Grindr
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Grindr Profile

Our Review

Launched in 2009, Grindr is one of many online dating platforms operated by Grindr LLC. It is the first gay location-based dating app in the world, which utilises a mobile device’s geolocation to display gay, bi, trans, and queer singles nearby. This dating community already has over 27,000,000 total members around the globe.

After the controversy in April 2018, adding HIV status to each member’s profile, Grindr received a lot of sharp criticisms. Seemingly, the majority of the users were also appalled that their information is being shared with third party service providers.

Grindr took action and assured the public that although it will maintain having the “HIV status” as part of the user profile, it will not share such to third-party advertisers or providers.

At the recommendation of HIV prevention experts and the community of Grindr users, there is now an option to publish your health characteristics in your Grindr community profile. These include HIV status and date last tested. So, as you complete your profile, remember that if you choose to include your status on your sexual health, that information will become public to other users of the Grindr app.   

We can’t wait to find out more about this dating app. Join us as we give you update on its features, members, safety, and more!

New members at Grindr in March 2024 in comparison

Here you can see how membership figures at Grindr are developing compared to others

Grindr Members

Members
50,000 from New Zealand
Members activity
10,000 active weekly
Gender Proportion
0 %
100 %
  • 3.3 million daily active users
  • Average user spends 54 minutes on the app
  • Up to a million users are logged in to Grindr at any given moment
  • Dedicated to the LGBTQ community all over the world
  • 25% of the users are from the US

Grindr is one of the largest dating platforms that cater to gays, bi, trans, and queer people. It has an outstanding 27 million users worldwide. Meet members from 190 countries who not only have different nationalities but also have different personalities, beliefs and likes.

The most popular age bracket that uses Grindr dating is between 25 to 34 years old. Research says that the frequent visitors are from the United States with 6,585,000 members, the United Kingdom with 1,819,000 members, Australia with 650,000 members, New Zealand with 124,000 members, Singapore with 162,000 members and Hong Kong with 191,000 members.

Some members prefer to remain anonymous by not uploading their photos or divulging too much information about themselves. Minors are strictly prohibited from signing-up just like any typical dating sites.

Registered users of Grindr are looking for fun and a place where their sexuality will be accepted. They are open for hookups and short-term relationships. 

Females
Males

Grindr Age Range and Age Distribution

  • 18-24
  • 25-34
  • 35-44
  • 45-54
  • 55+

How to Sign Up for Grindr

Grindr Signin
  • Registration is free
  • Photo can be approved in a matter of seconds
  • Setting up new account details is quick
  • Can log-in via Facebook
  • No email verification process

The Grindr app is free to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Registration only takes less than a minute with the use of either your email address or Facebook account.

Email verification is not required, but your photo is a must and has to be approved by Grindr’s team. Additionally, you need to provide your age, birthday and gender identity to complete your sign up.

One final step is to allow Grindr to find your location. This is for you to get matches and meet online users that are nearest to you.

After your account is done, you may log in to your account on the app or access it on your desktop through their website.

To increase the chances of finding your closest match on Grindr dating, you can add more information on your profile. Each item can be quickly updated on the app’s interface.

The sexual health section is most noticeable on Grindr online dating. In this section, the member may or may not share his/her/their HIV status and the date they were last tested.

Making Contact on Grindr

Grindr Message
  • Very active members
  • Users tend to send photos before chatting you up
  • With a subscription, it enables you to see if your message is already read
  • You can send a photo as well as your location
  • Sending and receiving messages are free

There are two ways to connect with Grindr gays: Messages and Taps.

You can chat with nearby users as a basic member. You can also message other users located within your country for free. Your conversations can be filtered to Favourites’ messages and Unread messages.

Taps contain those who are interested in you in three different ways: Looking, Friendly, and Hot. These are made of emoticons which you can also use to send your interest to another member. For example, simply send a Hot to a member you think is hot.

Add more fun while you converse by downloading Gaymoji. It is a free keyboard for everyone and a collection of over 500 LGBTQ-themed stickers that you can use to personalize your chats. It is downloadable on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Grindr Profile Quality

Grindr Profile
  • Only one photo allowed at a time
  • Most fields are not mandatory
  • Details can be edited anytime
  • Can link other social media accounts
  • You can see members' distance from your current location

    Make your profile more appealing by adding interesting information about you. There are five sections that you can fill out:

    Info

    It contains your Display Name and About Me, which is a short description of yourself.

