Going online to find love is probably one of the easiest ways to find and meet new people, there are so many choices of dating apps, so which one do you choose?
Where do you start when looking for a dating app. There are so many options, especially at the Google Play store. The best way to find the best app is to see what the app’s users are actually saying about it, but it’s a faff to search out the top 10, so we’ve dug around to find out what people about gay dating apps.
Don’t always assume that the biggest brands in gay hookups are the best. Probably the most famous, Grindr, isn’t rated highly by its users – in fact, it ends at number 15 on our list. It does, however, have over 400,000 ratings, it dwarfs all the other apps.
The next most rated app is Hornet with 183,000 reviews. The best-rated on our list, Surge, has sub 60,771 ratings.
So it’s best to do a bit reading between the lines and decide how much weight you want to give the number of ratings compared to the average star rating.
We’ve compiled this rank list of the best-rated apps on the Google store for the Android operating system.
When it comes to party planning, preparation is key… whether that party is a candlelit soiree or a full on f**kfest!
Location Location Location
Location is everything, so choose your orgy venue wisely. Usually, it will be at someone’s house or apartment, so make sure that your walls are thick enough not to annoy the neighbours with the groans of your guests (although you could use a gag… if that’s your thing).
You don’t want to be halfway through your activities when your neighbours start hollering for you to STFU.
Pick a playlist
Music is key to setting the right atmos. Something with a good beat, around 120 bpm will keep the pace and the heart rate up. You kind of want it bland enough that it mixes into the background and doesn’t distract from what’s going on. I.e. don’t put Britney’s “Toxic” or Kylie’s “Your Disco Needs You” into the playlist, unless you suddenly want people to start doing routines.
Also, make the playlist a few hours long. You don’t want the music stopping halfway through. That silence will really screw up the mood.
Good mix of tops and bottoms
You want to make sure there’s a good mix of tops, bottoms and vers guys. You don’t want there to be too many tops – the bottoms will get tired of the pounding if there are 10 guys waiting in line.
It may well be many a bottom’s fantasy to have guys lining around the corner ready to take their turn, but fantasy and reality are two very different mistresses.
Too many bottoms and you’ll have bored top lads waiting for the fun to come to them. A good mix could be one strict top and a vers guy to every strict bottom. That should keep things flowing nicely.
If you’re planning to bottom at an orgy, you might want to consider how you’re gonna clean out properly. Check out our advice on douching.
Let everyone know what everyone else is into
It’s good to have a group huddle before things get started in order to lay down some ground rules, to let everyone know what people are up for – whose bottoming, topping and who’s up for anything.
You could use a sharpie or felt tip to let guys know which position they are taking. For instance, you could use a ↑ mark for tops and ⚬ mark for bottoms and ⇿ for vers guys.
It might also be a good time to sort out a safe word – that everyone knows and can adhere to.
Create a group chat the day before
If you know everyone’s number you could add them all to a WhatsApp group or on Grindr there’s the ability to create a private group chat. Get everyone joined up and let the conversations flow. Guys can share what they’re looking for and share pictures. A great way to get the horniess levels rising.
Leave history at the door
It best to try and find guys who have no history with each other or malice towards each other. Getting two exes in the same room is going to really kill the mood, especially if there are unresolved issues.
So try and find guys who don’t know each other.
Tests
Test and test again. Before you have some group play everyone ideally should get their sexual health in order. That way you can all relax a little more without the worry of passing on infections to each other. You can currently get a free HIV test from the charity, Saving Lives if you use the promo code GAYUK20Just click here to order your HIV Self Test Kit today.
Be PrePared
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Condoms are sometimes the default, but more and more guys are getting into PrEP because they are interested in bareback or breeding. If you’re not on PrEP yet, ask your sexual health practitioner for more details about whether its right for you.
Lube and then so more lube
Can’t be stressed how important lube is, especially if you’re going to be taking the D from a number of guys or if the orgy lasts for hours. Silicone-based lube tends to last longer, but if you’re wanting something ultra long-lasting you might wanna try out a fisting lube or evening a numbing lube.
However, one 20-year-old guy on Reddit, got to wondering why it was bothering him that so many guys around his age had slept with guys 10 years older than them.
