If you’ve been on Grindr, you may have noticed that there seem to be some secret codes in many of the profiles. But what do they mean and how can you find out? In this blog post, we'll explain all the different codes found in Grindr profiles and how to use them to find people with similar interests.

The most commonly seen code on Grindr is the phrase found at the beginning. This code has its roots in gay culture dating back decades when bandanas were used as a discreet way for men to signal their preferences without having to say it out loud. Below is your key for safe venturing.

ANON — Short for “anonymous.” Probably won’t be exchanging phone numbers with this one.

Bator — People who tend to enjoy masturbating with others over-penetration.

BB — Bareback (sex w/o a condom) 🤠

B/D — Bondage and/or domination. Feeling kinky?

Bear — A larger, typically hairy, gay male.

Bttm — A bottom, or the person who is penetrated during anal sex.

Can’t Host — Can’t have ppl over to hook up, possibly has a roommate, or parents.

Capital T’s/T/Tina — Crystal meth. T’s are used capitalized on text to let others know they’re users/using. Avoid capiTal Ts where They donT belong!!

Closeted — Not publicly out.

Cruising —Looking for “fun” in public places, usually parks, bathrooms, etc.

Daddy — An older gay male who is lusted after by younger men.

Discreet — Someone who values their privacy (could be closeted). Good luck getting a face pic.

DL — Downlow or closeted.

DP — Double Penetration: two penises, one hole.

Facepic only — Don’t try and message with just a torso profile.

FF — Fist Fuck. 💢⭕️

Free Later? — You will never hear from this person again.

FWB — Friends with benefits (the main benefit being sex).

GH — Gloryhole; a hole in a public place where one can insert their penis and receive an anonymous blowjob.

Horned up — Aggressively horny.

Hookup — Meet up and have sex. Duh?

Hosting — Congrats, you have your place! Or at least a private room where you can invite people over to fool around.

Hung? — This person prefers extra inches.

Into? — What are you into sexually? Basically, anything from this list.

J/O — Jack off.

Jock — A gay man with an athletic build who is into fitness and/or sports.

Leather — A gay man involved in the gay leather subculture.

👀— Looking (for sex)

LTR — Long-term relationship oriented

Masc4Masc — A manly man for a manly man. They usually are not into feminine aspects of gay men.

💆‍♂️— massage?

Milk — What some gay men call semen.

More pics? — They need to see more of you before making a decision.

M4T or M4TS  — They would prefer to find a transgender partner.

Nice — This person is not interested. Sashay away.

NSA — No strings attached.

No Taps — This person has some sort of inexplicable problem with receiving compliments.

NPNC — No pic, no chat.

Otter — Gay people with fur who run on the lean side.

Pig 🐷— Pits, fluids, body odor. Also see: Raw Only.

PnP — Party and Play. Refers to having sex while high on drugs, often meth.

Raw Only — No condoms during anal sex.

RN — Right now.

Safe / Safer Sex— A fan of safe sex practices: condoms, PrEP, etc.

Showoff — Ppl who want to have public sex.

Thicc — A body-positive bigger guy.

T4T —Trans looking for trans.

TS Only — they are looking for a transgender individual.

Travel — Either on a vacation or prefers to hookup away from home.

Twink — A young, skinny, and hairless gay man.

UC — An uncircumcised penis

Unicorn — A single male who likes to sleep with couples.

Vers — Top and bottom bunk.

WS — Watersports. Urine for a treat!

💩 — Scat fetish

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Understanding the secret codes on Grindr can help unlock conversations with potential partners so that you can make safe and meaningful connections online. By taking the time to learn the codes and symbols found in user profiles, you can get an idea of what someone might be interested in before striking up a conversation with them—saving both parties time and energy! So next time you log onto Grindr, take a few minutes before tapping or messaging to pay close attention to the coded messages—you just might save yourself a headache!

(source: https://www.grindrbloop.com/zine/2020/grindr-glossary)