Grindr Switches Off Location Feature In Olympic Village - And It's Not For The Reason You Think

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Grindr just put a digital fence around the Olympic Village, restricting its“Explore” feature in the area where more than 2,900 athletes are staying.

Athletes from across the globe have gathered at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Village for the Winter Olympics 2026, which began on Friday, February 6, and it is no surprise that it is more than just a place to rest between events.

The gay dating app, Grindr, said it is disabling its location feature to safeguard the athletes belonging to the LGBTQ+ community at the Winter Olympics 2026.

In its official blog, the dating application said,“For gay athletes, especially those who aren't out or who come from countries where being gay is dangerous or illegal, that visibility creates real safety risks.”

Also Read | Italy enjoys a record-breaking day at the Winter Olympics by claiming medals in five events Will the athletes still be able to use Grindr at the Olympic village?

Yes, athletes can still connect using the Grindr app at the Olympic village; they just won't be able to broadcast their location.

“Athletes use the app during the Games the same way they use it at home. We're not changing that. But the Village needs different rules,” the app wrote.

Which features have Grindr blocked?

In its blog, Grindr said that it is disabling its“Explore and Roam” within the global village boundaries, which allows users to browse profiles in locations other than where they physically are.

“No one outside the Olympic Village will be able to browse or message users inside,” the app said.

The“Show Distance” feature has also been set to off for anyone in the village. However, the dating site said users can still choose to share their approximate distance,“but it won't happen automatically.”

Also Read | NHL players arrive in Milan, returning to the Winter Olympics after a 12-year absence Grindr offers privacy tools for free in Olympic village

During the Winter Olympics 2026, Grinder users in the Olympic Village will get access to features normally behind the paywall, the app said.

These privacy tools include:

• Disappearing messages delete automatically after they're read.
• Unsend removes messages from both sides of a conversation.
• Screenshot blocking prevents capture of profile photos and chat images.
• Private video, which allows viewing only once, will be turned off entirely within the Village.
• Report a Recent Chat lets users flag a conversation up to 24 hours after it ends. Names and photos are obscured during reporting.

Also Read | Obama couple silent on Trump's racist post, cheer Team USA at Winter Olympics Why is Grindr taking these measures?

In the Olympic Village, where thousands of athletes are packed into a small area, these features may become a liability, Grindr said.“Someone outside the Village could browse profiles inside it. Distance data could be used to pinpoint someone's exact location.”

Noting that simply appearing on Grindr tells the world about a person's identity,“that, in more than 60 countries, remains a criminal offence,” the app said that visibility creates real safety risks.

And therefore, to protect the safety and privacy of LGBTQ+ athletes, Grindr chose to take these measures.

“Being an LGBTQ+ athlete comes with challenges most competitors never face, especially for those from countries without legal protections,” they said.

Is this the first time for Grindr?

No, this is not the first time Grindr has restricted its location features for the Olympics. They first disabled the feature at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and then at Paris 2024.

Milano Cortina 2026 will be Grindr's third consecutive Games with these protections in place.

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