He wrote, “Something that’s struck me as odd is that a lot of them have been with guys that are like 10 years older than us. Even a few 18-year-olds seem to have had intercourse with thirty-something-year-olds and are more sexually experienced than me
“I’m not sure why this upsets me, but I’m curious to know if you guys think that hooking up with older guys like this is really common. Also what does this say about the young guy? What does this say about the older guy?”
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CREDIT: Yastremska-bigstock
Here’s what some of the commenters had to say.
You okay hun?
I’m more curious about why it matters to you [via]
Really very common
This is extremely common. Lots of younger guys are into Daddies. I’m 39 and if I’m on Grindr or whatnot I get hit up by lots of guys in their late teens and early twenties (more so than guys in their late twenties and their 30s hit me). [via]
It’s what you’re into I guess… I mean I’m the same age as you and I almost exclusively go for guys older than me because I absolutely love daddies and the age difference turns me on but also there aren’t many guys my age who are out in my area so I’m kinda forced to go for older guys. [via]
Going with the flow
As someone who has been with multiple older guys, it’s just preference. Some days, I want a guy in his 20’s like me. Some days I want a guy in his mid 30’s. Sometimes I want a silver fox in his late 50’s or 60’s. [via]
So do age gaps really matter as long as everyone’s consenting and of legal age? Use the comments below to let us know what you think
Making sure your back passage is clear from poop is one of the main worries for guys who are interested in anal sex, pegging, finger play or prostate massage. So what’s the best way to make sure you’re clean down there?
The bodyclock
Image by Mylene2401 from Pixabay
The least hands-on approach to being clean is all about timing. Knowing when your likely to have a clean passage. This is usually in between your regular poops. However, it’s not very reliable because it’s all very dependent on what you’ve eaten in the last 24-48 hours and how much fibre and hydration you’ve had.
There’s also still a chance that you’ll have poo inside your rectum, even after you go, which could lead to chucks being dislodged during play – which let’s face it nobody wants.
If you’re keen to be really confident, then you’ll have do some douching.
You know that story of Aladdin? The one where he rubs his lamp and gets his wishes? Well, imagine your partner’s body is that lamp. A little bit of rubbing in the right places will have him granting your every desire.
Massage is a feel-good indulgence, and it has real health benefits. It’ll improve circulation by encouraging the flow of blood to your body’s tissues and get rid of metabolites such as lactic acids. By stimulating the lymph nodes, you can improve the immune system, but best of all it stimulates the endorphins. You know, the body’s natural feel-good chemical.
So get your hands busy on your man – don’t go straight for the genie (new penis euphemism) try and rub around elsewhere and you’ll have him granting at least three wishes.
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Preparation.
Ask your gentleman to lie stomach down on the bed. Naked. Now, this is the tricky bit, because you’ll probably want to get right down to business, but hold out – it will be worth it.
Put some pillows under his stomach to support the lower back. You – the masseur, should wear some loose-fitting cotton, full-length joggers or pyjamas. If you don’t, the massage will feel quite prickly once you start using oils.
Have the lights turned low, maybe some candles? Massage candles are incredible to use. After the fragrant candle is lit, its wax melts into a pleasantly warm massage oil. Just pour a little oil onto your partner for a pampering, indulging and nourishing massage.
Place a pillow under his head so he can rest his head on one side comfortably.
Feet.
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Gently rotate each foot in circular motions three times clockwise and anticlockwise. Cup your hands around the ankles and rub downwards towards the toes. Work your thumbs into the sole of each foot and the arch of the foot. Feet carry a lot of tension, especially if your man spends a lot of time on his feet. Gently pull each toe to help release any tension in the toes. Sometimes you may hear them click as they release, this is fine and normal. Listen to his reaction. You soon learn what he loves and what he’s less keen on.
Legs.
Working upwards, warm some essential oil into the palm of your hands and work your palm upwards towards the heart. Use moderate strength. When you reach the calf area use your thumbs to massage into each of the calves. The calves are huge and strong muscles and may need extra attention. Keep the massage movement long and sweeping. The blood should really start pumping as you near the…
Buttocks.
As tempted as you might be to stop off here and end the massage tour of his body, don’t! It will be all worth the while when you’re done. The butt is the biggest muscle in the body; you can apply much greater pressure here to help release any tension that he may have. If your man is feeling a little self-conscious, then always massage from the outside edge of the buttock to the middle – if you work the other way round you will open the cheeks of the buttocks and expose him, which may make him feel uncomfortable.
