Grindr Limits Location Features At Olympics To Protect LGBTQ+ Athletes

Some users found that they couldn't access the "Explore" feature on the app while at the Olympic Village in Paris. This feature, which allows users to change their location and view profiles, is intentionally disabled.

Grindr confirmed this in a blog post, explaining that the restriction aims to protect athletes who are not publicly out or come from countries with strict LGBTQ+ laws, as it could expose them to potential risks.

Profiles will now default to hiding distance with the “show distance” feature, which users can enable but will be turned off by default for those in the Olympic Village and other venues.

Grindr stated this change aims to help athletes connect without inadvertently revealing their location or being identified.

During the two-week event, Grindr is offering users in the Village the ability to send unlimited disappearing messages or unsend messages for free—features that usually come with a charge.

Additionally, sending private videos and disabling screenshots will be temporarily disabled within that area.