The Rise and Fall of Grindr: How 14 Million Users Are Being Held Hostage by Bugs and Paywalls In today's digital age, finding romantic connections, casual encounters, and dates is just a few swipes away. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced among LGBTQ individuals, who are significantly more likely to use dating apps than their straight counterparts, according to the Pew Research Center. Grindr, launched in 2009, revolutionized dating and intimacy for queer men over the past 15 years. The emergence of accessible apps catering specifically to the queer community dismantled significant barriers to finding fellow LGBTQ individuals in one's area, becoming a cornerstone of queer sex culture. However, given recent product issues and growing user frustration, other apps are vying for the top spot. Grindr's rise to become a household name showcases the community's progress, from early 2000s Craigslist ads to the "largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people." The Swift Decline of Grindr In 2024, Grindr has been plagued by issues: updates that led to severe bugs and the introduction of further paywalls. The latter includes limiting the visibility of "taps" (a feature indicating interest without sending a direct message), which are now only visible within three hours of being sent. Also, the "explore" feature (allowing you to bypass the usual location-based method of seeing other users) unlocks only one profile outside a user's grid a day, whereas it used to unlock three. These can only be circumnavigated by purchasing a subscription. When an app like Grindr becomes so deeply ingrained in the queer experience, the removal of features and its failure to deliver due to bugs can feel like a betrayal at best, or a user being severed from the queer community at worst. Especially when features like taps, indicating attraction, are hidden behind a paywall, it becomes clear that connection between people is no longer the main priority for the organisation at this point. Read more about Grindr's shocking downfall and how 14 million users are being held hostage by bugs and paywalls at carsnewstoday.com.

Despite the emergence of numerous alternatives, Grindr remains the most dominant dating app, boasting an impressive 14 million active monthly users worldwide, according to a company spokesperson. In response to user grievances, Grindr’s spokesperson acknowledged, “Following a significant investment in modernizing our chat platform earlier this year, our users have encountered technical difficulties on Grindr. We appreciate our users’ loyalty and support as we invest in upgrading and enhancing the Grindr experience.”

However, this raises the question: how can an app with such a massive user base (and a revenue of $82 million in Q2 2024 alone) struggle to maintain an acceptable level of functionality? Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) are filled with user complaints, detailing instances of unexpected glitches. Other apps have faced similar issues, such as Feeld’s updates last year, which caused usability problems.

Gus*, an active Grindr user based in London, believes the Grindr bugs must be “infuriating for those who rely heavily on them, particularly in smaller cities, or those living with disabilities.” For himself, he tolerates the bugs and acknowledges that the paid tiers aren’t inexpensive.

Grindr’s paid tiers start at £8.99/$12.99 for a one-week subscription to “XTRA” and up to £34.99/$39.99 for one month of “UNLIMITED” as of publication. Both tiers remove significant limitations placed on free accounts, including the ability to view more profiles, taps, and fewer third-party ads.

Other gay dating apps, like Taimi and SCRUFF, seize the opportunity

While Grindr has remained an LGBTQ household name, other apps are gaining popularity. Alex Pasykov, founder and CEO of inclusive LGBTQ dating app Taimi, views this moment as an opportunity, as “since their creation, all apps focused on the algorithm of a man looking for a man have been competing with Grindr in one way or another and dreamed of winning the attention of at least part of their audience.”

He recognizes that users already utilize multiple apps simultaneously, with their research suggesting that 60 percent of Taimi users employ other apps for various reasons.

SCRUFF and Jack’d are two popular LGBTQ apps with 30 million combined registered profiles, many of which log in monthly, according to a spokesperson. SCRUFF represents around 65 percent of these, and Jack’d represents the remaining 35 percent. The developer declined to share the exact figures of monthly active users.

Our company takes pride in its distinctive identity as a privately held and queer-owned and queer-led entity, notes Eric Silverberg, founder of Perry Street Software, the visionary behind SCRUFF and Jack’d, emphasizing this unique aspect as a key differentiator between Perry Street and other apps.

“In stark contrast, publicly traded competitors in the dating landscape are driven by the imperative to generate profits,” Silverberg explains. “This relentless pursuit of revenue inevitably leads to a surge in pricing pressure across the board in the software industry, with the dating industry being particularly vulnerable.” Grindr’s IPO in 2022 serves as a prime example, with publicly traded companies owning other major dating apps, including Tinder and Hinge (both owned by Match Group) and Bumble.