    Stats

    You can add your age, height, weight, body type, ethnicity, relationship status, position, ‘My Tribes’, and ‘I’m Looking For’ in this section.

    Take note that "position" means your preferred sexual position. ‘My Tribes’ is also related to a sexual preference (what you describe yourself as). Tribes include Bear, Clean-cut, Daddy, Discreet, Geek, Jock, Leather, Otter, Poz, Rugged, Trans, and Twink.

    ‘I’m Looking For’ describes who you want to meet. You can state that you are seeking for Chat, Dates, Friends, Networking, Relationship, or Right Now. Right Now simply means hook up.

    Identity

    This contains Gender and Pronouns. Identify your gender as either a man, woman, non-binary, or custom non-binary. Set your pronouns according to your gender which you can also customize.

    Sexual Health

    There are four items in this section namely: HIV Status, Last Tested Date, Testing Reminders, and Sexual Health FAQ.

    This section became controversial early on after its launch. Apparently, Grindr’s data are sent to third parties including the HIV status that violated the users’ privacy. The company already took action and declared that they have ceased sharing any data to third parties.

    Social Links

    You can link your social media accounts. Enter your Instagram username, or Twitter handle, or Facebook username to connect your Grindr app.

    Completing the above sections is encouraged. Grindr made it simple to edit anyways. It may result to an increase of your matches. It makes you more attractive. Thus, an accomplished profile furthers your chances to find that one true soul mate.

    Targeted Ads

    Grindr users can opt our of seeing targeted ads. Members who opt out won’t be seeing LGBTQ promotions elsewhere as their data is safe within Grindr.

    Albums

    Albums are curated sets of photos you can now directly share to another member's inbox. It is designed to add an extra layer of control and privacy over a user's shared images. They have the opportunity to add a favourite photo from their phone, take a new one, or even choose from previous photos they’ve shared in chat to get started. Album is designed to help matches form deeper connections amongst each other.

    Grindr App

    Grindr App
    • Design is straightforward
    • More focused on people than features of the app
    • Can be downloaded without a charge
    • User-friendly and easy to navigate
    • Available for both Android and iOS users

    Grindr app is very much easy to use. It is available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.  Download it for free with some in-app purchases.

    Majority of members prefer using the app version probably because of its convenience and modern layout.

    Grindr online highlights the importance that you meet your next date as soon as possible and as closely as possible to you. If you complete your profile, which is deemed very outright for its purpose, you will attract more users. Your favourites, matches, explore and messages buttons are located below the app. You can find all your possible matches with the help of these special features.

    If you are a person who is always on-the-go, this app is one to consider. 

    Grindr Real Life Review

    "The app is one of the best for quick meet-ups. Sometimes when I'm at a bar alone, I just use the app because there's always singles online wherever I am. More often than not, I've gotten dates through Grindr in a matter of minutes. But I'm slowly starting to get annoyed by format. I receive about 10 new messages everyday and there's no way to filter them. Sometimes I lose the person I'm actually interested in talking to among all these guys who just want me to send nudes."

    - Jay, 31
     

    I've always been hesitant in doing things because of my sexuality. It includes dating. I'm scared to be judged and frowned upon. But I found Grndr and it let me be me. I don't regret any single moment I spent on this app. It's fun.

    -Harry, 27

    Design and Usability

    Grindr is a dating app with a modern format, making it very easy to use. Following its quick installation, the registration process is pretty straightforward. Overall, there aren’t any drawbacks to the functionality of Grindr. The app doesn’t drain a lot of battery, individual subpages load very quickly, and messages are displayed promptly and reliably.

    Grindr Costs and Prices

    Free Features
    • Profile creation
    • View up to 100 matches
    • Send and receive messages
    • Select 1 tribe
    • Basic Filters
    • Explore profiles
    • Create group chat
    Premium Features
    • Ad-free experience
    • Push notifications
    • View up to 600 matches
    • Online-only view
    • Select 3 tribes
    • Unlimited Blocks and Favourites
    • Save and send chat phrases

    Is Grindr expensive or cheap?

    In comparison to other providers Grindr is average.

