Grindr Information, Statistics, Facts and History

• Return to Online Dating Statistics & Facts
• Read our Grindr review
• View our Grindr topic and related articles

Grindr History Summary

Grindr was launched in March of 2009 by Joel Simkhai (Nearby Buddy Finder, LLC) in the United States. Grindr is a mobile dating app for gay, trans and bisexual men. When it launched it was the first service of its type on the Apple App Store. By 2013 Grindr had 7 million users and was available worldwide in over 190 countries. By 2017 Grindr had over 27 million members with on average 3.6 million men using the app everyday.

In 2018 Kunlun Group of Beijing completed the purchase of Grindr which it had started in 2016. By 2019 the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) had reviewed the sale and declared that the Grindr purchase by the Chinese company Kunlun was a threat to U.S. national security since it poses a risk to the privacy of users of the dating service. After several proposals Kunlun finally accepted an offer of $608.5 million from the San Vicente Acquisition Partners.

Like most other dating apps Grindr uses the freemium model for their service. The basic features of the service is free (creating a profile, finding matches, and sending and receiving messages) but Grindr charges a subscription fee (called Grindr XTRA) to remove advertising and for access to 6 times the number of profiles. Extra features like more filters available for searching and unlimited favorites are also included. To match members together Grindr uses the mobile phones geolocation abilities to locate members who are near by each other.

Grindr Facts By Year

2020

• General Information
  • To protect users Grindr has released the ‘Holistic Security Guide’ in six languages. The guide will help queer users navigate dating in countries where a culture of homophobia, biophobia and transphobia puts them at risk. [1]
  • Grindr’s introduces 3 new features focus on the app’s messaging system including the ability to “unsend” text and photographs they want to remove from a conversation, expiring photos, and screenshot blocking for chats, pictures and profiles. [1]
  • The Discreet App Icon allows users the option of replacing the Grindr app icon on their phone with another symbol, which helps hide the fact that they are using Grindr. [6]
  • Grindr has debuted two new language versions of its Holistic Security Guide so that users can understand how to use the app safely in Kiswahili and Bahasa Indonesia. [6]
• Finances
  • Milan-based app design company Bending Spoons has offered $260 million to buy Grindr from Kunlun Tech. [3]
  • Grindr is set to sell for $608.5 million to San Vicente Acquisition Partners. They are a group of entrepreneurs and investors in the technology, media and telecommunications industries. [7]
• Legal
  • Grindr has come under fire from the Norwegian Consumer Council for sharing personal data of their users with third parties like advertisers. This includes sending GPS position, IP address, and relationship type information. [2]
  • U.S. House of Representatives is investigating several US dating companies including Grindr following a report that found underage users and sex offenders were using dating apps. The House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on economic and consumer policy sent a letter asking for information on users ages, procedures for verifying ages, and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors. [4]
  • Research from Pixalate shows that Grindr’s Android application was exploited to defraud advertisers. [5]
  • With the Norwegian Consumer Council report, Grindr's account was suspended on Twitter’s ad platform. [5]

References

1. Grindr Introduces Screenshot Blocking and Other New Safety Features
2. Dating Apps Come Under Fire for Sharing Personal Data with Third Parties
3. Grindr Eyed By Italian App Company Bending Spoons
4. Dating Apps Face Investigation by US House of Representatives Over Safety Issues
5. Fraudsters Exploit Grindr’s Android App As Part Of Advertising Scheme
6. Grindr Letting Users Hide the App on Their Phones
7. Grindr Will Be Sold By Chinese Owner Kunlun In $608M Deal

2019

• General Information
  • Grindr has terminated the editorial staff of their online magazine called INTO. The magainze launched in August 2017 and recently had reported on a viral exposé claiming Grindr’s president, Scott Chen, opposed marriage equality. [1]
  • In response to closing INTO, Grindr says they plan to concentrate more on video. [1]
  • In the last 5 years Grindr has had about 30 million downloads (Jan 2014 to June 2019). [5]
  • Grindr Unlimited is introduced as a top tier subscription option and includes 5 more options than Grindr Xtra. [6]
• Legal
  • The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has declared that the Grindr purchase by the Chinese company Kunlun is a threat to U.S. national security because of the risk posed to the privacy of users of the dating service. [2]
  • Beijing Kunlun Tech must sell the dating app Grindr by June 30, 2020. [3]
  • Lebanon’s Telecommunications Ministry has blocked access to Grindr on the country’s state-owned internet service provider. [4]
  • Grindr is headed towards an IPO again since the U.S. national security panel CFIUS has dropped its opposition to the IPO (not with full ownership by the Kunlun Group though). [7]

References

1. Grindr Shutters Digital Magazine 'INTO' After 17 Months
2. US Government is Forcing Chinese Company Who Purchased Grindr to Sell
3. Chinese Company Must Sell Grindr by End of June 2020
4. Lebanon Bans Grindr For Second Time In 2019
5. Badoo Employees Reveal Toxic Work Environment in 'Forbes' Expose
6. Grindr Launches ‘Unlimited’ Premium Membership For $50/Month
7. Grindr Moves Forward With IPO Plans After U.S. Government Drops Opposition

