The beauty of these apps is that they deliver results no matter where you are. They don’t need to be fuelled by the energy of a huge gay scene to function properly, and sometimes it’s in the most obscure places where they’re most useful.
“I have used Hornet in every corner, from Kenya to Istanbul,” Hornet CEO Sean Howell tells me. “And 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.”
“I 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,” says Joel. “And that’s great.
“It’s hard for me to imagine being gay in one of these oppressed countries,” Joel adds. “I think about my own coming-out experience, and that is very similar in that you feel very isolated, you don’t really know anyone else, you’re questioning. And so I think a tool like Grindr’s so fantastic to show you, hey there’s somebody nearby who’s also in the same boat, who’s also in the same situation, who’s also having the same questions, but is also part of the same community. That is so reassuring I would imagine. It’s a gay community in your hand. You are never alone now. You are always connected. I’m so happy we can do that for gay men around the world.”
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 you’ve previously ruled out a vacation to a place like Morocco, on the grounds that there aren’t 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 don’t 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 can’t run these apps: we shouldn’t 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 Jack’d in 2013.
“When Jack’d 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 Jack’d,” explains the co-founder of Online Buddies, Jonathan Cruchley.
“Since acquisition, Online Buddies has applied our experience and infrastructure as the largest company in the world connecting men seeking men,” Jonathan continues, “to help grow and maintain Jack’d.” It’s 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.
“Gay dating really is a mobile-led business these days,” confirms David Stamp, digital and social marketing manager of Britain’s #1 gay dating website Gaydar.co.uk. Gaydar launched new iOS and Android apps in June this year. “Fifteen years ago we started with a website, as the mobile world hadn’t 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,” he says.
“Being honest, we were a little slow off the block,” David admits, “as we backed mobile web over native apps, and in hindsight that technology is only just coming of age. The great news is that we’ve overhauled a lot of our underlying technology this last year, and we’re now back in the game, pumping out new app features literally on a monthly basis. The website is also catching up. It’s liberating, we suddenly feel like the Gaydar spark is back.”
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.
