Well I finally made the big jump and got a smart phone!

I have heard lots of talk about Growlr - has anyone tried it? Is it any good?

Also - is there a way to hide what apps you have on an iPhone? Don't need someone picking up my new Phone and seeing it full of gay sex apps!

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I do not have Growlr but I do hang out on Grindr and Scruffy, too. Like them or not the proximity apps have become the new cruising grounds. So, quite a few people are out there.

The apps work just fine in big cities with a relatively high numbers of available guys. In the hick of the woods, apps are rather useless.

The real issue with all the apps is that they presuppose a degree of social interaction. So, guys aim for the few stars out there, and almost invariably fail. The truth is that many guys would have sex with other men if they met them in more traditional cruising settings. Now, that you have to socialize, exchange phone numbers, possibly addresses, sync the schedules, etc. the trouble seems to be pretty much not worth it as opposed to bumping into a guy, and having sex without all the preps...

I am clueless as to how to hide the apps from your screen. Hopefully, there is a way via Google...

KD

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I have an Android phone, no iPhone. As far as I know there is no way to hide which apps you have downloaded, although you can "lock" your phone so that other people cannot have access to it.

I usually suggest that if you are concerned about whether or not someone else will look at your phone and see that you have a gay cruise app, you should use a mobile web site instead. We recommend Men4SexNow Signup | Gay Hookup Site | No Strings Attached Gay Sex | NSA Gay which is one of the longtime advertisers on CRUISING for SEX, since using them helps keep our web site free for you. Manplay is another one of our advertisers that has a mobile site, and you'll see their banner ads here, too.

One of the advantages of using a mobile web site is that you can also either (a) clear your browser history; or (b) visit the web site in an "incognito" or "private" window, which means (among other things) that the browser doesn't have an easily accessible record of your history.

It's true that the mobile web sites may not have all the features of the apps, although I believe that can show you guys online near you. It's a trade-off, really, between versatility and privacy and it's really up to you.

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Thanks for the tips infopop and Kewl....

I have heard of Grinder but from what I have seen at least here in Los Angeles it is more active for younger and smooth...

I never heard of Scruffy - do these apps require a face picture? I know at my age I should not be but I am still in the closet and so a face picture with "looking to suck cock" would not be the best way to keep my identity private! ;-)

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Nope. Neither one of them requires a mug shot. Sure, a facepic increases your chances to hook up, but if you wish to keep your identity private, you can do this.

KD

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I have been reading on line that Grinder has had to make some changes - apparently you could figure out almost EXACTLY where the guy was and they were worried about gay bashing - especially in countries where it is still illegal to have gay sex.

The websites are great - but the advantage of the apps is those are guys looking NOW.

I agree with Kewl about more traditional cruising settings - but the problem is so many of them are getting shut down (the book stores) and at least here in LA even at bookstores or baths everyone wants the 20 year olds naturally and and even a lot of the older guys will stand around doing nothing hoping a young guy will come in rather than play with a guy their own age.

I am hoping with the apps at least you know it is someone who is nearby and horny NOW.

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Look, so many dudes are hanging out on Grindr... They must have a reason for it.

I also read about the problems they were facing with the precise location of the gay dudes in non-gay friendly countries. I make it my strict policy NOT to travel there. You can make your dough, and spend it, too, in a gay tolerant, privacy minding environment.

The latest on the Grindr saga is that guys are starting to use it increasingly as a commercial platform. So, escorts, masseurs, drug/popper dealers, people renting rooms, flats, etc., are all over the place now...

KD

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I hate it when that happens.

There was a cam site I used to love viewing - then they instituted "tips" and now rather than being guys that like to show off their cocks it is guys begging for money saying "I will show my cock once I have X amount" and it has lost a lot of the fun...

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Hi. I am an older guy living in a rural area. Joined Grindr recently. At home the first two hits are a few miles away, but the third might be 30 miles away. When I travel to cities, I see a bigger variety of guys, and maybe all 50 within a few miles. Met a really nice guy not too long ago and had great sex. The age thing will depend on where you are. If you're in a college town, you're going to feel ancient. I was in Palm Springs not too long ago and felt like a mere youth.

I only use a face pic when I'm away from home (it's easy to change your photo). And I have my phone behind a PIN for privacy. I'll look into the web-based as above, thanks for that info.

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Thanks for posting your experience Naked Al...

You are the first "older guy" I have heard of with good results there - seems like it is mostly younger / twinks on that app...

The nice part is the initial downloads are free so they can be checked out at no cost!

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I'm not much of a phone user, home landline or otherwise. Some years ago I broke down and got a cheap cell phone pay-as-you use it thing only because payphones were disappearing and I had a problem on the road (I put $100 in it and good for a year and rarely come close to using it up) But lately been thinking about one of these smartphones (gps nav, many stores have discounts you need a smart phone for, etc) and of course these gay-apps, which are not accessible from a desktop (and of course "location' from a desktop is isp/ip address based which always thinks 10 miles away somewhere I am not)
So I am wondering how these apps have progressed since this thread was active, nearly 4 years later? Are any 'preferred' when one does not live in a cityzone?

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Actually, modern desktop browsers have the capability to ask you to share your GPS location, which is more accurate than using the IP address location. I often see it on supermarket, drugstore, and other retail sites for their store locator pages. It may also depend on the capabilities of your computer, but I don't know.

I had set this up for the Sex Listings pages several years ago. Then it "broke" when browser upgrades required the method to use an "https" secure connection. After rehosting last spring, the Sex Listings once again ask if you want to share your location. This allows you to search for places near you.

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oh i've told my pc the street address, gps coord, etc, never seems to have an affect, at least on most sites.

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Funny here it is 4 years later - and I still have not had the courage to download one of the apps...

Coming of age in the 70's when gay was still so closeted I guess is something you never totally get over - like Apple gives a shit who I have sex with as long as I pay my bill and upgrade my phone!

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I live in a rural area with a lot of small "un googled" towns. I use growlr, scruff, squirt and sometimes adam4adam both squirt and adam can use the web browser. They all have their pros and cons but that last two, squirt and especially adam have proximity details down to 100ft! I have found myself driving around and watching how close I can get to someone without actually asking them.

Now, on an android phone at least, you cas easily Un-Install the apps when you're done using them for the time being. Then re-install it and log back in when you have the chance. I have a problem with someone looking at my phone so I've adapted to hide better.

I paid attention to the craigslist ads. Since that went down the apps have been growing and I can tell some of the game players from the wording in their ads. BTW, craigslist personals still live in the Missed Connections / Activities / Volunteers sections. The activities section doesn't require a phone number to post an ad, the others do. You have to be creative in the post and avoid actually saying that you want sex or want to get fucked, etc. Some examples are: "Need a hairy man to come dig a hole in my yard" or "Wanted: Experienced sausage tasters"

The apps are just like craigslist. Be safe meet in public first, crop a picture if you desire.

I worked in a sex shop for years up until 2016. Each holiday brought a certain set of travelers, like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Each year the groups of guys and regulars got smaller. Guys using the apps meet somewhere else for free. There are no clubs or gay bars here so I've determined the apps as being the cause of the lower attendance. most of the cruising spots are forgotten as well.

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