West Hollywood-based Grindr Inc., a popular social platform for the queer community, launched as a mobile app in 2009. But now its technology is rewinding: Grindr recently unveiled a desktop browser version called Grindr Web. The app’s new platform was launched in alpha during the first quarter and was rolled out globally in a beta version earlier this month.
Grindr was among the first location-based apps for gay men. Over the years, in its long-running mobile format, Grindr has gained global prominence and pivoted to include a larger swath of bisexual, transgender and queer users.
Patrick Lenihan, Grindr’s global head of communications, said that there was an early “skunkworks” web app that came out around 2019, but it was quietly and quickly discontinued due to a lack of “institutional traction.” He added that the full Grindr Web platform that was released this month had been in the works for about a year and will be strategically important for future projects and offerings, which he declined to discuss.
Older users
Grindr users create profiles with photos, akin to Bumble or Santa Monica-based Tinder, and, using GPS, find people nearby to chat or meet up with. Grindr Web is designed to allow for easier profile browsing and to be attractive to users ages 30 to 50, individuals who may have begun using social platforms on a computer rather than a phone.
“Folks who are millennial and older definitely have a little bit more of an affinity for web-based products,” Lenihan said. “There are also accessibility advantages to a web product that enable folks who may have vision impairments or have a tough time just working on smaller screens. This creates a much bigger form factor that they can engage with.”
Grindr said in its first-quarter financial report, which was released earlier this month, that it has more than 13 million monthly active users. It reported about 11 million monthly active users for 2021, and 12 million in 2022, showing moderate but consistent growth.
Chief Executive George Arison said in a statement that, compared to other social apps, Grindr remains popular with people across different generations. Lenihan attributes this to Grindr not being designed for any one specific purpose, comparing it to the dating app Hinge. Hinge promotes itself as being “designed to be deleted,” and is geared for users who are looking for serious relationships. Lenihan said that Grindr’s user base is continually refreshed because of the wide range of options for its use.
“Grindr is an app that was, at its core, designed to help people connect for hookups and sex, but it’s a lot more than that,” Lenihan said. “We find that one of the primary use cases people go to Grindr for is to make friends or just to connect with new people in an area, whether it be in their neighborhoods, at home, or when they’re traveling. There are, I think, a much broader set of use cases that people put Grindr to, than they would Tinder or Hinge … we’ve remained relevant to our community through generations, by staying authentic and through understanding the culture of our community.”
While many social networking and dating companies have previously launched as desktop apps and then rolled out mobile versions — think of Facebook and the Canadian dating app Plenty of Fish — Grindr is reversing this formula. Kristin Diehl, a professor of marketing at the USC Marshall School of Business, said that there is a general trend of businesses making their services available to a user in any way that user could want to interact with.
“For businesses that started before mobile took off, that meant that they first offered a web-based version and then added apps,” Diehl said. “For businesses that got their start in the mobile era, such as Grindr, that trend means that they are adding web interfaces … In some cases, it may not be worthwhile to do so, or, given limited resources, businesses may prioritize one approach or the other. But those instances will be few and far between.”
Peace of mind
The company has also said that the desktop version may help users who aren’t out of the closet feel more comfortable, stressing that Grindr Web lets individuals use the platform without having to have the mobile app on their phones. Grindr is used in more than 190 countries, some of which criminalize homosexuality.
The company’s goal of enabling more “discrete use” spurred it to create a quick-exit function, which allows users to hit the “Escape” button three times to close Grindr Web and open a Google homepage. A desktop version also facilitates easier access for global users who live in places where cellular data is less available or is more expensive.
The desktop launch comes almost exactly a year after Grindr announced it would go public via a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Shares in the company began trading under the symbol GRND on the New York Stock Exchange in November, with a year-to-date peak of $7.21. It closed at $6.22 on Thursday. Revenue for the first quarter of this year was $55.8 million, compared to $43.5 million for the prior-year quarter.
In its recent earnings report, Grindr also said that Grindr Web is part of an effort to monetize its “strong” user engagement and increase its base of paid subscribers.
Grindr Web is currently available only on premier “XTRA” and unlimited subscriptions, which start at $19.99 per month and $39.99 per month, respectively. Lenihan noted that paid subscribers tend to skew older, and that a browser version would cater to that demographic. It plans to supplement its “à la carte” offerings to increase one-time payments and roll out more features that are available only to subscribers.
“Our overall business objective is to increase the number of payers that we have on the platform to increase revenue,” Lenihan said. “The more revenue we make, the more we can channel back into our community and help. We’re hopeful to continue being successful.”