Back.
CREDIT: Wavebreakmedia-Depositphotos
Running your fingers up your partner’s back should have him squirming in pleasure. The back is a massive erogenous zone for many men – so he’ll enjoy a variety of different techniques here. Tracing his spine with your two thumbs run the entire length of the backbone, stretching out the top of the neck when you get there. The lower and middle back may be carrying a lot of stress, especially if he works in an office all day and sits for extended periods. Using some more oils and gauging your partner’s reactions start are the base of his back and work the muscly area either side of his spine. The shoulders maybe tense so begin gently with your thumbs, progressively increasing the pressure to rub out those crunchy muscles.
Work your thumbs in circular motions; gently apply pressure and kneading the muscles. Be careful not to place both hands on the neck as this will feel like you’re about to strangle him.
Neck.
It’s a susceptible area, so again be gentle. Gently stroke and work your thumbs and fingers into the sides of the neck. Work your way into the back of the head, and lightly knead the scalp.
With long sweeping motions run your hands doing his neck to his coccyx (tailbone just above his asshole.) Do this a few times. This should really get him purring. Run your fingers down his crack to his scrotum – he’ll most naturally open his legs wider for you to gain access. Run your fingers around the area to really get his passion lit.
Passion
Then let the passion commence. You can use the oils to have a slippery time together rubbing your bodies against each other – but it is best to rub away oils from the anus if you are going to penetrate. Essential and other massage oils will damage condoms and weaken condoms.
Always use a water-based lube with condoms. Never use essential oils as a lubricant for sex. You don’t want to end up in A&E.
It’s there, first thing… like an overly eager TGI Friday’s server… waiting to take your order, but why do guys get erections first thing in the morning?
It’s just a part of life, you wake up and your little fella is already up – aching to be unleashed and go forth into the day, but why do we get these erections?
Here are five reasons you could be waking up with an erection every morning.
1) They aren’t actually morning erections
They are actually night-time ones, called Nocturnal Penile Tumescence. The average man, without erectile dysfunction, has around three to five full lob ons during the night according to the NHS website, each one lasting up to 35 minutes.
2) It’s thought to be caused by the REM (rapid eye movement) part of your sleep.
CREDIT: Dmytro-Sidelnikov-bigstock
The part of your brain that releases norepinephrine located in the locus coeruleus is switched off which could result in boners. The REM cycle tends to happen just before you wake up.
3) Testosterone levels are at their highest in the AM.
And that can be attached to how randy you feel. Although testosterone doesn’t cause your duvet pole, it could make you think naughty thoughts – which will lead to a stiffy.
4) Some people think it’s to stop you wetting the bed…
Peeing with a raging horn is more difficult so it can perhaps, some suggest, prevent bed-wetting, we’re not convinced.
5) Full bladder
A full bladder could be the reason you’re waking with a stonker. It can stimulate part of the spinal cord that could bring on a reflex erection.
If you’re on PrEP but you’ve decided that you’re no longer hooking up with other guys during the COVID-19 lockdown, we answer whether it is safe to just stop taking the meds.
It’s official, well actually doctor’s orders, you really shouldn’t be having sex with anyone new to you and outside of your current living arrangement during the coronavirus outbreak.
The medical director of Terrence Higgins Trust, Doctor Michael Brady, warned yesterday that people have to stop hooking up during the Government-mandated Covid-19 lockdown.
But if you’re currently on a course of PrEP medication and you’ve decided to heed his words, is it safe to just stop taking them?
Can you just stop taking PrEP?
According to THT, many people will be choosing not to take PrEP during lockdown, which is okay, providing you don’t have a specific need like you’re having sex with a partner who has a detectable viral load.
Guidance from THT states, if you’re a gay / bi cis-male “it’s safe to stop taking PrEP as long as you stop after two full days after you last had sex”.
If you’re a trans woman, a cis-female, trans man or someone who identifies as non-binary it is advised you wait until seven full days, after you last had sex, before stopping PrEP.
How can I start on PrEP again?
Is it safe to just stop taking PrEP medication?
