Growlr
Growlr Signup and Profile
Growlr Message
Growlr Signup and Profile
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Our Review

DatingsScout.hk Author Chris Pleines
From: Chris Pleines
 • Reading Time: 3 minute(s)

Growlr is a social networking app designed for the gay community around the world. It's a free and fun app for gay bears to socialise, meet new friends, and even get dates. A bear is a masculine gay man that belongs to a broad gay community. Developed by Initech LLC in 2010, Growlr has welcomed a predominantly large population of gay bears from all walks of life with the perfect environment to meet other gay bears. 

New members at Growlr in April 2024 in comparison

Here you can see how membership figures at Growlr are developing compared to others

Growlr Members

Members
66,000 from Hong Kong
Members activity
6,000 active weekly
Gender Proportion
39 %
61 %
  • Users are members of the gay community
  • There are more male members than females
  • Meet users from all over the world
  • Has over 10 million members
  • Meet nearby members based on your GPS

Growlr is a dating app exclusively made for the gay community. Initially, the members are only gay males, but later on, other members of the LGBTQ+ community were able to register too.

The app has millions of members worldwide.

You can meet members around your neighbourhood oo by checking out the nearby function.

Females
Males

Growlr Age Range and Age Distribution

  • 18-24
  • 25-34
  • 35-44
  • 45-54
  • 55+

How to Sign Up for Growlr

Growlr Signup and Profile
  • Registration is free
  • Takes only 1-2 minutes to register
  • Basic info only needed to sign up
  • Profile photos don't have to be pre-approved after uploading
  • No log-in via Facebook or Instagram

Signing up with Growlr is free and will only take 1-2 minutes. Basic information will be required upon registration including name, e-mail address, password.

Other information can be filled out later that would indicate personal information about yourself for other members to view. After registration is successful, you will be asked to upload a public picture which can be viewed by other members.

There are 5 slots for you to upload your private pictures and videos which can only be viewed by you unless you unlock them for other members.

Making Contact on Growlr

Growlr Message
  • Chat feature is free
  • Member search is free
  • Members can be searched using basic info like who's online and nearby
  • See and talk with members via video-chat
  • Create and view posts on your "Feed" section

Growlr lets you contact other bears easily. You can chat, search for members based on their location and online status, view galleries, check out and comment on user's blogs and see who has viewed you.

These are features on the app that are free. You can also extend your profile reach or advertise your business by using their SHOUT feature which you will pay for a minimal fee.

The contacting features of the app are the highlights of the app's functions.

Growlr Profile Quality

Growlr Signup and Profile
  • Profile and pictures can be viewed for free
  • Profile information of other members may not be informative
  • Fake profiles can be created
  • Completing your profile is optional
  • Members are only in their firstnames or nicknames

    Creating a profile on Growlr is free and easy. You only need to manually fill out the sections that best describe you. However, this is all optional so profiles is not concise and clear.

    Fake profiles can also be created, as the app is not strict and does not conduct tests or background checks on every member. There are also safety guidelines provided in the app for online safety.

    However, should there be any complaints, you can just send them an e-mail to their customer support at support@growlrapp.com.

    Growlr App

    Growlr App
    • Growlr app is free to download on your Apple or Android smartphone
    • The design is simple and easy to use
    • The function of the app is also understandable
    • Available on Google Play and Apple App Store
    • App's design is a bit outdated

    Growlr Real Life Review

    "Using Growlr has been an overall good experience. When it comes to meeting other men like me, the app sure delivers! There are some really great bears like myself who share the same interests and there are also cool features for you to easily meet up with them. However, the technicality of the app still needs improvement because the app often crashes even when I've updated it. Also, there are issues with the message feature. I've often experienced losing most of my messages and if I didn't connect with someone outside the app, it's difficult to recall your last dialogue." - Mikey, 38

    I was having a hard time finding people who will understand my sexuality since I came from a conservatve family. That's why I always use special apps and trying new once every now and then. Growlr helped me find new friends who I can meet and, you know, do some stuf with. So far so good. It's just a little 

    Growlr Costs and Prices

    Free Features
    • Profile creation
    • Chatting with other members
    • Member and profile search
    • Viewing members' profiles
    Premium Features
    • Unlock private photos
    • Video chatting
    • Saved searches
    • Ad-free browsing

    Is Growlr expensive or cheap?

    In comparison to other providers Growlr is low-priced.

