Marcel Franco
escritormarcelfranco@gmail.com
June 21, 2025

To: Grindr Customer Support Team / Grindr Product Management
Subject: Urgent Criticisms and Demand for Significant Improvements in the Grindr App

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this letter as a dedicated Grindr user, compelled by the need to express my deep dissatisfaction and concern regarding several critical aspects of the app's functionality and user experience. My observations aim not only to point out flaws but also to emphasize the urgency of improvements to retain the user base.

The problems I have been facing and which require immediate attention are:

1. Defective Online/Offline Status Feature: The "dots" indicating online and offline status do not function correctly. They scramble the information, making it impossible to genuinely know who is online or offline. This creates confusion and hinders the expected interaction within the app.
2. Ineffective User Blocking: The user blocking feature is inoperative. When a person is blocked, they are frequently unblocked automatically shortly after, disrespecting the user's right to keep a specific person blocked and to control their own experience within the app. This failure is unacceptable and compromises user safety and comfort.
3. Serious Inconsistencies in Location: The accuracy of the location, which should be a pillar of the app, is severely compromised. It is common to see profiles with illogical distances, such as a person 4 km away followed by another 1 km away, or vice versa. This indicates a serious problem in capturing real-time location data, even when utilizing information provided by Google.
4. Heavy App and Lack of Relevant Updates: Grindr proves to be a heavy application, which negatively impacts performance on various devices. Furthermore, the lack of significant updates and noticeable improvements over the years is glaring. The app appears stagnant in time, failing to innovate or correct persistent issues, giving the impression of being the "same as 20+ years ago," without keeping up with current user trends and needs.
5. Issues with Photo Requirement: The app does not seem to enforce the requirement of having a profile picture, and still allows profiles without photos, which compromises the user experience and transparency among users.

Given this scenario of critical failures, I consider it fundamental that Grindr undergoes a rapid and comprehensive update to rectify these issues. Should there not be a visible commitment and concrete actions to resolve these matters in the near future, I will be obliged not to renew my subscription and, actively, recommend to my friends that they do not either.

I believe Grindr has great potential, but the quality and basic functionality of the app must be a priority. I await a response and, more importantly, the implementation of improvements that demonstrate respect for your users.

Sincerely,

Marcel Franco