With on average 3.6 million daily active users in 196 countries, Grindr is the largest all-male mobile social network in the world. Since its launch in 2009, the app has grown to become a fundamental part of users’ daily lives across the globe, rivaling – and perhaps even supplanting – gay bars and online dating sites as the best way for gay men to meet.

Grindr was a trailblazer in the truest sense of the word. It was the first ever gay geosocial app to launch in the iTunes App Store. Positive reviews circulated via the gay blogosphere and word of mouth, and by 2012, the app had reached 4 million users in 192 countries with 1.1 million users online daily.

A flood of awards followed. Grindr has received multiple awards at the iDate Awards industry conference, including "Best Mobile Dating App" three times. The app was named the winner of TechCrunch's 2011 Crunchies Award for Best Location Application and About.com's Readers' Choice Award for Best Dating App. Grindr was also selected as an Official Honoree of the Webby Awards for award-winning work in the Social (handheld devices) category.

So what's all the fuss about?

Grindr's base product is a free, ad-supported app that uses location technology in iOS and Android devices to instantly connect men with other men in their area. For a small fee, users can upgrade to Grindr Xtra, a premium subscription service, for an ad-free experience and access to additional features.

The app is visually uncluttered and extremely simple to use. To sign up, input your email and date of birth, select a password, and turn on your phone's location services. Upload a profile photo, then choose a display name and write a short “About Me” blurb to introduce yourself.

The Grindr profile's most interesting details are found in the 'Stats' section. The standard dating app fare is there – height, weight, ethnicity, body type, relationship status, looking for – but Grindr adds sections designed specifically for its gay user base. Users can indicate a preferred sexual position as well as any Tribes they belong to (Bear, Clean-cut, Geek, Jock, Otter, Poz, Twink, etc). A 'Sexual Health' section allows users to display their HIV status and last tested date.

To view possible matches, head to the cascade page. Men in your area will be displayed using geolocation. Profiles automatically load as you scroll down your cascade until you've reached the maximum number of profiles allowed. Refresh your matches by placing your finger at the top of the cascade, pulling your finger down, then releasing it.

Matches can be filtered by 'My Type' or 'Online Now.' 'My Type' includes basic filters available to all users and premium filters that are only available to paid subscribers. Use 'Fresh Faces' at the top of your matches grid to view the newest users in your area.

To view a user's profile information, swipe up anywhere on their profile photo. If you're not ready for that kind of commitment, use Peek – a long press on a cascade tile that shows a large preview of the photo without taking you to the profile information. Tap the chat bubble at the bottom right corner of the screen to access your messages.

Grindr has two messaging features that are unique to the app. The first is saved phrases for Grindr Xtra users. Saved phrases may come from messages you have sent or messages other users have sent. Store your favorites and most frequently used for easy access.

The second fun messaging feature is Gaymoji, a collection of over 500 LGBTQ-themed stickers. Use them to personalize chats in-app or text messages you send on your phone. Grindr plans to add more emojis to the collection in the future.

The majority of the app's functionality is available to free users, and though you will see ads, they're so unobtrusive that many users never feel the need to upgrade. Those who do will be able to view more matches and use more search filters, as well as chat with saved phrases and send multiple photos at once, all without banner ads.

In 2023, Grindr Web was launched which allows users who are subscribe to XTRA and Unlimited memberships to search and view profiles on their laptop or desktop by logging into the dating service using an internet browser. This allows members to view more profiles at once and much larger photos. Members can also message with other members through the website as well.

For its ease of use, breadth of free functionality, and large user base, Grindr is an excellent option for gay men looking to test the dating app waters.

Positives of Grindr

These are the best parts of Grindr.

• Grindr's simple profiles make it fast and easy to set up an account and start matching
• With more than 2 million daily active users, Grindr presents a wealth of match options
• Grindr's profiles encourage users to be upfront about what they're looking for, simplifying the process of finding a match who shares your wants and needs
• The free version offers complete functionality in exchange for viewing advertising; however, the ads are very unobtrusive and many users never feel the need to pay for a subscription

Negatives of Grindr

These are the parts of Grindr which needs improvement.

• Potential matches are only shown via geolocation; users cannot search for matches themselves
• Though the simple profiles make for quick viewing, they don't delve into the deeper subject matter found on some other dating services
• Some users find that the technology of the app's messaging system doesn't always function optimally

Editors Bottom Line

What should you take away from this review of Grindr? Our expert explains:

One of the most popular gay dating apps in North America is "Grindr". With millions of daily active user this service is ideal for men who are looking to find others for dating and hooking up.

We give Grindr, a 4 out of 5 Stars! 😃

Grindr Free Membership

• Included:
  • Create a Profile
    • Sign-up
      • Email, Password, Date of birth, Turn on location services
    • Edit Profile
      • Display Name, About Me
      • Stats: Age (Can toggle age display on or off), Height, Weight, Ethnicity, Body Type, Position, Tribes, Relationship Status, Looking For
      • Sexual Health: HIV Status, Last Tested Date
      • Social: You can add your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook account
    • Upload Photo
      • Take a photo or choose from one of your social galleries
      • Photo review typically takes 20-45 minutes depending on volume
  • Message other members and read their messages they send you
  • Basic filtering of matches by using their general location
• Not included:
  • No banner ads
  • See 6x the profiles, up to 600 at once
  • Unlimited blocks and favorites
  • Access to all filters and views
  • Chat easily with saved phrases
  • Send multiple photos at once

Grindr Costs

Grindr offers a free membership that includes sending and receiving messages, along with 2 premium paid options called Xtra and Unlimited.

