There are so many different dating apps to choose from these days that it can be hard to know which ones to try. Some apps try to cater to everyone, whereas others focus on specific sexualities.
The Grindr app was originally created to be a gay dating app for men, but now labels itself as “the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.”.
If you’re thinking of giving Grindr a try, check out our review below to see if it might be a good fit for you.
👍Pros & Cons of Grindr👎
Pros
- Grindr has over 2 million users active on the app daily, giving you more people to match with.
- You are able to send text, image, and audio messages.
- You have the ability to block users that might offend you.
- You can make a new account using your Facebook, Google account, Apple ID, or email.
- Grindr is available both on iOS and Android.
Cons
- Many users are on Grindr to find hookups.
- There is a pay wall to chat with people outside of your city and country.
- There have been reported issues of the app crashing.
- If you don’t pay for a membership, there are visible ads within the app.
🆓Membership structure
The exact user ratio on Grindr is largely unknown, and some of the statistics we were able to find are a few years old.
- Cis men take up the majority of the userbase, as the app has historically been catered towards gay men.
- There are some women using Grindr, though many of them seem to be trans women.
- There are users from many different countries and ethnicities using the app.
- As mentioned previously, many of the users on Grindr typically use the app for hookups rather than serious relationships.
Free services
Luckily, if you aren’t interested in paying for Grindr, there is a list of features available to you that many other apps don’t offer without a fee.
- Sending and receiving emails
- Messaging or tapping other users
- While chatting, you can use Grindr’s own Gaymoji’s
- You can filter your matches with their geolocation feature
Paid services
Of course, if you’re paying for a dating app there are extra features that come along with it. There are two different paid tiers, the smaller version is called XTRA, and the highest tier is Unlimited. Some of the paid features include:
- No ads
- Ability to view up to 600 profiles at a time
- Ability to chat with global users
- Read message receipts
- Unlimited number of favourites and blocks
- Being able to send multiple photos at once
- Choose to see only people that are online at that moment
💰Membership prices
Some people might be fine without the premium features, but there’s no doubt that it can make a huge difference to not only be able to avoid ads, but also being able to use some interesting features such as chatting with users worldwide. If you’re thinking of signing up for a subscription, we’ll break down some of the pricing for you.
Grindr subscriptions can be charged at an interval of monthly, 3 months, 6 months, or yearly.
| Monthly | 3 Months | 6 Months | Yearly | |
| Grindr XTRA | $19.99 | $39.99 | $66.99 | $99.99 |
| Grindr Unlimited | $50 | X | X | $300 |
(Prices in USD)
Our recommendation for a paid subscription if you are new to the app would be Grindr XTRA. Not only is it cheaper and offers more flexibility with payment frequency, but it has most features that you would need. The biggest upgrade that Unlimited offers is the option to go “Incognito”, which allows you to appear offline while you browse profiles.
Payment for Grindr XTRA and Unlimited is made through either your Apple ID or Google Play account which is attached to whatever payment method you attach to your app store, which is generally a credit card.
How to reduce costs
Grindr offers a 7 day free trial of Grindr XTRA before it charges to your account for the full subscription amount. It allows enough time to try out the features, but the downside is that Grindr XTRA is the smaller paid tier and doesn’t offer a free trial for Grindr Unlimited.
✍️Registration
Setting up your account on Grindr is simple and user-friendly, but we will break down the main steps below. It should take no more than 5 minutes!
- Download the app to your iOS or Android device.
- When you open the app, tap “Sign Up” and accept both the terms and conditions and privacy policy if you agree to them.
- You can use either your Facebook, Google account, Apple ID, or email to make your Grindr account. For Facebook, choose that option and allow Facebook access to login through Grindr. There are similar steps with Google and Apple ID. With email, type in your email and create a password.
- After choosing your registration method, you’re all set and ready to log in!
User friendliness
The original version of Grindr is the mobile app, but they have also recently developed a website version that you can use from your desktop. The most interesting thing about the website is the discreet design. The layout is similar to Google Docs, with each profile hidden behind an icon of a folder that needs to be hovered over to see the user’s photo.
A few of the benefits of using the desktop version is larger photo sizes due to the larger screen size of a computer, and the ability to have multiple chat windows on the same page.
The app version is not as discreet and doesn’t hide profile pictures, but it’s also easy to use with a simple design. Besides the possibility of ads showing up in the free version, there are no overwhelming icons or buttons.
🏳️🌈LGBTQ+ inclusivity
In recent years, Grindr has started to advertise itself to be welcoming of everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. One thing to keep in mind is that most users identify as men, as that is part of the reputation of the app, but everyone is now welcome to join.
There are also a variety of gender identity and pronoun options to choose from. Gender identity options include terms such as cis man, trans man, trans woman, woman, and non-binary. Pronoun options are he, she, or they. For both gender and pronouns, you can also put in your own custom terms.
💌Contacting users
Unlike other dating apps, Grindr allows users to message each other without needing to match with them first. Also, the basic messaging feature is available for free. Through the chat feature, you can send text, image, and video messages as well as Gaymojis. If you have a paid subscription, you can use “Saved Phrases” to send small, quick messages in the chat.
If you’re not interested in messaging someone first, Grindr also has a “tap” feature that you can click on to notify that user that you’re interested in them, and they might reach out to you if they’re also interested.
🙋FAQ
Do I need to be 18 to use Grindr?
- Yes. To protect yourself and other users, you need to be 18 years or older.
Is Grindr only for gay people?
- Grindr is now open for anyone to join, but it does have a history of being mostly for gay men. There is also no filter for sexual orientation, so the best option is to check out each person’s profile.
Is Grindr safe?
- It’s always good to be cautious no matter that site or app you’re using, but Grindr has no tolerance for harassment, racism, hate speech, and anything else that may make you uncomfortable. You can block and report a user, as well as reach out to the customer support team at [email protected]
What is Grindr doing to combat racism?
- Grindr is committed to create a positive and safe environment. They encourage users to report racism and hate speech if they see it. They also encourage everyone to educate themselves about discrimination and being a bystander.
How can I delete my account?
- If you found that special someone or you’re just not interested in using Grindr, you need to delete your profile through “settings” under the “privacy” option.
Our thoughts
Is Grindr worth trying out? Ultimately, it may slightly depend on how you identify and what you’re looking for. Although Grindr has opened its arms to the greater LGBTQ+ community, the majority of its users remain as cis men. Grindr is also generally an app with people that are more focused on finding hookups rather than long-term relationships.
However, the app is easy to use and has a number of free features that make it possible to find matches without being forced into a subscription. Then, if you decide to upgrade into a paid subscription, there are several extra features that become available to you.
Overall, we hope that this article has given you enough information to make the decision on whether or not you would like to give Grindr a try.
ℹ️ Company info
The Grindr dating app was created in 2009 by Grindr LLC for gay men. Now, Grindr is considered the largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.
Grindr LLC
750 N San Vicente Blvd West Hollywood
CA 90069
(310) 776-6695
