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PlanetRomeo
Launched in 2002, PlanetRomeo (PR) continues to be one of the favourite dating platforms for LGBT people worldwide. The PlanetRomeo app, often known simply as ‘Romeo’, was launched in 2012. Interestingly, about 92,000 of its global three million user-base is from India.
Unlike other apps, PR allows you to access men who are at a fair distance without asking you to subscribe to any premium paid version. Another interesting feature is that it displays the genuineness of accounts based on the number of people who personally know the user.
The only flipside is that attaching pictures is slightly different and can be a bit more time-consuming. -
Grindr
Grindr is one of the most popular dating apps for gay and bisexual men with over two million daily users spread over 192 countries. In April 2015, Grindr announced that its users in India had grown by nearly 50% from the year earlier.
A very simple, easy-to-use geolocation-based social app, Grindr allows you to chat and meet with other men as near as a few feet away. Importantly, the app shows your exact distance from nearby users and also offers an option to link your social media profiles. Some experts consider this as a threat to users’ privacy and security, however.
It also offers an option to list your HIV status or read resources on STDs. From photo-sharing to bookmarking interesting profile entries, men can use Grindr for a variety of reasons: sexting, casual sex or much more. Unfortunately, long-term relationships are not known to be Grindr’s forte!
Read about symptoms and protection from various sexually transmitted diseases here. -
OkCupid
OkCupid is an app that works for homosexual women as much as it does for straight and gay men. In 2014, it expanded its options under gender identity and sexual orientation categories, allowing users to define it themselves. It offers users interesting quizzes, compatibility questions, match-percentage features etc.
The app lets you sign in with your Facebook account. This means that it’s low on anonymity. But its features help you filter potential dates in a far more detailed and exciting way than any other app. It also allows you to rate other profiles. A recent update in the app allows polyamorous couples to openly find multiple partners. -
Tinder
While Tinder may be the most popular dating app for straight people, it’s slowly gaining popularity among the LGBT community as well, especially lesbians. Just recently, it has announced more gender options to cater to a diverse community.
Tinder is a well-designed social app that helps you find a date with just a finger swipe. It is not as exclusively a gay-dating app as some of the others, but it lets you choose your preference and show similar options. Tinder uses Facebook and GPS to show you nearby matches based on your profile. -
Scruff
Scruff has been available to Indian users since 2011. As of 2016, it has more than ten million users worldwide. Unlike other apps, Scruff gives gay and bisexual men an option to browse from nearby or global users at the same time.
Scruff has interesting features for travellers. Its Venture option lets you browse users from popular travel destinations.
While it allows you to swipe profiles to make a choice, it also tracks and filters profiles on your homepage based on your choices. You can also join a community, learn about local events or send indirect messages through Scruff.This article was first published on December 1, 2016.
All these apps are available to download for free on iOS and Android phones.
What’s your favourite app? Share your experience in comments or write them on Facebook. If you have a personal question, please visit our discussion forum.
About the author: Harish Pedaprolu is a writer and academic based out of Mumbai, India. He has been writing and editing content for the last 6 years. He has also been researching and teaching philosophy at the university level for the past 5 years. He can be reached out on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.