Grindr - Gay chat for Android

Grindr is the go-to, location-based hookup app for gay, bi, trans, and queer men, making it easier to connect with guys in their vicinity.

Pros

Quick setup: To create a Grindr account, you'll just need to add your email, password, and birthdate. If you're nervous about providing personal information, such as a birthdate to an app developer, feel free to change the date by a few days. You'll also need to grant Grindr access to your location, so the app can show you guys who are near you. We recommend allowing notifications, so you'll be alerted when guys are interested in you.

Easy to navigate: Grindr shows you a grid of the 100 nearest guys that you can swipe down through. To see more guys, you must upgrade to a premium account, called Grindr XTRA, for $11.99 per month. There's also a Fresh Faces carousel up top that you can swipe through from left to right. Tap one user to get their age information. If they fill out a more complete profile, you'll also learn their height, weight, ethnicity, body type, sexual position, what they're looking for as far as chatting, dating, friends, or hookups; their HIV status; and when they were last tested. If you see a green dot, that means they're online now and ready for action.

Filters: Tap the mask icon on the bottom rail menu to adjust filters. Then tap "My Type" to adjust Basic Filters, such as Age, Looking For, and Tribes (Bear, Daddy, Jock, and so on.) To unlock Advanced Filters -- such as Height, Weight, and Body Type -- you need to upgrade to a premium account.

Approach-avoidance: You can tap the fire icon to alert guys that you're interested. You can also tap the message box to send a message, the star icon to favorite them, or the circle with the slash through it to block or report them. With an upgraded account, you can block or star as many profiles as you want.

Chat options: Within Chat, you can type a message, send a photo, send a meme, and share your location. A paid account also enables you to send timesaving saved phrases, such as "Nice Profile! How are you?" and as many photos as you'd like.

Cons

Annoying ads: If you don't upgrade to a premium account, then be prepared to have your experience interrupted by ads.

Mostly sex-based: While we've heard of couples meeting on Grindr, the app, which features tons of topless shots and sexual data, does seem designed for hookups. If you're looking for a partner, you might look to Tinder or Bumble.

Bottom Line

Grindr is a great, easy-to-use app for those looking to hook up. A basic account gets you enough, but a premium account gets you so much more. But if you're looking for more than a hookup, you might look elsewhere.