however, because the update doesn’t seem to be working for anybody.

X user @rnrdiva tagged Starbucks to ask, “So where is the secret menu? Still secret I guess. I clicked ‘unlock the menu. In the app, and it just went to a blank offers page.”

“Thank you SO much, Starbucks, for the email to tell me there’s a secret menu and then making it available in my offers,” said @musicobsession.bsky.social‬ alongside screenshots of the same blank page. “Guess it continues to stay secret.”

“Am I the only one who can’t get the Starbucks secret menu to load on the app?” asked @janersm.bsky.social‬.

Meanwhile, some baristas commenting on TikTok say they didn’t even know this was coming, so they’re definitely not happy.

“They didn’t even tell us baristas about that what,” wrote @denerni.