It is not a stretch to say that Grindr is a staple in the gay community, the queer community at large even. So when the app does something like, oh I don't know, drops a slew of new features in addition to doubling the price of their premium subscription, as they've done this summer, it's big news.
In a drop dubbed Grindr Unlimited, the location-based dating app implemented a slate of new add-on features that come in addition to Grindr Xtra. With Xtra, the app upcharges users who wants features like being able to see more profiles, additional filtering options, the ability to send more than one photo at once, unlimited blocks, read receipts, unlimited favorites, and saved phrases. It was previously $11.99 per month, but doubled in price, going up to $24.99 this June.
\u201c@Grindr After being a Grindr (free) subscriber for many years and being a (paid) subscriber for several years, I'm shocked about the message I received today about the paid subscription price hike from $11.99 to $24.99/month. That more than double the current subscription price!\u201d— Lee Desiderio (@Lee Desiderio) 1559829945
Now Unlimited, which has been pushed recently on social media by the app, boasts the ability to see unlimited profiles, to view who has viewed you, see typing status, go Incognito, and to unsend messages as well as the Xtra features. You can even disguise your Grindr icon with a "discreet app icon" and add a 4-digit pin code to lock the app for added privacy. And that's going for the affordable price of $49 per month -- or of course you can splurge and basically pay $300 up front and you'll get a whole year (they give you six months free).
Unsurprisingly, the reaction on social media was not positive.
\u201c@Grindr launch of #grindrunlimited is woeful. A high price tag and 4 new \u2018functions\u2019 with no idea on what they mean. you not heard of value based marketing? epic fail!\u201d— notwuk (@notwuk) 1564064840
\u201cin the near future probably:\n\n*goes on date with someone from grindr*\n*bill comes*\nHim: do you mind grabbing it? I have grindr unlimited so I cant afford it rn\u201d— jp (@jp) 1563725628
To be fair, most of the features in Unlimited and Xtra are available in other apps, sometimes for free and other times at a fraction of the price. Adam4Adam and Scruff allow you to see a selection of people who have viewed you in the past. Jack'd has enhanced filtering and unlimited blocks for all. But no one has both the reach as well as the full package like Grindr. That said: if you really need all of those features to find your mate, maybe paying $300 a month isn't the craziest idea.
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