The beauty of these apps is that they deliver results no matter where you are. They donโt need to be fuelled by the energy of a huge gay scene to function properly, and sometimes itโs in the most obscure places where theyโre most useful.
โI have used Hornet in every corner, from Kenya to Istanbul,โ Hornet CEO Sean Howell tells me. โAnd like most people, it is so nice to get a local perspective, not just about gay places, but even where the best pasta place in Rome is.โ
โI was in Morocco and no gay bars, no nothing, and I went on Grindr and there were guys who I could talk to, who were obviously also gay,โ says Joel. โAnd thatโs great.
โItโs hard for me to imagine being gay in one of these oppressed countries,โ Joel adds. โI think about my own coming-out experience, and that is very similar in that you feel very isolated, you donโt really know anyone else, youโre questioning. And so I think a tool like Grindrโs so fantastic to show you, hey thereโs somebody nearby whoโs also in the same boat, whoโs also in the same situation, whoโs also having the same questions, but is also part of the same community. That is so reassuring I would imagine. Itโs a gay community in your hand. You are never alone now. You are always connected. Iโm so happy we can do that for gay men around the world.โ
For those who live in remote areas, or in places where homosexuality is frowned upon or even illegal, these apps provide a window into a gay world. They also open up the world for us as visitors. For example, if youโve previously ruled out a vacation to a place like Morocco, on the grounds that there arenโt gay bars hence there are limited opportunities to meet gay Moroccans, you can now rethink this because these apps provide a way to connect, even in places where actual gay venues donโt exist.
It is, however, worth remembering that not everyone in the world has a brand-new iPhone, HTC One, or Samsung Galaxy. In less affluent countries, gay men may have older models or basic handsets that canโt run these apps: we shouldnโt assume that every gay guy in the world is on Grindr!
Some countries have also been known to block the use of some of these apps. And there have been instances, in Russia for example, where such apps have enabled anti-gay groups to identify, locate, and assault gay men. Users of these apps should remember to still be vigilant, whether using them at home or abroad.
Gay dating websites are also entering the app market. Adam4Adam.com has launched app version A4A Radar, while Online Buddies, Inc., the owners of Manhunt.net, acquired Jackโd in 2013.
โWhen Jackโd caught on, the developer Yosuke Matsuda, who at the time was a Cornell University grad student, found himself unable to handle all the inbound customer service enquires and requests. Noting its growing popularity and younger and more diverse community, Online Buddies had the foresight to acquire Jackโd,โ explains the co-founder of Online Buddies, Jonathan Cruchley.
โSince acquisition, Online Buddies has applied our experience and infrastructure as the largest company in the world connecting men seeking men,โ Jonathan continues, โto help grow and maintain Jackโd.โ Itโs currently the fastest growing gay app in the world among younger gay men, with over 80% of its five million-plus users 18-30 years old. Top cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Beijing.
โGay dating really is a mobile-led business these days,โ confirms David Stamp, digital and social marketing manager of Britainโs #1 gay dating website Gaydar.co.uk. Gaydar launched new iOS and Android apps in June this year. โFifteen years ago we started with a website, as the mobile world hadnโt really been conceived. With the advent of iPhones and Android devices the dating world was disrupted, and suddenly geo-location was where things were at,โ he says.
โBeing honest, we were a little slow off the block,โ David admits, โas we backed mobile web over native apps, and in hindsight that technology is only just coming of age. The great news is that weโve overhauled a lot of our underlying technology this last year, and weโre now back in the game, pumping out new app features literally on a monthly basis. The website is also catching up. Itโs liberating, we suddenly feel like the Gaydar spark is back.โ
Although gay apps and websites both enable users to connect with guys locally and all over the world, apps differ in that they are real time, location aware, and portable so you can take them with you to stay connected.
