Grindr Review

Grindr, established in 2009, is one of the most popular gay dating sites today. This site has a vast user base and is quite famous within the gay community all over the world. Grindr is a pioneering gay resource that uses mobile devices as a means of finding new users. In 2018, this site gained some notoriety because of including HIV status to some users. This incident caused a controversial reaction from many members all over the world. They didn’t want to share this information within the global network for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, the administration clearly stated that such information wouldn’t go out beyond the site’s boundaries. This case was not a single event in the site’s history. However, it remains the leading resource for the gay audience. Today, we are going to see what this site is all about and check its quality and usability.

Grindr’s primary intention is to find partners for real dates. It uses mobile devices to locate its users. Its ultimate goal is to show matches in the area nearby. Some find such a system as an advantage, while others believe it is a minus, but both parties can’t deny that it works pretty well.

When Was Grindr Founded?

Grindr was founded in 2009 and since then gained immense popularity within the gay community. Throughout the years, the number of users grows larger, and this site itself has become an example of many similar resources.

Who Owns Grindr?

Grindr was established in 2009 by Los Angeles based developer Joel Simkhai as an iOS app. In 2015 it was sold to a Chinese company Beijing Kunlun Tech. At the moment of writing this review, it is known that the site is planned to be bought by the US Company San Vicente Acquisition LLC.

Registration & Profile

Registration on Grindr is quite simple if compared to other similar dating sites. First, it is available on such platforms as Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Secondly, you can register your account via Facebook, which is quite a convenient option for many users. The whole process won’t take more than several minutes. Uploading a personal photo is necessary as it serves as one of the means of verifying your identity. However, there is no need to verify your account via email. Then you will have to give the site permission to see your location. This function is necessary to launch the process of finding suitable matches for you. To finish the process of registration, you will have to provide Grindr with your age, date of birth, and identify your gender. That’s all! After everything above is done, you can use your account immediately.

If you want to save time and make your search more effective, make your profile more detailed. This app will process and update all data immediately, and it will show it in your user account.

There is another section that led to a certain level of controversy over the past few years. It is known as a “section indicating sexual health” to some. Here you are to write if you have HIV and indicate the date when you made a test. Recently, this requirement became optional to users.

Communication/Matches

A matching process on Grindr is somewhat different from the majority of other similar sites. Because it operates via mobile devices, it tends to search for suitable matches within users’ nearby locations. This service focuses on finding partners for real-life dates, not someone who lives abroad. Nevertheless, you can contact people who live farther than you are if you wish to. Chat is a primary means of communication there. Messaging with other users will be displayed in a special section in your profile’s menu. There is a system of “likes,” separated into “looking,” “friendly,” and “hot”. You can use them to show your interest in certain members that you like. It’s an excellent way to start communication for those who feel too shy to begin messaging first and is 100% free.

How to Search for People on Grindr?

There are certain issues connected with searching for matches on Grindr. There is no such option as searching for a person by name. This app gives a list of people sorted by their location instead. The list usually shows 600 possible matches, though it may be shorter if there are not enough users in your area. The basic range is about 50 miles around you.

Some new features called “Explore” and “Mood” allows users to search for a partner worldwide. They can be set manually in a user account. Paid members can use special filters that are open after getting a particular subscription. These features are also considered to be cons by some and pros by others.

How to Delete Grindr Account?

Despite the growing popularity and number of Grindr users, some have to delete their accounts for various reasons. Luckily, users can perform this action pretty easily. To do that, you have to find a “settings” menu and a “privacy” section there. Click the “delete profile” button, and your account will be removed from the site. Remember that this action is irreversible, and you will not be able to restore any information from your profile.

Members Structure

Grindr’s member structure mostly consists of gay, bi, and trans males. The number of users is approximately 27 million people. According to statistics, over 3 million users visit this site every day. Every second, nearly a million people enter this site. Each of them spends almost an hour there daily.

As for their geographical position, most of these site users come from the US and prevail there with 6,585,000 people. Almost 1,819,000 users represent the UK. Other less massive groups of users come from Australia (650,000 users), Hong Kong (191,000 users), Singapore (162,000 users), and New Zealand being the least one with 124,000 users. Most of the users are aged 25 to 34 years old. Nevertheless, younger and older people are also present on Grindr, but in far less amount.

