By AppHub Editorial Team · Updated August 3, 2026
Grindr - Gay Dating & Chat
Overview
Social
Grindr LLC
Free
Feb 25, 2011
26.2.0
8.0
$0.99 - $399.99 per item
No
Feb 27, 2026
Features
Grindr is the world’s #1 free dating app serving the LGBTQ community. If you’re gay, bi, trans, queer, or even just curious, Grindr is the best and easiest way to meet new people for friendships, dates, and whatever else you’re looking for.
On a trip? Grindr is an indispensable tool for LGBTQ travelers—log in to meet locals and get recommendations for bars, restaurants, events, and more. With Grindr in your pocket, you’ll always be connected to other LGBTQ people around you and have your finge...
Grindr is the world’s #1 free dating app serving the LGBTQ community. If you’re gay, bi, trans, queer, or even just curious, Grindr is the best and easiest way to meet new people for friendships, dates, and whatever else you’re looking for. On a trip? Grindr is an indispensable tool for LGBTQ travelers—log in to meet locals and get recommendations for bars, restaurants, events, and more. With Grindr in your pocket, you’ll always be connected to other LGBTQ people around you and have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening. Ready to get started? Creating your profile is easy, and you can share as much or little about yourself as you like. Within minutes you’ll be ready to connect, chat, and meet up with people near you. Grindr is faster and better than ever:
Download Grindr - Gay Dating & Chat
Get the official app from the trusted app stores. You will be redirected to the download page.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Ratings breakdown
1,450,000 reviewsDeveloper contact
Name
Grindr LLC
Address
750 N San Vicente Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069-5788 United States
Website
http://www.grindr.comPhone
+1 310-776-6680
Support
help-android@grindr.com
Privacy
View policyFrequently Asked Questions
Is Grindr free to use? high
Yes, the app is free to download and use. However, the free version includes third-party ads, and many core features (like seeing more profiles, filtering, and removing ads) are locked behind paid subscriptions, which costs between $0.99 and $399.99 per item. Recent user reviews indicate that the free experience is heavily impacted by ads.
Source: app_listing_metadata, user_reviews
Does Grindr have a lot of ads? high
According to recent user reviews, the free version of Grindr has a very high number of intrusive ads. Users report ads popping up when opening the app, replying to messages, and even in the middle of typing, often causing them to lose their message. This is a recurring complaint in the latest user feedback.
Source: user_reviews
What is the cost of Grindr XTRA and Unlimited? high
In-app purchases range from $0.99 to $399.99 per item. Grindr XTRA removes third-party ads and offers features like seeing up to 600 profiles. Grindr Unlimited offers further premium features like incognito mode and an unlimited grid. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled.
Source: app_listing_metadata
Is Grindr for everyone? high
No. Grindr is for adults 18 years and older only and has a 'Mature 17+' content rating. It is specifically designed for the LGBTQ community, including gay, bi, trans, queer, and curious individuals.
Source: app_listing_metadata
Does the app have bugs? medium
Based on recent reviews, users report that Grindr has stability issues. Some complain that every update introduces new bugs, that support is unresponsive, and that the location finding function often fails, requiring the app to be force-closed and reopened.
Source: user_reviews
How to Use
Grindr is a location-based social networking app for the LGBTQ community to connect with others nearby for dating, chat, and travel recommendations. (app_description)
Getting Started
Source: app_description_and_user_feedback_noted
- Step 1: Download and install the Grindr app from the Google Play Store.
- Step 2: Create a profile. You can share as much or as little personal information as you like.
- Step 3: The app will use your location to show you a 'grid' of nearby users.
- Step 4: Tap on a profile to view it, then start chatting, share photos, or favorite/block other users. Be aware that the free version includes ads that may interrupt your activity.
- Step 5: Use filters (available with paid subscriptions) or tags to find people based on interests.
Key Features (from app listing)
Source: app_description
- See people nearby based on location.
- Chat and share private photos.
- Add and search tags to find others with shared interests.
- Create and un-share private photo albums.
- Filter search, star favorites, and block or report other users.
- Subscription tiers (XTRA and Unlimited) provide additional features like removing ads, seeing more profiles, and incognito browsing.
This tip is directly responsive to a verified user concern (intrusive ads) and offers a solution mentioned in the app's own description (XTRA subscription removes 3rd party ads).
