Use particular caution if you use Grindr in countries where homosexuality is illegal, such as those I mention in my article about gay travel in Muslim countries. If you don’t, you may bring more back from your trip than fond memories and overpriced souvenirs.
If even one thing he says or a single one of his pictures doesn’t sit well with you, call the meeting off: Peacing out of an undesirable hookup is much more awkward than simply avoiding it in the first place.Īlthough it’s always a good idea to ask someone about his HIV status and whether he’s free of STDs, people can and do lie, so you should always protect yourself. Grindr Tips, Tricks and SafetyĪlways go with your gut feeling about someone. The cool thing about Google Maps (on iDevices, anyway) is that as long as you make the map while connected to Wi-Fi and don’t close out of the app, it lets you track your location relative to your destination as you make your way to your suitor-in-waiting. I usually plug the address into Google Maps to get directions from wherever my “Current Location” is. In some situations, such as when you use Grindr in Dominican Republic or Grindr Mexico, the GPS itself might be off.įor this reason, I recommend sending or requesting not only a location, but also a street address and, if necessary, apartment number. What the map doesn’t provide the guest with is the host’s address, or the opportunity to chart a route there. Once you’ve decided you want to meet a guy, the person who’s hosting sends a map of his location, which shows you his exact position. If a guy doesn’t get back to you instantly, don’t take it personally: He may not have Grindr open on his device at all. Just tap the picture to see his profile, which states how recently he was using the app. If there’s no green circle, the guy has been online recently but is idle. If a green circle appears on a guy’s thumbnail, he’s currently online, or at least Grindr believes him to be. Tap a guy’s thumbnail to access a private chat interface, where you can exchange messages, maps and photos, including of your you-know-whats. You can get to know as much as possible about your potential lay before you meet him! Unlike the aforementioned old-school sites, which include Manhunt and GayRomeo, Grindr doesn’t limit the number of messages you can send or the amount of media you can transfer. Within a minute, several “pops” were coming out of my iPhone’s speaker, which indicated interested guys had sent me messages. Many, many Octobers ago in Madrid, frustrated by my lack of success finding a man using old-school gay websites, I installed Grindr for the first time. The app’s splash screen is a mess of thumbnail photos, which show guys near your current position in order of how close or far away they are, relatively to you. Grindr is a GPS-enabled, location-based app, so it automatically logs your position whenever you log in, whether you’re using Grindr in Spain, Grindr Italy or Grindr Amsterdam. 2018 UPDATE: Grindr is now “woke,” and though it’s an app for gay men to find sex, now asks you to specify your gender and pronouns apparently women and those who identify as such can now get laid on Grindr. You’ll also have the opportunity to input basic profile details, like your stats, a headline and a short blurb. Upon launching Grindr, you’ll be prompted to upload a single, G-rated picture (You can exchange images of a naughtier sort once you get your first chat started).
Simply launch the application store for the platform you use, search for “Grindr” and wait for the free app to install on your device.
Getting Grindr onto your smartphone is easy, whether you use an Android or iPhone. From Grindr in Paris to Grindr in Madrid, and even more obscure scenarios like Grindr in Sri Lanka, your life is about to change.
If you’re a gay “Christopher Columbus” type and like to “sample the local flavor” - I detail some of my experiences doing this in previous articles about the men-folk of Brazil and Israel - you absolutely must download a wondrous mess of code known as Grindr onto your Android, BlackBerry or iPhone. There’s more than one way to see the worldĪnd some of us like to stick close to home Promiscuity is nothing more than traveling
Although I have decided to retain this post on my site due to its popularity and the validity of the stories it conveys, I think I have passed the point in my life where Grindr is of use to me, as a traveler or otherwise.
Update (11 March 2021): I appreciate the legacy of having used Grindr during my world travels, especially in my 20s and early 30s, but the era of Covid-19 has made me reassess my relationship with the app.