    Duration / Credits / CoinsCostsTotal
    Grindr Xtra Lite
    1 Month17.49 NZD / Month17.49 NZD
    Grindr Xtra
    3 Months12.66 NZD / Month37.98 NZD
    6 Months10.55 NZD / Month63.30 NZD
    1 Year90.00 NZD / Year90.00 NZD
    Grindr Xtra Nzd
    Payment Options
    • Via Mobile Phone

    Grindr’s basic app is free and ad-supported. It uses location technology on iOS and Android devices so that users can instantly connect with other men in the area. With free messaging, the app seems to work well for its members. You can view 100 profiles as a standard member. 

    If you want to view more profiles and experience Grindr XTRA, you can take its 7-day free trial. This upgrade is partnered with Grindr XTRA Lite premium. This means that you will be automatically subscribed to this 1-month auto-renew membership. With Grindr XTRA Lite Premium, you can browse 300 profiles and enjoy ad-free access.

    If you subscribe to the Grindr XTRA Premium, however, you can browse up to 600 profiles. This other type of premium is offered as a 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month subscription. Other features include read receipts, ‘Discreet App’ icon, filter and mark profiles as “recently chatted”, save and send chat phrases, chat, tap and favourite users via Explore Mode, Online-only view, and quick-send recent photos.

    All subscriptions auto-renew on the same terms until you cancel. To cancel a subscription on an iOS device, access your subscriptions and tap ‘Manage’. Go to your Grindr XTRA or Grindr XTRA Lite subscription and turn off ‘Automatic Renewal’. For Android devices, go to the Play Store, open ‘Accounts’ and then tap ‘Subscriptions’. You will find there your Grindr subscriptions and then hit ‘Cancel’.

    Special Features

    This dating app has a few special features that make for a unique browsing experience that's both fun and distinctively Grindr.

    Gaymojis

    Gaymojis are customized, LGBTQ-themed emojis that are a fun way of speaking your own language with your own community. There are currently over 500 Gaymojis, and they're not available on any other social media app. Spice up your game and bring out your wildest ways to talk about dates, travel, fun times, how you’re feeling, guys (obviously), and more.

    Tap

    Seen as the flame icon, taps are a great way of showing someone you're interested without having to start a conversation. If you catch their attention, they might start the conversation themselves.

    Favourite

    Favourites are a way to bookmark new profiles that you find interesting and message them later. Unlike taps, users won't know that you've favourited them.

    Explore

    This feature is a search mode that allows you to look for members outside of your country. Chat, Tap and Favorite users on this mode when you upgrade your subscription to premium.

    Discreet App Icon (DAI)

    Both iOS and Android users are available for free as an added security free feature to all of their users. This feature allows its users to select how the Grindr app will appear on your phone.

    Data Dictionary

    Grindr users can download their data through the settings tab and have it emailed to them. The Data Dictionary helps members understand how all of their information is being displayed – such as chat and sign-in history.

    ‘Viewed Me’

    Members can remove themselves from the ‘Viewed Me’ feature to allow them to browse incognito. If users decide to opt out of this feature, other members won’t be notified when they click and visit their profiles. Withdrawing from this feature would entail that users won’t also be able to access their own ‘Viewed Me’ list.

    Our rating

    Signing Up: 3.0 / 5
    Making Contact: 3.0 / 5
    Profile Quality: 3.5 / 5
    App: 3.0 / 5
    Real Life Review: 4.0 / 5

    Editor's Conclusion

    Datingscout.nz Author Chris Pleines
    Chris Pleines
    Founder of Datingscout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
    Grindr remains as one the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people. It epitomises the quick-swiping, quick-chatting, and quick-meeting features that most dating apps follow today.The platform has a visually organised design, simple user interface, and geolocation technology. This geolocation feature allegedly brought more members of the gay community into signing up.However, if you are the type of man whose primary intent is to look for a serious relationship, this may not be the app for you. While it does have those options, we suggest checking other Gay dating apps that may satisfy your craving for romantic meetups.

    Grindr FAQ

    Facts

    What is the Grindr website?

    Grindr website is not the actual online dating platform. It is an introduction to the Grindr App. It also contains the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and the Grindr Support information.

    What is the Grindr App?

