It wasn’t always easy to meet fellow gay men when travelling on the road, but thanks to recent advances in technology, the process has become a whole lot simpler and more efficient. However, how do you know which apps to download on your phone when you’re gearing up for a trip? Different apps are popular in different countries, and what may be the one that everyone uses in your own country may not have even been heard of elsewhere. So, which apps should you use if you’re wanting to meet gay men? These five apps should have you covered wherever you head to.
1. Grindr
The sugar daddy of all gay apps, and one that even straight people have heard of. The clue is in the name, and Grindr is mostly used throughout the world as nothing more than a hook-up app, although things like dates and meeting up for coffee do happen, too. More popular in the Anglophone world than elsewhere, Grindr is the go-to app for finding local gay guys, whatever your intentions may be, although beware of the douchebags.
2. Jackd
More popular in Asia, Jackd is less in-your-face sex than Grindr. The user interface allows you to upload multiple pictures of yourself, and there are categories to fill in such as your favourite movies, books and music, for example - more than just physical statistics. Extremely popular in the likes of Taiwan and South Korea, Jackd is the app you need to download if you’re looking for an actual date, especially if you happen to wind up in one of Asia’s gay capitals like Taipei, Bangkok or Singapore.
3. Boyahoy
Another one for travellers to Asia is Boyahoy, which, somehow, manages to be even more innocent than Jackd, possibly because it tends to attract a younger, more wide-eyed crowd who haven’t yet become bitter and cynical about finding “the one” based on their proximity to you. It’s simple to use and the interface is cute, but it’s yet to catch on in the same way as the other apps.
4. Manhunt
Manhunt, the app from the popular gay website, makes Grindr look positively pure. Manhunt and its users don’t even make any feeble attempts to say they want to meet for a drink first - they get straight to the point. Popular throughout the world, users tend to be in-shape and attractive, but also more blunt and pickier than guys using other sites. It’s an app that requires more self-confidence, so if you think you can handle it, dive right in.
5. Planet Romeo
Popular in Europe and South America, Planet Romeo’s interface isn’t as sophisticated or user friendly as the other sites, but in some places, it may be your only real option to find guys. When I was in eastern Europe, Grindr and the other apps were of no use. It was only when I logged into Planet Romeo that I realised that there were plenty of gay men there, just using a different site or app. Want to meet up for a coffee in Bucharest? Planet Romeo is the place to head to.
