Grindr can be an intimidating place. Depending on your location, you might be bombarded with faceless profiles or lots of headless torsos. It does not have to be intimidating or stressful. Grindr was built with the idea of bringing together our community and providing us a safe space to get to know each other, exchange photos, and meet up.

If you are new to the Grindr scene or not having much looking scoring a date, here is our guide on how to stand out on Grindr so you get more messages and more hookups. 

1.   Fill out your profile – completely

Although this might seem like a simple and basic step, it is one that a majority of people seem to overlook. 

To start off with, you can include up to five pictures on your profile. These images CANNOT include full frontal nudity. However, Grindr recently released the option to put these images in an Album to easily share with people of your choosing. Grindr monitors profile pictures, so you will have to get them approved before they appear on your profile. This normally takes around an hour.

Next, fill out your name and about me. Most people do not put their full name, but put something eye-catching that will make people click on them. This is a good place to put what you are looking for with emojis, if you catch my drift. About me can include pretty much anything you want.

 Add tags to get found easier. You can add up to 8 tags, ranging from sexual preferences to personality traits.

Fill out the basic info like age and height. I typically do not fill out weight because I do not think it is necessary, but do what makes you feel comfortable. You can also include body type, position, and ethnicity in your stats. For position, you can choose between: bottom, vers bottom, versatile, vers top, and top.

Other stats to include are your relationship status and tribes. You can choose three tribes, which are things like jock, otter, twink, daddy, clean-cut, etc. Filling out all your stats will help you get found easier by people who are attracted to you. You will automatically get ruled out by anyone that is filtering their search if you leave everything blank.

Under expectations, you can choose what you are looking for between chats, dates, friends, networking, relationship, or right now. You can list where you want to meet, whether it is your place, their place, a coffee shop, restaurant, or bar. You can also list whether you accept NSFW pics. We are all about consent here.

There is also the option to list your gender identity and pronouns.

Last but certainly not least, you can list your current HIV status, the last date you were tested, opt in for testing reminders from Grindr, and get more info about sexual health.

There is also the option to link social media accounts.

I cannot emphasize this enough – fill out ALL information that you feel comfortable sharing. Blank profiles do NOT get responses.

2. Send out witty messages to people you are interested in

Now that you have your profile filled out, it is time to get to talking. Let's be honest, does anyone enjoy getting messaged “Hi?” No. So don’t be that person! Also do not be the person that sends nudes in the first message. That is a recipe for getting blocked.

Instead, you can take a couple of different approaches.

There is the nice and innocent: “Hey there! How is it going?”

The complementary: “Hi! I absolutely love your X (hair, eyes, etc)”

The straightforward: “Hey, any chance you’re looking right now?”

Or a variety of other pick up lines. It is always helpful to engage with something in their profile. If they have a photo of a dog or something in their bio that you connect with, mention it! People are much more likely to respond if you develop a personal connection right off the bat. 

3. Take the perfect NSFW pictures

Now we are getting into the juicy part. We all know what Grindr is mainly used for – sexting and hookups. You want to be creative with the photos you upload to your album to send to potential suitors. An dick pic taken while sitting on the toilet is not going to cut it.

You know your best angles, so try to emphasize them, and provide a variety. Make sure the lighting is good, they aren’t blurry, and they aren’t over edited. Include a couple full frontal photos and a couple photos of your booty. Include torso pics or full body pics so the person knows what they will get when they meet you. You do not have to include your face in these NSFW photos if that makes you uncomfortable.

At the end of the day, your nudes are all about confidence. Confidence is sexy, so take photos to use when you feel confident and sexy. When it’s obvious you have put effort into the photo, it makes it clear that you will put effort into the sex as well. Try out our best selling Better Booty Bundle for a little extra help taking that perfect pic. Or our Polish Anal Brightener which will be an Instagram filter for your hole. 

4. Safety is important

Grindr is an app that most people use late at night when they are horny. With that comes some safety concerns. You are meeting up with someone that you likely do not know and just started talking to. Depending on your city, that can certainly come with safety risks.

It is important to learn how to stay safe while using Grindr.

In terms of sexual health:

• Always bring condoms
• Consider going on PrEP
• Practice and understand consent
• Get tested regularly

 General safety tips:

• If inviting someone over, hide valuables
• If going to someone’s home, tell a friend where you are going and when you will be back
• Have a safety plan laid out just in case things go awry 

The Bottom Line

Grindr is a fun and unique app where queer men can exchange explicit photos, talk to each other, and experience the joy of hookups. When used properly, it is exciting and the perfect way to alleviate some hornyness. Just like with any social media or dating app, there are strategies to increase your chances of getting noticed. Hopefully this guide taught you a thing or two about how to find your next partner safely on Grindr. Also, it’s easy to get hooked on Grindr, so make sure to take it easy every now and then.

Make sure you are ready for your hot date with our Charcoal Body Wash or try our His Bed Scrub and smell your absolute sexiest. 

Happy humping!