Sexual Preferences

As was mentioned before, Grindr is very supportive of LGBTQ people. It specifically targets users of such sexual orientation. The site stands against any form of discrimination and abuse. It requires its users to “play nice” and emphasizes that they’d better “hear about what you’re into, not what you aren’t.”

Race and Ethnicity

All information mentioned above shows that ethnic and racial diversity on Grindr is rather remarkable. It is no secret that the US, the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore are home to people of different ethnic backgrounds, so it is possible to find almost any type of person you wish. This fact is another feature that makes Grindr quite a popular platform with people all over the world.

Religious Orientation

There is no precise information about this site policy concerning religious views. As we see from this site’s “Community Guidelines,” there are no restrictions or limitations for any religious views unless expressed in an extreme form. Still, Grindr is obviously not the spot for people who are devoted to religious guidelines, especially the traditional values of Christianity and other long-standing religions.

Pricing Policies

Even though Grindr is free, it has special premium accounts and its pricing policy. Paid accounts give its users more possibilities and extra features, though the site works well even as a free app.

Those users who want to obtain Grindr Xtra Lite membership will have to pay $99.9 per month. The expanded version of paid membership called Grindr Xtra has varied pricing. The main idea is that the longer your subscription is, the less money you will pay. For example, three months of the subscription cost $20.97 (with $6.99 per month). Subscription for 3 months cost $29.94 (with $4.99 per month). The six-month subscription will cost users $29.94 (with $4.99 per month). The largest offer is a one-year subscription that is sold for $47.88. The profit of such an offer is undeniable. This feature makes Grindr quite attractive for users who want to save a decent amount of money and time using conventional features this site offers to Premium users.

All in all, Grindr falls in line with an average subscription cost even if we compare it to mainstream dating sites. Niche services always tend to be more expensive, but this app is one of the few affordable exceptions.

Free Membership

Grindr also may be used in a free mode and has certain features for its free members. First of all, they are allowed to create profiles on this site and view almost 100 matches available. Sending and receiving messages are also included, as well as basic search filters. Free users can look through other people’s profiles and create chats for certain thematic and regional groups.

Paid Membership

Those users who obtain a paid membership can use more possibilities than free ones. It is a common situation with this type of dating site. Paid members are not bothered with annoying apps in contrast to free ones. The number of visible matches increases to 600 profiles. Notifications, saving, and sending entire phrases from chats are also available. Paid users can mark profiles they like and send photos. There is a free trial period that lasts for seven days when you can test its features and decide whether you wish to renew it or not. As you see, there are many advantages of using a paid version of this app as it opens a variety of new options to its users.

How to Cancel Grindr Paid Subscription?

If you wish to cancel your paid subscription, go to the settings menu. Then find a button stating “Cancel subscription.” Turn off your Automatic subscription renewal, and cancel it.

Is Grindr Safe?

This site’s administration puts many efforts to keep its users’ privacy and security on a high level. Nevertheless, taking into consideration this app’s specifics, there can be a leakage of your location. There was a scandal connected with this issue, but the support team did everything to protect its user’s personal information from giving it out to third parties. One thing that you can’t hide is your location from other users; this is how Grindr works. This detail is another controversial feature that gets controversial reviews from its users.

Next, Grindr has a particular way of eliminating scammers from the resource. As it was mentioned before, members use their Facebook accounts to verify their profiles. So, in case there are any suspicions of detecting scammers on the site, they get blocked immediately.

Also, Grindr tends to block those users who violate community guidelines depicting nudity, offensive content, or discrimination against other members. Such activity is banned there. There is a “Block/Report” button designed for use in such cases if you notice any kind of abuse.

In other words, despite having all means of security on this site, users have to be careful and attentive. Don’t send any personal or financial information via this site. Always try to find out as much as possible about people you are about to meet using this app. Bottom line, keep basic Internet security rules in mind, and you should be totally fine, pretty much like on any other dating or hookup site.

Quality of Profiles

Profiles on Grindr have minimal differences from those on other dating sites. They allow users to upload photos, and people are not obliged to fill out all fields in their profiles. You may include links to various social networks, which helps to show that you are a real person and give other users more insight into your personality. This revolutionary feature of using a mobile app makes it effective.