“The dating industry is particularly susceptible to pricing pressure due to its widespread adoption of subscription-based models, second only to video and music streaming services,” Silverberg observes. “The past couple of years have witnessed a significant upward trend in pricing pressure, which is most pronounced for publicly traded companies.”

This issue is not unique to Grindr. Users of apps like Tinder and Bumble have expressed frustration over the years, citing an increase in ads and a decrease in free features.

Donny Smith, chief creative officer at Bttr., a brand and digital experience company, echoes Silverberg’s sentiment. “Dating apps are neglecting their user base by prioritizing profits over user experience. The relentless push for revenue through increased paywalls is alienating users who crave a seamless, reliable experience.”

Eric, a Boston-based user of queer apps, shares his experience, “Grindr has become almost unusable at times. The ads are overwhelming, popping up three times more frequently than on SCRUFF, and it takes multiple attempts to close them.” He has since shifted his focus to Sniffies, a hyper-localized LGBTQ app focused on cruising and a lack of censorship, aiming to facilitate spontaneous, real-life encounters, currently in a global rollout.

“SCRUFF ads are more manageable, and Sniffies’ free version is surprisingly usable, with ads that are simply messages at the top of your chat list, not intrusive,” Eric continues.

Both SCRUFF and Sniffies offer paid tiers similar to Grindr. SCRUFF Pro starts at £6.99/$9.99 per week, with discounted tiers for longer subscriptions, and offers the ability to access complete messaging histories, which are locked on free tiers. Sniffies pricing starts at £5.99/$10.99 for a one-week trial with similarly discounted tiers and offers the ability to unblock users, view unlimited profiles, and post widely received updates.

Dating apps are compromising their user base by prioritising financial gain over user satisfaction.

Sniffies' creative vision is driven by a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, and we strive to create a platform that is not only functional but also empowering, bold, and inclusive,” says Eli Martin, Sniffies' CMO and creative director.

Similarly, Silverberg attributes some of Perry Street's success to a genuine understanding and focus on the LGBTQ community. “We have worked over the years to build a very thoughtful, very intentional queer ad business,” he says. “We only partner with advertisers who genuinely want to be on our platform, they really want to reach our community, not working with unscrupulous gaming companies.”

Silverberg explains that some ads are intended to normalise and share vital messages, recognising that repeated exposure to messaging on PrEP (a medication used to significantly reduce the risk of contracting HIV), can have a profound effect in the long term.

Grindr's frequent pop-up ads, meanwhile, often feature low-budget games that push you toward the App Store.

The imperative for gay dating apps to remain accessible

Eric explains that “meeting people on apps is sometimes easier for me,” continuing that he’s “not necessarily a big ‘club’ person, so I’m not often in spaces where people are trying to find someone for romantic or sexual encounters.”

Seventy-two percent agreed that online dating plays a significant role in making connections and forming relationships with others in the LGBTQIA+ community, according to a survey by Tinder provided to , carried out with 4,000 respondents from the LGBTQIA+ community in the UK, U.S., Australia and Canada.

The cost of living crisis is likely to affect those from marginalised groups more severely. With dating and hookup apps also facing rising costs and increasing their subscription prices, those from marginalised groups are likely to be disproportionately impacted by changes made by developers in their pursuit of financial stability and profit maximisation. With free functionality beginning to become more limited as paywalls rise, it is not unreasonable to suspect barriers to accessing queer communities will increase.

“I’m a business owner,” Silverberg explains. “And so we have software subscription products that we buy to power our business. They are all pressing us. Every single one is pressing us on price in the last 12 to 24 months.”

Popular platforms like Grindr are attempting to shift the burden of rising costs to their users. This strategy reeks of myopia, treating customers as mere cash cows rather than the lifeblood of their business. In the delicate sphere of online dating, users yearn for faith in their preferred platforms, not the sensation that they will be exploited to find a potential partner. By prioritizing financial gains over human connections, these apps risk estranging their core demographic.

* Dating app users opted to use their first names only for reasons of discretion.

This column represents the viewpoint of the author.