    Grindr App is the first online dating app for gays that was launched in 2009. Today, this app caters to not only gays but also bi, trans, and queer people. 

    Who created Grindr?

    Grindr LLC is the company that created Grindr. Apparently, it has grown into one of the largest social networking apps for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.

    Is Grindr a real dating site?

    Yes. It is operated by Grindr LLC, which specialises in the development of database-driven dating sites. This company has been running Grindr for ten years already. 

    How does Grindr dating work?

    First, you have to register using your email address, Facebook account, or Google account. You also need to write about your gender identity. Second, you need to allow the Grindr App to find your location. This way, you get to be matched with online users nearest to your area.

    What is ‘My Tribe’ on Grindr?

    'My Tribe' is one of the unique items on your profile. It is a set of categories that further describes your sexual identity. The different tribes include Bear, Clean-cut, Daddy, Discreet, Geek, Jock, Leather, Otter, Poz, Rugged, Trans, and Twink.

    How do I contact other members?

    Grindr dating with regards to messaging comes in two ways: Chats and Taps.

    You can chat individually or create a group chat. Likewise, you can easily filter Unread and Favourites’ messages.

    Taps show Grindr gays who are interested in you. These are further filtered into Looking, Friendly, and Hot.

    How do I report abuse?

    You can report a member on Grindr via tapping the Block / Report button located on the top right of your chat box. 

    Usability

    What are Grindr bots?

    Bots have been found and reported by a number of people. The bots lure users into clicking a fake webcam site link, which installs a virus in the user's device. One way to spot a bot is that they usually list their height as less than 3 feet. Conversations with them will rarely make sense as their responses are automated.

    What is Grindr really like?

    Based on the actual test, matches are indeed near your location. You can also find online users that aren't your matches nearby. If they are interested, they simply have to tap your profile.

    We also received messages and photos during our test. These messages are from users who are looking for hook-ups.

    Where is Grindr most popular and where is it blocked?

    According to research, Grindr is most popular in the United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Mexico. However, it is banned in countries like Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, China, UAE, Ukraine, and Russia.

    How to sign in to Grindr online?

    Write your validated email address and password and click Login. Another way is to sign in via Facebook. Follow the link and allow Grindr to use your Facebook account to sign in.

    Is Grindr available on iPhone or Android?

    Yes. The Grindr app is downloadable on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

    How can I see my distance to someone?

    Under their username, you will see how many metres away the other user is from you.

    How do I know if someone blocked me?

    If someone blocked you their profile will completely disappear from your view. To check if they really blocked you or just deleted their profile, you can create and use a different account. If he shows up in your location, then he blocked you.

    How do I unblock someone on Grindr?

    You can reset the list of people you've blocked but you can't unblock individual accounts. Click on your "Profile". Under "Settings", click "Unblock All" then confirm your decision.

    Can I use Grindr on a laptop?

    Grindr isn't officially available on laptops/PC, but you can still install it using hacks. Word of advice though, Grindr was primarily made to be experienced on a mobile gadget.

    Cancel

    How do I delete my account?

    Under "Settings", click "Privacy", then click "Delete profile". If you delete your account, it cannot be reactivated and all of your information will be lost forever.

    Why did Grindr ban me?

    Grindr bans accounts that violate their profile guidelines which include but are not limited to: no form of pornography, mention of firearms, weapons, and drugs, copyrighted photos, and photos of somebody else.

    Security

    Can Grindr track you?

    Grindr collects your location through GPS, Wi-Fi, and/or cellular technology in your device so yes, it can track you.

    Can Grindr be anonymous?

    You can be anonymous on Grindr by uploading a faceless photo and only putting a little bit of information about yourself. 

    Will Grindr show up on Facebook?

    Although users have the option to link their social media accounts to Grindr, it is not required. If you want to stay private, you won't have to worry because Grindr doesn't collect your Facebook information.

    Does Grindr do profile validation and background checks?

    Yes. As part of the terms of service you agreed to, the moderators do background checks on all members to determine if your information is true. As the terms dictate, the user must oblige to the Community Guidelines. Any time that one of the guidelines is violated Grindr may delete or ban your account.

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    Contact details

    Company:Grindr LLC
    Address:750 N. San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, California 90069, USA
    Phone-Hotline:+1 415 8120244
    E-Mail:help@grindr.com