The administration advises you to write as many details about yourself as possible to make your profile more attractive and informative. Describe yourself in a free form. Dwell upon your age, hair color, body type, length and height, ethnicity, etc. This detail will help other users find out if you suit each other or not. Then it is by no means essential to write about who you are looking for. Write all the characteristics of a person you would like to find and what type of relationships you expect to have.

Another field allows users to provide links to other social media, which helps them find mutual interests and even make new friends.

The last field, named “sexual health,” has been a reason for several scandals concerning leakage of personal data. Nevertheless, the administration advises to use it and confirm the date of your HIV check. First of all, Grindr’s administration did all their best to prevent such incidents in the future. Secondly, this will be an honest and decent attitude that helps save other people from getting infected as well as raise the level of tolerance and respect for HIV individuals. It is understandable that some people would not feel comfortable sharing their positive HIV status with the world. On the other hand, Grindr is an accepting community, and sharing this info is truly a decent thing to do.

In other words, the way you manage and organize your profile will tell you much about you and help you find an ideal partner.

Website Design and Usability

Grindr is designed quite well and is very convenient in use. It is one of the advantages of this resource in comparison to many other quite outdated sites. It is developed for modern people who know how to use such apps via mobile devices. You can fully rely on your intuition while using it. Even those whose skills in using mobile devices are modest will handle this mobile app.

How Does Grindr Work?

The principles of this site are quite simple. You go through a registration process, write all necessary information, upload a photo, and use it immediately! The geolocation system will do everything for you and provide you with a list of nearby singles.

Grindr App

Grindr itself appears to be a mobile app, and it is available both for iOS and Android. Unfortunately, there is no desktop version, but this is not exactly a flaw. App uses your geolocation, which is the whole point of going with Grindr.

Alternatives of Grindr

Grindr is a popular service, but still not unique. If you did not enjoy your time with this app, consider a few other gay dating options:

• Gaydar – popular gay dating platform worldwide;
• Jack’d – a site that supports Apple watch;
• Blued – a site with an extensive user base of 40 million people involved;
• BoyAhoy – a gay dating app with an incredibly well-designed interface.

Q&A

Grindr is pretty clear. It is rare when members face troubles. Before you forward your question to Customer Support, you should check the info below. Most probably, you will find the solution here.

Is Grindr Safe?

You can be sure that the Grindr app is safe because it validates users’ profiles and backgrounds. It is the principal part of the company’s Terms of Service. You will have to accept this check. There is a professional team of moderators who scrutinize people’s backgrounds to ensure that all the provided information and photo content are real. All the members have to comply with the official Community Guidelines. If you or any other user violates the guidelines, your dating account may get banned or deleted entirely.

Many users are curious about how they can report a suspicious person. You can do it by pressing the “Block/Report” button in the top right corner of the chatbox.

Is Grindr a Real Dating Site?

You can be sure that Grindr is a 100% real online dating platform. The owner is Grindr LLC. It is a reliable company that focuses on developing up-to-date dating websites and applications driven by databases. Grindr has more than ten years of experience.

How to Use Grindr?

Grindr works as universal dating apps. You have to sign up via Facebook, Google, or email. All new members have to mention their gender and age. It is necessary to switch on geolocation and let it identify your current location. The app will do the rest. You will find a lot of dates who live close to you.

Is Grindr Free?

You should not think that Grindr’s dating services are 100% free. However, you can access some features without paying anything:

1. You can create a new dating profile.
2. It is allowed to browse a maximum of 100 potential matches.
3. Users have the right to receive/send private messages.
4. You can choose one tribe.
5. The members get access to basic search with filters.
6. You can explore the members’ profiles.
7. There is an option to start a group chat.

Does Grindr Really Work?

Grindr App works as a reliable online dating platform, which caters to gay people.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, Grindr is a perfect tool for finding gay partners who live nearby. It has a well-designed interface and relatively reasonable pricing. In general, this app deserves its reputation of being one of the leading platforms in the gay community. We suggest you try Grindr if you are interested in quality, quick gay hookups.

Contact Information

• Company: Grindr LLC
• Address: 750 N. San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, California 90069, USA
• Phone: +1 415 8120244
• Email: [email protected]

Euan Barker

MS, RD & Writer

Nobody is perfect, but I will help you become the best version of yourself! Many couples were skeptical, but I showed them how easy a lot of problems can be solved. If you want to be self-sufficient and stay confident in your partner & relationship, just let me know, I am ready to help!

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