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. Grindr plans to add more emojis to the collection in the future. Use them to personalize chats in-app or text messages you send on your phone. The second fun messaging feature is Gaymoji, a collection of over 500 LGBTQ-themed stickers. Store your favorites and most frequently used for easy access. Saved phrases may come from messages you have sent or messages other users have sent. The first is saved phrases for Grindr Xtra users. Grindr has two messaging features that are unique to the app.
Tap the chat bubble at the bottom right corner of the screen to access your messages. 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.
To view a user's profile information, swipe up anywhere on their profile photo. Use 'Fresh Faces' at the top of your matches grid to view the newest users in your area. 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. Refresh your matches by placing your finger at the top of the cascade, pulling your finger down, then releasing it. Profiles automatically load as you scroll down your cascade until you've reached the maximum number of profiles allowed. Men in your area will be displayed using geolocation. To view possible matches, head to the cascade page. A 'Sexual Health' section allows users to display their HIV status and last tested date. Users can indicate a preferred sexual position as well as any Tribes they belong to (Bear, Clean-cut, Geek, Jock, Otter, Poz, Twink, etc). 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. The Grindr profile's most interesting details are found in the 'Stats' section. Upload a profile photo, then choose a display name and write a short “About Me” blurb to introduce yourself. To sign up, input your email and date of birth, select a password, and turn on your phone's location services. The app is visually uncluttered and extremely simple to use.
For a small fee, users can upgrade to Grindr Xtra, a premium subscription service, for an ad-free experience and access to additional features.
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. Grindr was also selected as an Official Honoree of the Webby Awards for award-winning work in the Social (handheld devices) category. The app was named the winner of TechCrunch's 2011 Crunchies Award for Best Location Application and 's Readers' Choice Award for Best Dating App. Grindr has received multiple awards at the iDate Awards industry conference, including "Best Mobile Dating App" three times. 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.Ī flood of awards followed.
It was the first ever gay geosocial app to launch in the iTunes App Store. Grindr was a trailblazer in the truest sense of the word. 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. With on average 3.6 million daily active users in 196 countries, Grindr is the largest all-male mobile social network in the world.