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Are you looking for a way not to expose your real identity while registering to Grindr? Then you’ve come to the right address.
In this article, we’ll provide you with an answer to the question “Can you use Grindr without a phone number?”. Additionally, we’ll dive into the dating app’s main features and advantages that it offers to users.
What is Grindr — The Biggest App for LGBT+
Grindr is the number one dating application for gay, bi, trans, and queer people in the world released in 2009. The main idea of the app was to provide LGBT+ people with an opportunity to find hookups and relationships in the neighborhood. What’s more, it’s also Tinder’s archetype that was launched a few years after, in 2014.
According to various sources, by date, its user database contains from 15 to 27 million monthly active users. It’s a mobile application with a desktop client Grindr Web that is available for premium users.
What is Grindr in terms of functionality? The basic features are pretty simple and not redundant. They include:
- Chatting and sharing photos in private chats.
- Creating private albums.
- Using filters to search for people with similar interests.
- Starring your favorites and blocking others.
- Make video calls.
The application also offers two types of premium subscription with no ads: XTRA and Unlimited. XTRA allows users to check up to 600 profiles daily as well as see only those who are online and filter people by position, and more. Grindr Unlimited includes all the XTRA features and also gives access to the ‘Viewed Me’ list and unlimited profile viewing.
User Data Security on Grindr — Selling Out Geolocation?
What is Grindr in terms of user data confidentiality? Though the app doesn’t have end-to-end encryption, all the data on grindr.com is sent over an SSL-connection. And the latter makes it technically impossible for anyone to intercept your messages.
However, there is another issue regarding data security on Grindr. Yes, since the application makes money from advertising, it obviously provides user data of anyone who completed Grindr registration to advertising companies. And there is nothing unusual about it in today’s world. But in 2022, a Norwegian non-profit organization revealed that Grindr had been selling user geolocation data to third parties between 2017 and 2020. Of course, without letting users know about it.
Though they didn’t sell any credentials such as names and phone numbers, the data provided was sufficient to identify users of the app and expose them without their consent. Or blackmail which is pretty regular when it comes to gay people. Given that, it’s hard to say that disclosing any sensitive information to the app feels safe. Even though the company apologized and confirmed they had stopped transferring user location data in 2020.
Thus, if you’re going to register Grindr, to feel more protected, you can give it a fake name. But you still cant create Grindr account without a phone number.
To increase your level of safety in such a delicate topic, you can conceal your true identity. In such cases, to receive a confirmation code, it’s more prudent to opt for a virtual phone number rather than providing your personal one.
Why Virtual Phone Numbers are a Relevant Alternative?
SMS-man offers cloud phone numbers from over 180 countries that allow you to maintain your anonymity on apps like Grindr. These numbers function just like regular mobile phone numbers with a SIM-card, providing you with a seamless experience.
The difference is that to receive a confirmation code for Grindr registration with SMS-man, you don’t need a SIM-card or a physical device. Everything is virtual. You register to a platform via email address or social media, pay < $1 to buy a phone number and request a code right through the platform’s interface.
It is easy, fast, and safe, because all the operations are held in your personal account. What’s more, applications where you’re applying such phone numbers can’t detect they are virtual, because they function the same as regular cellular numbers.
To learn how to create an anonymous Grindr account using a virtual phone number, follow these steps:
- Register on sms-man.com through an email or social network account.
- Make a deposit by using the “Top up my Balance” option.
- Once the balance is credited, click the “Buy SMS” button.
- Then select the desired country of mobile operator and Grindr app.
- Click the “Buy SMS” button and scroll down to the “History” section.
- Find the virtual phone number you just bought and copy it.
- Use it to register with Grindr and wait for the verification code.
- Go back to SMS-man and click “Receive SMS” to get the code.
- Use it to complete the registration process.