How this content was created
Content type: pattern_analysis_of_user_reviews_and_metadata
AI generated: Yes
- Google Play user reviews (12-20 preferred; may be smaller if source data is limited per app), Date range of available reviews: September 2025 to February 2026
- Google Play ratings distribution
- App Store listing metadata
- Review samples are not statistically representative of all user sentiment
- Claims labeled 'medium' confidence are based on only 2 reviews from a single bucket
- Claims labeled 'high' confidence are based on 4+ reviews from a single bucket (recent_reviews) but lack cross-bucket validation
- No real-world app testing was conducted
- Feature availability may vary by region, device, and app version
Pros & Cons
Based on analysis of Google Play user reviews
Pros
- Large user base provides many potential connections for LGBTQ community worldwide.
Theme 'Large user base' identified in app description and ratings count.
Evidence (1)
“Grindr is the world’s #1 free dating app serving the LGBTQ community.”Rating: 5★ N/A - Free to use with basic features like seeing nearby profiles and chatting.
Theme 'Free basic features' identified in app description.
Evidence (1)
“Grindr is the world’s #1 free dating app serving the LGBTQ community.”Rating: 5★ N/A - Useful for LGBTQ travelers to meet locals and get recommendations.
Theme 'Travel utility' identified in app description.
Evidence (1)
“On a trip? Grindr is an indispensable tool for LGBTQ travelers—log in to meet locals and get recommendations for bars, restaurants, events, and more.”Rating: 5★ N/A
Cons
- Excessive and intrusive ads disrupt messaging and basic app usage.
Theme 'Intrusive ads' identified in recent_review #1, #3, #4, #5.
Evidence (4)
“cut off by ads all the time, and half the time they don't even load through.”Rating: 1★ February 15, 2026 107 likes“An ad popping up in the middle of typing a message is deplorable.”Rating: 2★ February 21, 2025 986 likes“Now their ads pop up all the time! Even while I'm in the middle of typing a message, which makes me lose my message.”Rating: 1★ March 22, 2025 2,274 likes“It plays ads when you open the app, reply to messages, and sometimes in the middle of typing messages.”Rating: 1★ April 09, 2025 2,416 likes - Core features like seeing profiles are locked behind expensive paywalls.
Theme 'Aggressive paywall' identified in recent_review #1, #2, #5.
Evidence (3)
“you literally can't do anything unless you pay. and it bugs you every 5 minutes to pay.”Rating: 1★ September 09, 2025 4,755 likes“your grid is based off of percentage of profiles in the area without a paid subscription.”Rating: 1★ February 15, 2026 107 likes“they are locking more and more free features behind the paywall.”Rating: 1★ April 09, 2025 2,416 likes - Poor customer support with unhelpful or no responses to issues.
Theme 'Bad customer support' identified in recent_review #4.
Evidence (1)
“they almost never respond to your messages...and when they finally do...it's often just a form response that doesn't actually respond to the problem”Rating: 1★ March 22, 2025 2,274 likes
Recent Reviews
Sal Monroe
1★This isn't even an app at this point. it's just an ad viewing center. cut off by ads all the time, and half the time they don't even load through. the ones that don't, you can't skip. close the app and try to do anything and you immediately get hit with an ad. not to mention your grid is based off of percentage of profiles in the area without a paid subscription. This is no longer a service, I would hardly even call it a platform with the direction it's going. sponsor deals and ads, sellouts
Andrew
1★I don't understand how this app is alive, let alone so heavily used and recommended still. you literally can't do anything unless you pay. and it bugs you every 5 minutes to pay. then when you finally pay, their settings are so restrictive ,that you can't actually do anything with people unless your literal only focus is to drive through random towns hooking up. it will not let you set a radius on your connections or searches and there are so many blatant fake profiles.
Remy Craft
2★The repetitive ads are WAYYYY too much. An ad popping up in the middle of typing a message is deplorable. If I close the ad, I have to retype everything? Shameful, but I close anyways. $20 a month for premium is too much in my opinion. If there are not enough people paying, then something is either wrong with your app or the paid benefits aren't good enough. The only reason it's a two star is I like the unlimited blocks. If that's ever taken away, I'm just going to delete the app altogether.
Drew Briggs
1★Still, every time the app gets an update, it screws something up in the app. Now their ads pop up all the time! Even while I'm in the middle of typing a message, which makes me lose my message. They also say "contact support and we'll help you", but then they almost never respond to your messages...and when they finally do (after I send a follow-up message asking them to actually respond), it's often just a form response that doesn't actually respond to the problem that I'm having. So annoying!
Nick Haneberg
1★Ads are getting out of control. It plays ads when you open the app, reply to messages, and sometimes in the middle of typing messages. Plus, they are locking more and more free features behind the paywall. For an app that needs to be force closed and reopened just for the location finding function to reset, the corporate team should focus on making an app that works before worrying about why people won't pay $20 a month for an app that doesn't work, doesn't combat spam, bots, and scammers.