If you’ve noticed a dip in quality lately, you’re definitely not alone. The consensus among users in 2026 is that Grindr is currently suffering from a severe case of "enshittification"—a tech term for when a platform sacrifices user experience to maximize profit for shareholders.
Here is the breakdown of why the app feels "bad" right now:
1. The "Paywalling" of Basic Features
Grindr has aggressively moved features that used to be free (or cheap) behind steep subscription tiers. 
• The "Edge" Tier: A new premium subscription costing up to $500 per month has been introduced, offering AI-powered "chat insights."
• Restricted Visibility: Many users report that the "Free" version now limits the grid to a very small number of people, essentially forcing you to pay just to see who is actually nearby.
• Hostile Ads: Free users are now subjected to 30-to-60-second unskippable video ads, sometimes including "mini-games" that must be completed before you can return to your chats. 
2. The Bot and Scam Epidemic
The app is currently overrun by automated accounts. Common issues include: 
• "Sugar Daddy" Scams: Accounts offering weekly allowances that lead to "sextortion" or bank fraud. 
• Photo Theft: Bots using stolen Instagram photos to lure users into clicking external links.
• Identity Harvesting: Scammers who try to move you to WhatsApp or Telegram immediately to steal personal data. 
3. Safety and Privacy Concerns
Grindr has faced significant legal and social backlash recently:
• Data Breaches: In 2024 and 2025, the app faced massive class-action lawsuits in the UK and Europe over the alleged mishandling of sensitive data, including users' HIV status and sexual health information. 
• Toxic Culture: Despite "Kindr" initiatives, users still report high levels of "no-picture" entitlement, ghosting, and "normative" body standards that make the environment feel hostile rather than communal. 
4. Technical "Bloat"
Instead of fixing bugs or improving the interface, the developers have pivoted to AI features:
• AI Wingman: Features like "Chat Summaries" and "Personalized Recommendations" are being pushed, but many users feel these are unnecessary distractions from the app's core purpose: meeting people.
• Performance Issues: The heavy load of ads and AI tracking has made the app prone to lagging, crashing, and draining battery life faster than previous versions.