Instagram is making Grindr irrelevant in 2019
Years ago I was dating someone who opened my eyes to the emergence of Instagram as a dating app. For the record, we didn’t meet online – it was an organic encounter (gasp!)- and so we had no prior knowledge of each other. Inevitably the question of ” what apps are you on?” came up. So I told him that I was on Grindr and he informed me he didn’t use “hook up apps.” When I asked about social media, he confessed his love for Instagram.
After a few more dates, I deleted my Grindr on his request. I, however, did not ask him to delete his Instagram. That would be ludicrous, right? One is a hook up app and the other is a fun app to share photos with your social network. Or so I thought…
The irony of it all
Over time it became clear to me that there was more than met the eye for his affinity for Instagram. Being an adept user of the app, he knew how to attract followers using hashtags and comments and then making friends by commenting and eventually sliding into the DMs. It dawned on me that he was using the app in the same way I had been using Grindr. The difference was that Grindr has a reputation for being a hook up app for horny gays, whereas Instagram is an innocuous photo sharing app for everyone. Totally different, right? Wrong. Eventually, we broke up and shortly after, he began a relationship with someone he met on Instagram. Imagine that.
A moment for some gratitude
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge that we are quite blessed to be living in a time where we have the technology to display a grid of the closest men to our location, their bio, photos, and the ability to communicate with them from the comfort of our homes. You can go from watching Queer Eye to hooking up with the hot guy across the street within minutes. While I have my qualms about the long-term effects of these apps (future post), one thing is for sure: it has never been easier to find dick than it is in 2019. So let’s be grateful for that.
Grindr vs. Instagram: a comparison
In the years since that relationship ended, Instagram has moved in on the gay dating app space, especially after adding disappearing messages and 24-hour stories to the mix (thank you, Snapchat). So let’s look at some key components of both apps:
| Criteria (in order of importance) | Grindr | Point | |
| Pics | An app designed for sharing photos, complete with filters and multiple ways to engage. Pics are plentiful and open to anyone who follows you. Plus you can send disappearing pics for one-time use. | Upload pics and send them at user’s discretion. Lots of time spent asking “more pics?” No way to know if pics are real or not. | |
| Identity | Linked to Facebook and an email address. Not to mention most people have hundreds of photos on their feed. | Catfishing and fake profiles are a real problem. Most guys link their Grindr profile to Instagram to validate their identity | Instgram |
| Location | Can use hashtags, search places, or follow local groups to find guys in your area. | Organizes men in order of closest to furthest. In the free version, it’s 90 profiles and if you’re downtown Toronto, that gets you about a ~200 metre radius. | Grindr |
| Reputation | The queen jewel of social media. An ever-evolving cultural phenomenon that popularized filters and selfies to the masses. | Gay hook up app. | |
| Convenience | Takes time to build your followers and find people who are willing to engage | Immediately have access to 90 men in a 200-metre radius who are looking for something. Start chatting and enjoy! | Grindr |
| Cost | Free. Sponsored ads appear in the feed. No pop ups. | Free version has basic features and pop ups that act as constant, annoying cock blocks. XTRA is subscription service with more features and 6x the profiles. $23/month or $93/year. |
Verdict
I weighed Pics and Identity highly because if you can’t see the person you’re chatting with and if you’re not sure if they’re real, then you may as well just head over to Pornhub. Now, if it’s just about convenience- and sometimes it is- then I choose Grindr for my “NSA looking for now” needs. But for overall chatting and meeting guys, I prefer Instagram.
Instagram closing in
Instagram basically cut Snapchat at the knees during their meteoric rise, and I think Grindr et al are next. The folks at Instagram are paying attention by adding features we like (disappearing pics, anyone?) while leveraging their vast photo-sharing social network. It helps that we love pretty things, and Instagram is in the business of making things pretty. Because Grindr continues to stumble on issues of fake and empty profiles- not to mention those annoying pop-up ads- Instagram is well positioned to become the go-to for gay dating apps.
