Gay dating app Grindr is no longer in the Chinese App Store but don't blame Apple

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What you need to know

  • Grindr has been removed from the Chinese App Store.
  • Despite previous reports, Apple didn't remove the app despite fears.
  • It's thought that the developer removed the app from the App Store.

The gay dating app Grindr is no longer available in the App Store in China, but despite initial fears, it wasn't Apple that removed it.

While apps being removed from the Chinese App Store is often Apple's doing following demands by the Chinese government, that wasn't the case here despite early Bloomberg reports. With the 2022 Olympics nearing, it was thought that Apple may have removed the app to appease China. However, Apple says it was the app's developer that removed the app all along.

Note that the Android version of Grindr is no longer available in various app stores, either.

An Apple spokesperson said that Grindr's developers removed the app from the App Store themselves. A Grindr representative didn't respond to a request for comment.The iOS app was pulled from the App Store on Jan. 27, according to mobile research firm Qimai. It's unclear when the Android version was removed.

While it may not have been Apple's doing, the Grindr app's removal from stores is still likely in relation to the Olympics. As Bloomberg reports, the Cyberspace Administration of China recently announced a crackdown on "online rumors, pornography, and illegal content."

Those who already have Grindr installed have already reported that they have been experiencing intermittent connectivity problems, perhaps suggesting that the app's servers are also being targeted in some way.

Grindr has become one of the best iPhone for LGBTQ dating over the years but its future in China is now far from certain.

We've reached out to Grindr's developers and Apple for comment.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.