eSAFETY GUIDE
Grindr logo

Grindr

18+
Minimum age according to Grindr
18+ Minimum age according to Grindr

Chat content is adult and often sexual in nature.

What is Grindr?

Grindr is a dating and meeting online app predominantly used by gay and bisexual men and the trans and queer community. It uses your device’s GPS to locate other users nearby and displays their profile pictures in a grid, ordered by their distance from you. Tapping on a profile picture opens the full profile where you can initiate a chat.

Profiles can include a ‘looking for’ field which has pre-defined options ranging from ‘relationship’ to ‘right now’. Images can also be sent and received on Grindr, including expiring photos, which are designed to only be viewed once and disappear after 10 seconds. Grindr states that it is not possible to take screenshots of expiring images, however, there still may be ways for someone to keep a copy, so consider what feels comfortable to share.

Grindr also has an album feature which lets you create a private collection of photos and videos that you can choose to share with specific people. You can turn off sharing at any time, which removes their access to the content. The album feature is also intended to block screenshots.

Depending on your settings and subscription level, people may be able to use the ‘views’ feature on Grindr to see who has viewed their profile.

Paid subscriptions of Grindr display more profiles and have additional features such as video chat, enhanced search and unlimited expiring picture sends.

Website: www.grindr.com
Apps: Android app, Apple iOS app

How do people use Grindr?

Learn more about the benefits and risks associated with how people use online relationship services like Grindr.

Grindr is used for: in-app purchasing, location sharing, messaging/online chat, online dating, online relationships, photo/video sharing and screen capture.

How can you block someone or report online abuse?

This link is provided by Grindr:

How can you protect your personal information?

These links are provided by Grindr:

Key safety links

These links are provided by Grindr:

  • Grindr community guidelines 
    These guidelines cover safety, respect and what’s appropriate for a profile picture.
  • Help centre 
    Offers a range of general help, safety, sexual health and gender identity information.
  • Safety guide 
    Provides practical advice if you are using Grindr somewhere it is not safe to be LGBTIQ+.
  • Terms of service 
    The conditions you agree to when you use the Grindr app.

Related eSafety links

Find other resources to help keep you safe online:

Social media changes are coming

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australian children under 16 create or keep an account.

Find out more at eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub.

About The eSafety Guide

The eSafety Guide helps you find out how to protect your personal information and report harmful content on common social media, games, apps and sites. Entries are for information only and are not reviews or endorsements by eSafety. Before choosing to use any online service or platform it’s best to:

  • do your own research to understand the risks and benefits
  • check the age rating and requirements
  • consider privacy
  • check the permissions and other settings
  • check the in-app reporting options.

If you are a parent or carer who is deciding whether a child should be allowed to use an online service or platform, you can also:

  • consider your child's readiness for the types of content and experiences they might encounter
  • help them understand what to do if they need help
  • provide ongoing support and monitoring, for example through regular check-ins with your child
  • agree to some rules about use of each service or platform.

To find out more, you can read the App checklist for parents, as well as information about parental controls in social media, games and apps and mental wellbeing resources for families.