    Duration / Credits / CoinsCostsTotal
    Growlr Pro
    1 Month9.99 USD / Month9.99 USD
    3 Months8.00 USD / Month23.99 USD
    6 Months7.50 USD / Month44.99 USD
    12 Months6.00 USD / Month71.99 USD
    FLASH!
    ?
    Gets your profile viewed faster by unlocking your private media to all users in specific areas
    1 Month4.99 USD / Month4.99 USD
    SHOUT!
    ?
    Send messages to many active users in a specified area
    1 Month4.99 USD / Month4.99 USD
    Growlr Cost
    Payment Options
    • Via Mobile Phone

    Upgrading to a PRO membership will get you access to special features such as viewing of full-sized private pictures and videos, live video calls, and removing advertisements.

    Special Features

    Growlr keeps your dating game more fun and exciting with the following special features.

    Bears

    You get to find bears based on three different sections, "online", nearby" and favourites". The "online" section shows you a list of people who are recently active. The "nearby" sections show you a list of users who are closest to your current location. There's also a "global" section if you wish to see other members in a different location. The "favourites" section shows the users you have marked as your favourites sorted by distance. 

    Checkins

    This feature lets you see a list of venues closest to where you are, and will then show a list of Growlr members near your area as well. You just need to tap on the venue to show you the venue details which will then show you a list of users who are in that area. 

    Events

    This section has two parts which are the "events" and "birthdays". For the events part will display a list of upcoming bear events. In the birthdays part, you get to see your favourites profile with their birthday listed down. 

    Bars

    This section shows you a list of bars that are frequented by bears. The venue closest to you is shown at the top of the list.

    Meets

    This section shows you a list of meet requests that you will receive from other bear members. This also shows you a list of meet requests that you sent out to the person you marked as favourite or are attracted to. 

    Ntotes

    This section shows you a blank space to save personal notes or memos. You can add, edit, delete notes here and the most recent note will be seen at the top of the list. 

    Our rating

    Signing Up: 3.0 / 5
    Making Contact: 3.5 / 5
    Profile Quality: 2.5 / 5
    App: 3.0 / 5
    Real Life Review: 3.0 / 5

    Editor's Conclusion

    DatingsScout.hk Author Chris Pleines
    Chris Pleines
    Founder of Datingscout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
    Growlr brings a whole new perspective when it comes to men meeting men and hooking up with other bears. This is because it helps you do just that in a fun and engaging environment. There's so much you can do when you're a free member, but a lot more when you avail of their paid features. The only downside with this app is that it crashes frequently on your phone and your messages can be erased completely. It also cannot be downloaded on older versions of smartphones. The app is simple and it's also easy to use. However, statistics show that most bears would prefer casual dates or hook-ups than real and serious relationships. If you're into that type, you can check out our other Dating Apps.

    Growlr FAQ

    Facts

    What is Growlr?

    Growlr is a social networking app designed for gay bears to meet other bears. It was operated in 2010 at their headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and has gained 10 million members since then.

    What do you mean by bears?

    Bears are masculine gay men that belong to an inclusive community of gay people.

    How does Growlr work?

    It is an app that can be downloaded on your smartphone for free. You just need to register in the app, which is also free. You will only be required basic information like name, e-mail, password, and location for the signing up to be successful.

    Usability

    How do I search for other bears?

    The search section is divided to 3 parts namely online, nearby or favourites. Online would show a list of bears who are active. Nearby would show bears who are online and near your current position. Favourites would show bears that you have marked as favourites or that you are attracted to. There's also a section in the app called "Events" where you can find upcoming bear events. There's also a "Checkins" section where you can find nearest locations where a lot of bears are usually gathering.

    How do I send messages to other bears?

    If a bear is currently online, you can click on their profile for free viewing and click on a chat button. The chat feature is also free.

    How many bears can I mark as favourite?

    The maximum number of bears you can tag as your favourite is 75. 

    Free Services

    Are there free features on Growlr?

    Yes. You can view members' profiles and photos. You can also send them a chat directly and search and mark your favourite bears. You can also send a meet request to other bears. 

    Costs

    What features do I need to pay for?

    Growlr has extended features that you need to pay for like upgrading to PRO membership with their respective fees per month, the SHOUT feature where you can advertise or say hello to other bears within a 5 mile radius, and FLASH feature where your profile gets boosted quickly.

    What do I get when I purchase a PRO membership?

    When you purchase their PRO membership, you get ad-free browsing, get access to live video calls and unlock private photos and views, save searches and even anonymous viewing.

    How do I pay for the PRO membership?

    Your purchase be charged directly to your iTunes or Google Play account. You can also change the settings manually to stop auto-renewal. 

    Security

    Is Growlr safe to use?

    Growlr is relatively safe and easy to use. However, since background checks are not conducted on every member of the app, precautions should be taken when connecting with other members and meeting them in public places. Should you have any complaints about other members, you can send them an e-mail at support@growlapp.com.

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    Contact details

    Company:Initech LLC
    Address:Columbia, Ohio, USA
    E-Mail:support@growlrapp.com
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