Grindr's Creator Launches New Gay App Called Motto

The founder of Grindr, Joel Simkhai, has launched a new gay and queer matchmaking app.

The app, from Simkhai and Alex Hostetler, is available in New York City and Miami starting today, according to a news release.

Motto is Simkhai’s first venture since he left Grindr in 2018. The new app “focuses on finding you the right people, not just the closest - on the quality of interactions, not the quantity.”

It provides a set of personalized people for the user to view and they can decide to pursue interaction with someone in the group or not.

“The vast majority of gay and queer people aren’t satisfied with their online hookup and dating experiences. Motto’s goal is to help you find someone you’re into without frustration, reduce the amount of time you spend on hookup apps to just a few minutes a day, and bring people together in the physical world,” Simkhai said in the release.

He added that he’s the first to admit that while he believes Grindr did a lot of good in the world there are still shortcomings. Those shortcomings were behind the creation of Motto.

“We built Motto to address those issues, simplify the process of hooking up, and bring back the fun in finding someone you’re into,” Simkhai said. “Motto should be just as positive for your mental health as it is for your sex life.”