Grindr Have Made the Jump to Publishing with Into

Global Dating Insights

If we've learned anything from Transformers, McGyver and the rise of the term 'life-hack', it's that stuff can be two things. Cars can be alien robots, various household objects can be repurposed as makeshift weaponry, worn out shoes can be really stupid looking flower pots and apps can also be online magazines.

Tech platforms branching into digital content is becoming something of a trend. LinkedIn did it, Snapchat did it and now Grindr are doing it. In their case, they've launched 'Into', an online magazine featuring news, opinion and lifestyle tips for the LGBTQ community. Some of the content will come from established writers and photographers, while the rest will be user generated.

This might seem like a perplexing leap to those who are only familiar with Grindr as an app, but the name has been evolving into a broader brand for a while now. There's a Grindr fashion line, an emoji keyboard and they've involved themselves in a series of outreach projects, including several about sexual health awareness and one which helped gay Syrian refugees find shelter.

Into is the latest venture down the road to helping Grindr rise above and beyond a mere dating app, which is probably just as well considering the rep its predominantly-heterosexual cousin Tinder has been shoring up over the past few years.

That being said, the Grindr app weathers plenty of its own criticism, with one of the main gripes being that it's far too glitchy and isn't updated often enough. Some users would apparently rather that the Grindr team invest more time and money in making the app work properly than in branching out, but you can't please everyone.

If you ask me, it's a positive step. Grindr's advantage over other LGBTQ dating apps is that it got there first, it has the largest user base. That's a very responsible position to be in, so seeing them make an effort to find new ways to connect the community is very encouraging.

Having user produced content is probably the most significant thing to come out of Into. Having a digital magazine which published a few op-eds and listicles about LGBTQ lifestyle would be one thing, but allowing the community to voice their views and express themselves through it is quite another. Into is still very much in the baby stage at the moment, with most of the content targeted at gay men, but keep an eye on it, it's going to start growing rapidly.