The Grindr you know (and don’t love) may soon be gone. Here’s what could be coming next…
A big Grindr shakeup appears imminent.
Mark
For disgruntled users, Grindr’s downfall accelerated when the company went public almost three years ago to the day.
But now, the orange demon app is inching towards a return to privatization. This week, Grindr’s chairman stepped down amid his bid to the take the company private, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Last month, James Lu and fellow board member Ray Zage offered to take Grindr private in a nearly $3.5-billion deal.
Since Lu and Zage collectively own 60% of Grindr stock, they possess immense leverage over the company’s future. They’ve offered to buy the remaining shares for $18 each in cash.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“My decision to resign from the Board is not a reflection of my views on Grindr,” Lu wrote in a letter to board members. “I remain optimistic about Grindr’s long-term prospects, as demonstrated by the proposal and my desire to take the company private to refocus and execute on opportunities to grow the business.”
While Lu may remain optimistic about Grindr, the same can’t be said for many of the app’s most loyal users. For years, there have been complaints about the platform’s decreased functionality, annoying popup apps and prevalence of scammers (not to mention incidents like sharing users’ HIV status). As Grindr hides more features behind its ever-expansive paywall–including the ability to see “taps”–the discontent only grows.
Being a public company, and thus owing a responsibility to shareholders, complicates motives. There is an inherent friction between maximizing revenue and providing an accessible product.
Grindr currently embodies the competing interests. Execs say 2025 has been the company’s most successful year in terms of profitability and engagement. Despite the emergence of Sniffies, Grindr remains omnipresent.
There are nearly 15 million active monthly users around the world.
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Addicted to the grid: Why can’t we quit Grindr?
The Grindr experience keeps getting worse. Yet, we keep logging on…
But driving engagement–AKA juicing the amount of time somebody spends on the app–and soliciting hookups aren’t necessarily the same thing. In recent months, Grindr has introduced multiple new features, including a curated “Right Now” section and an AI wingman who can help with pickup lines and summarizing convos.
In a previous interview, Grindr’s Chief Product Officer told Queerty the goal is for Grindr to be a “global gayborhood.”
The term “gayborhood” implies a place to congregate–for a monthly fee, of course (Unlimited costs $39.99 per month, while Xtra is priced at $19.99).
Though Grindr is adding paying users, its stock value has been volatile. Dating apps in general have been suffering from so-called “swipe fatigue.”
Grindr’s shares have fallen more than 15% this year.
“The company’s stock has been volatile since going public in 2022, trading below its debut levels for much of the last year,” Reuters reports.
The new Grindr update makes it effectively a paid app to use at all. You can only see 18 profiles now, and there’s no way to ever see the same 18 over and over again lol
Rip the app, had a good run— Basil(@LinkofSunshine) October 22, 2025
There’s no guarantee that Grindr going private will improve the experience for dissatisfied users. With an AI bubble looming, the monetization of apps will likely only become more egregious with time. Lu and Zage are also reportedly in talks to secure debt financing from a firm whose parent company is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, where LGBTQ+ rights aren’t exactly a priority.
But this much is true: Grindr hitting the New York Stock Exchange wasn’t the “landmark moment” it was hailed to be. Girls, gay and theys largely agree it’s time for a reinvention… even if they can’t log off themselves.
“They suck you in,” an addicted user told Queerty.
Public or private, the grid will be there. But maybe in the latter scenario, it will stop shrinking for those who don’t want to pay a small fortune to see more torsos.
Related
Is Grindr about to walk back this major change? Disgruntled users hope so!
Finally, there may be some good news for Grindr users…
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