Use Grindr

Grindr (pronounced grind-er) is a popular mobile dating app aimed towards gay, bisexual, and bi-curious men. Running on Android, BlackBerry OS, and iOS phones, it uses your device's geolocation to locate other users close to you. Whether you're looking for a date, new friend, or your future husband, Grindr helps you find nearby guys to meet.

Steps

Setup

  1. Download the app. As mentioned above, Grindr is available on Android, iOS, and BlackBerry OS.
    • For Android devices, you must be running Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread or later.
    • For iOS devices, you must be running iOS 6 or later. The App Store also requires confirmation that you are at least 17 years old in order to download.
  2. Create a new account. Enter your email address and a password. You'll also need to provide your age and complete a CAPTCHA.

Making a Profile

  1. Fill in the fields to create your Grindr profile.
    • Display name: used to identify yourself either with a nickname or your real name
    • Headline: a short phrase to "hook" users onto your profile
    • Age: displays your age. Users must be at least 18 years old to use the app. You have the option to show or hide your age if you wish.
    • About Me: a brief description of your interests, hobbies, likes/dislikes, intentions, etc.
    • Grindr Tribes: these are slang words used within the gay community to identify themselves based on body type and other qualities. For instance, a young, thin college student may set his tribe as Twink , while a man with more weight and body hair may identify himself as Bear.
    • Height, Weight, Body Type, and Ethnicity
    • Looking For: your intentions for the app (chat, dates, friends, networking, relationship, or right now (casual sex))
    • Relationship Status
    • Social networks: you can enter your usernames for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so users can take a look at your profiles on these outlets
    • Make sure to follow Grindr's profile text guidelines. In your profile, you must not write text that is sexually explicit, profane, racist, threatening, advertising, mentions illegal drugs, or promotes unsafe sexual activity.
  2. Upload a display picture. You'll have the option of taking a picture with your camera or upload an existing one from your device gallery. After you've uploaded an image, it will be saved within the app so you can send the same photo to other people without having to re-upload it.
    • For best results, have a clear shot of your face with a natural, fun smile. Try the tips in How to Be Photogenic.
    • Use your device's front-facing camera rather than using a mirror.
    • Make sure to follow Grindr's profile photo guidelines. You must not upload images that are pornographic or sexually explicit, advertise a product or service, show off guns or drugs, violate copyright laws, impersonate another user, or if the subject appears under the age of 18.

Navigating the App

The user interface may have different designs depending on your device and operating system. The images used in this article were taken from an Android phone running 4.4 KitKat.

  1. Tap on an image to go to a user's profile. Scroll down to load more guys.
    • Once at another person's profile, you can see his picture enlarged, his information, and how far away he is from you.
    • Add users to your favourites by tapping on the star.
  2. Get to know the orange taskbar. It contains five icons used for various functions:
    • The mask icon at the very left contains the main menu to view and edit your profile, change settings, get help, and subscribe to Grindr Xtra (the premium service).
    • The speech bubble displays your chats. When you have new messages, this icon will change to a number.
    • The circle hides offline users and only shows those who are currently online.
    • The star shows users you've added to your favourites.
    • The icon with three stacked rectangles sets filter options.

Chatting

  1. Start a new conversation. Go to a user's profile and tap on the speech bubble, or simply double tap his picture on the main screen. Messages are displayed in a texting-style design; your messages are in orange speech bubbles and his are in blue.
  2. Tap the camera icon to send a picture. As with uploading your display picture, you can either take a picture with your camera or use an existing one from the device or app gallery. Crop as need to remove unwanted objects in the background.
  3. Send your location by pressing the menu softkey on your device and choosing "Send Location". This uses the GPS to send a miniature map of your approximate location.

Using Advanced Features

  1. Use the filter to narrow down the number of guys displayed. Tap the last icon on the taskbar to turn on the filter and adjust the following parameters: photo only, Grindr Tribes, age, height, weight, body type, ethnicity, looking for, and relationship status.
    • Note that some filter options are disabled until you buy Grindr Xtra (see below).
  2. Consider purchasing a subscription to Grindr Xtra, the app's premium service. First time users are given a free trial of Xtra for a few weeks. Up until expiration, Xtra unlocks additional features, such as:
    • The ability to display online guys only
    • No banner ads
    • Push notifications for new messages
    • More users shown when scrolling down
    • Filter options: photo only, height, weight, body type, ethnicity, and relationship status
    • The ability to favourite or block an unlimited amount of users

Tips

  • Be concise when completing the About Me field of your profile. You have a limited number of characters, so avoid adding irrelevant information. Stick to a few interests, hobbies, personality traits, and what you're looking for.
  • Grindr is known for having numerous bugs and performance issues. A serious issue is the random dropping of messages. If this is occurring to you, consider changing your headline to "Dropped messages" or something similar.
    • Similarly, since push notifications are absent without Grindr Xtra, many users write "Delayed messages" on their headlines.
  • Use filters to your advantage. If your goal is a long-term relationship, set your filter as only showing guys looking for a relationship to weed out the ones looking for casual sex only.
  • Display common dating site etiquette.
    • Avoid ignoring messages as it's considered impolite. If you aren't interested, kindly tell him no or use the block feature.
    • Refrain from inserting phrases that imply racism or discrimination into your profile, such as "No Asians" or "No femmes" (slang for an effeminate, flamboyant man).
    • Put some effort into keeping a conversation going. One-word answers are frowned upon all over the internet.
  • Spruce up your profile and messages with emojis (iOS and Android).

Warnings

  • Be street smart when arranging to meet a guy in real life, whether for a date or a one-night stand.
  • Sometimes Grindr is hit by spammers. Do not click suspicious links if you are not sure.
  • Due to the nature of casual sex, always stay safe and use condoms properly. Even if he is completely clean, avoid barebacking (unprotected sex) with strangers.

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