2018

• General Information
  • Chinese firm Kunlun Group purchased the remaining outstanding shares of Grindr for $152 million. [1]
  • Grindr founder Joel Simkhai who was CEO has left the company. [1]
  • Grindr has stated that the Chinese government does not have access to users accounts. [1]
  • In the UK, Grindr is the busiest on Sunday nights. [2]
  • A security flaw found in Grindr exposes members restricted profiles and location data. Grindr quickly resolved the issue. [3]
  • A Grindr member named Keodara took to social media to announce plans to bring a class-action lawsuit against Grindr for racial discrimination. [4]
  • Grinder has announced Kindr which is set to launch in September. It is an initiative to help curb discrimination amongst daters. [5]
  • Grindr reaches more than 196 countries and has more than 3 million daily active users. On average these users send 228 million messages and 20 million photos via the platform each day. [6]
  • Grindr faces backlash after President Scott Chen posted controversial Gay marriage remarks. [8]
• Finances
  • Parent company Kunlun Group filed for Grindr an IPO with the China Securities Regulatory Commission. [6]
  • Of all the dating apps, Grindr earned the 6th most revenue overall (7th in App Store and 3rd in Google Play). [9]
• Members
  • In one study of 200,000 iPhone users, 77% of Grindr users felt unhappy when they used the app. [7]

References

1. Grindr Buyout By Chinese Firm Sparks Privacy Concerns
2. Study Reveals Which Dating Apps Are Most Popular (And Which Get Deleted First)
3. Grindr Security Flaw Exposes Users’ Restricted Profiles And Location Data
4. Asian Man Threatens Class Action Lawsuit Against Grindr For Racial Discrimination
5. Grindr Hints At Plans To Make Dating A 'Kindr', More Inclusive Experience
6. Grindr Announces Plans To Go Public With International IPO
7. Online Dating is More Popular Than Ever, But Customers Are Skeptical of Finding Love
8. Grindr Faces Backlash After Company President’s Controversial Gay Marriage Remarks
9. Tinder Dethrones Netflix As Top-Grossing Non-Game App In Q1 2019

2017

• General Information
  • Grindr is the most searched for dating app in California, Maine, Nevada, Missouri, and Mississippi. [1]
  • Grindr has 27 million registered users with 30% of them from the United States. [2]
  • According to Beijing Kunlun Tech the Chinese government will not have any access to Grindr accounts. [3]
  • All users now get push notifications automatically. It is not a premium feature anymore. [4]
  • Grindr updates app and website with new options for users who identify as transgender and gender non-conforming. Users may also choose a preferred pronoun. [5]
• Finances
  • Beijing Kunlun Tech buys the rest of Grindr (38.47%) for $152 million US dollars. [2]
  • Full numbers have been released reporting that Beijing Kunlun Tech purchased the initial 62% of Grindr for $88 million and the other 38% for $152 million for a total of $250 million. [3]
  • Grindr had $13.7 million USD in net profit for 2014. [3]

References

1. Quantcast Map Reveals The Most Searched Dating App In Every U.S. State
2. Grindr Sold to Beijing Kunlun Tech
3. Chinese Gaming Giant Beijing Kunlun Tech To Buy Grindr In Full
4. SuperSwipes, Celebrity Look-Alikes, And More Of The Week’s Biggest Dating News
5. Grindr Update Brings Greater Gender Inclusivity To The App

2016

• General Information
  • Beijing Kunlun Tech buys 60% stake in Grindr. The other 40% is owned by Grindr employees and Joe Simkhai (founder). [1]
  • The total valuation of Grindr is about $155 million. [1]
  • Grindr earned about $38 million for 2015. [1]
• Members
  • The average Grindr user spends up to 54 minutes a day on the app. [1]
  • Grindr has 2 million visitors daily. [2]
  • Grindr is most popular in the United States, followed by the UK, Mexico, Brazil and then France. [2]

References

1. Dating app Grindr hooks up with Chinese gaming investor
2. Grindr Hooks Up With Chinese Gaming Company

2015

• General Information
  • Rumors say that Grindr will soon be up for sale. [1]

References

1. Will Grindr Soon Be Up For Sale?

2014

• Members
  • Brazil is the 6th-largest market for Grindr. [1]
  • Grindr user numbers have increased by 31% in Brazil since the World Cup began. [1]

References

1. World Cup Fans Go Crazy for Dating Apps

2013

• General Information
  • Grinder has 7 million users in 192 countries. [1]
• Members
  • The average user spends two hours per day on the app and logs in eight times daily. [1]

References

1. The Top 10 Best Mobile Dating Apps in 2013 (Part I)

2012

• General Information
  • Some organizations have blamed Grindr for the rise in STDs like Syphilis in recent years. [1]

References

1. Rise in Syphilis Blamed on Grindr

2010

• General Information
  • Grindr launched a mobile dating app for Blackberry phones in June. [1]
  • A straight version of Grindr is in the works now with plans to release it by the end 2010. [1]
• Members
  • 700,000 men from 162 countries are using the Grinder App with it being the most popular in the United States and United Kingdom. [1]
  • Grindr is downloaded more than 2,000 times a day. [1]
  • Grindr has 600,000 unique users per month which about 250,000 users use it every day. These users log on approximately eight times within a 24 hour period. [2]

References

1. Grindr iPhone App soon for Heterosexuals
2. Online Dating Trends: Mobile Dating Comes Of Age

2009

• General Information
  • Joel Simkhai founded Grindr with $5,000. [1]

References

1. Will Grindr Soon Be Up For Sale?

---

Return to Online Dating Statistics & Facts