On July 24, 2025, it was reported that Ive was preparing for a comeback aimed towards the end of August.[1] On August 1, upon the release of moving posters, Starship Entertainment announced that Ive would be releasing their fourth extended play titled Ive Secret on August 25, with the lead single "XOXZ".[2] On August 5, the group launched a new Instagram account showcasing promotional materials, which marked the official start of promotions.[3] After the release of a trailer video on August 8, trailer photos were released over the following two days.[4][5][6]
On August 12, the track listing was revealed.[7] A poster in collaboration with street artist Doezny was released on the next day.[8] The first mood sampler video was released on August 14, followed by concept photos over the next two days.[9][10][11] The second set of mood sampler video and concept photos were released from August 18 to 20.[12][13][14] The music video teaser for "XOXZ" and the highlight medley video of the album's tracks were released on August 22 and 24 respectively.[15][16] The extended play was released alongside the music video for "XOXZ" on August 25.[17]