• Prices last confirmed May 04, 2023. Please check Grindr[*2] for most recent pricing. All prices in USD unless specified otherwise. Prices may differ based on location, time of purchase, or access point (this can include device used and/or if accessed from a website or app)
• Free Membership
  • Includes:
    • Create a profile and add pictures
    • Send and recieve mail
    • Use of Gaymoji
    • Filtering of matches via geolocation
    • Fresh Faces (new members)
  • Costs:
    • Free
• Grindr XTRA
  • A paid membership option that includes premium features not found in the free membership
  • Includes:
    • All features of a free membership
    • No advertising
    • See 6x the profiles, up to 600 at once
    • View only users who are online now
    • View only users with a profile photo
    • Unlimited blocks and favorites
    • Access to all premium filters
    • Chat easily with saved phrases
    • Send multiple photos at once
    • Access to Grindr Web
  • Costs (USD):
    • 1 Month for $24.99
    • 3 Months for $20.97 ($6.99 per month) - Save 30%
    • 6 Months for $29.94 ($4.99 per month) - Save 50%
    • 12 Months for $47.88 ($3.99 per month) - Save 60%
• Grindr Unlimited
  • A paid membership option a step above the Grindr XTRA subscription
  • Introduced in 2019. For more reactions see: Grindr Launches ‘Unlimited’ Premium Membership For $50/Month
  • Includes:
    • All features of a Grindr XTRA
    • Viewed Me - See who has viewed your profile in the last 24 hrs
    • Unsend - Undo sent messages and photos
    • Incognito - Browse and chat without appearing in the grid or showing up in other member’s “Viewed Me” list
    • Typing Status - Typing status dots appear to let you know when someone is actively writing you a message
    • Unlimited Profiles - Scroll forever without running out of people to browse and chat with
  • Costs (USD):
    • 1 Month for $39.99
    • 12 Months for $299.99 ($24.99 per month) - Save 50%
• Grindr accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards
• A free trial is offered once per user account
• All subscriptions automatically renew on the same terms until cancelled

Grindr Viewing & Communication Features

Grindr has a large number of tools to view and communicate with other members available from their app. As part of a safety initiative Grindr has implemented screenshot blocking for all chats, pictures and profiles (see Story).

Most of the features below can be found when viewing a user's profile directly or within the search results.

• Profile
  • To view a user's profile information, swipe up anywhere on their profile photo
• Photos
• Mail Messages
  • View your messages by tapping the chat bubble located at the bottom right corner of the app. A red dot indicates that you have received a new message
  • A green dot next to a user indicates that he is online
  • The yellow circle next to the chat shows how many unread messages you have with that particular user
  • To send a photo in a private chat, tap the camera icon within the chat window
    • Photos you send can be set to expire which would remove them automatically from a conversation
  • Users can unsend/delete messages and photos they want to remove from a conversation (content will be removed from both users’ chat histories)
  • Save phrases if you have Grindr Xtra
    • To add a saved phrase, tap on the chat bubble located at the bottom right of your screen. Select a conversation to work within. Tap and hold the phrase you would like to add your saved phrases
    • You may select phrases from messages you have sent or messages other users have sent
  • Push notifications to your phone when any new message is sent to you
• Gaymoji
  • Gaymoji is a collection of over 500 LGBTQ-themed stickers used to personalize chats in-app or text messages you send on your phone
• Peek
  • Long press on a cascade tile of a user you may be interested in to see a large preview of the photo
  • A longer press will move you into the profile view so you can see the user's profile information

Search For Members By

• Grindr does not offer a standard search – all matches are determined using geolocation
• Cascade
  • Profiles automatically load as you scroll down your cascade until you've reached the maximum number of profiles allowed allowed
    • Free users can see up to 100 matches
    • Grindr Xtra users can see up to 300 matches
  • To refresh your matches, place your finger at the top of the cascade, pull your finger down, then release it
• Filter matches by 'My Type' or 'Online Now'
• My Type
  • Basic Filters
  • Age
  • Tribes (Bear, Clean-cut, Geek, Jock, Otter, Poz, Twink, etc)
  • Looking For
• Advanced Filters
  • Photos Only
  • Height
  • Weight
  • Ethnicity
  • Body Type
  • Position
  • Relationship Status
• Upgrade to unlock all filters
• Fresh Faces
  • View newest users in your area in 'Fresh Faces' at the top of your matches grid

Other Grindr Information

• With over 3.6 million daily active users in 196 countries, Grindr is the largest all-male mobile social network in the world
• Grindr has won multiple awards at the annual iDate Conference
• Grinder received TechCrunch's 2011 Crunchies Award for Best Location Application at the Fifth Annual Crunchies Awards Ceremony
• In January 2016, Grindr announced that it sold its 60% stake to a Chinese gaming company, Beijing Kunlun Tech, for $93 million
• Grindr has a feature called the Discreet App Icon which allows users the option of replacing the Grindr app icon on their phone with another symbol, effectively to hide the fact that they are using Grindr (see Story)

For more detailed information on this dating service you can check out our Grindr Facts and Statistics page. Information can also be found in our topic for Grindr news articles.

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