According to THT advice, “When you’re ready to re-start PrEP, cis gay and bisexual men can re-start with a double dose taken two to 24 hours before sex. For everyone else, you need to re-start with a daily dose for seven days before having sex again”.
Of course, if you’re concerned about your medication and want further guidance, you should speak to your GP or sexual health advisors.
The medical director at the UK’s leading HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust has said people need to stop hooking up during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Doctor Michael Brady, the medical director at THT has warned that people need to stop meeting for sex and look for other ways to “find sexual pleasure in other ways”.
“I’ve never been an advocate of promoting abstinence, but this message is not about protecting your sexual health: it’s about protecting your general health and those around you from a virus that can be deadly. This is extraordinary and unprecedented advice for us to be giving out, but these are extraordinary and unprecedented times.”
Lockdown and Hooking Up
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Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined new, stricter rules about leaving our homes during the Covid-19 outbreak. These were:
Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home)
Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
Wash your hands as soon as you get home
With the country under stricter rules surrounding lockdown, Dr Brady says we shouldn’t be having sex with anyone outside our current households.
He added,
“This advice means that, unless you have sex with someone within your household, it’s important to find sexual pleasure in other ways. Despite the situation with COVID-19, we need to remember that sex is an important part of life, but right now we have to find other ways to achieve sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
He continued,
“It’s only natural that we look to sex for pleasure, to relieve stress and anxiety or simply to pass the time – whether that’s with a regular partner or using hook-up apps. But our ‘new normal’ is that we have to find ways to do this while sticking to the advice to stay at home. This isn’t just to protect ourselves against the coronavirus but also to protect the most vulnerable in our society.
“You are your safest sexual partner”
Dr Brady finished up by adding that during this time, that instead of seeking sexual contact with other people, take we take matters in our own hands.
He said,
“I never thought I’d say this but the reality is that, for the time being, you are your safest sexual partner. It’s time to stay at home, stop close contact with people outside our household and to be creative about how we manage our sex lives”.
A new report has shown that dating apps are thirsty… and not just in a Chris Pine thirst kinda way.
The online comparison site, Uswitch analysed 50 of the most popular apps of all major app stores, taking into account the permissions they allow and how many each app has access to, constantly draining the energy from your phone.
The results revealed that gay favourite Grindr is the most draining dating app, using 28 permissions in total including location, photos and identity.
Now that social distancing has been encouraged to delay Coronavirus, this has resulted in a spike in online dating app activity. As more find themselves caught indoors, many are relying on digital to ignite romantic and social conversations, here’s a guide to the apps to use to limit your usage (and the ones you will need your charger for) as you look for love.
What Uswitch found was that Grindr asked for way more permissions (28) that other dating apps including, Bumble (20), Tinder (18) and Hinge (13).
But if you’re looking for the most permission seeking apps – and therefore most battery-intensive, look no further than Google (72), Facebook (50) and Facebook Messenger (46).
Based on the permissions they require, Google, Facebook and WhatsApp are the biggest drains on our batteries.
Facebook amongst others in the top 10, runs constantly on our mobile phones in the background and is accessing over 50 permissions including; contacts, location and media.
It might appear that Amazon’s Alexa is listening more than we realise. The Alexa app requests 39 permissions on our mobile phones ranging from location, camera and photos/media even when it’s not running.
Uber also makes the top 10 with 35 battery-draining permissions constantly accessing our location causing your battery to die faster than others. Waze is one of the most raved about map applications but is found to be more draining than Google maps.
Other apps such as Tik Tok, Mcdonalds, Grindr and Snapchat all make the top 20 list which can be found here.
Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com advises on how to preserve your mobile phone battery, “It’s estimated that over 5 billion people in the world now own a mobile phone, it’s our main form of communication and for some people even a method of payment.
It can cause issues when you’re caught out with a drained battery. There are a few simple ways to preserve your mobile phone’s battery life, such as turning off WiFi/Bluetooth and making the most of low power modes.
If all else fails, remember to put a portable charger in your bag on long journeys”.
Does social distancing also mean hookups? What about hooking up and having sex during the current situation, particularly if you’re living with HIV?
Firstly we asked Doctor Earim Chaudry, the Medical Director at Manual, who told us that Covid-19 isn’t sexually transmitted, but the virus can still be transmitted by direct contact between two people, particularly through droplets from coughs and sneezes – it goes without saying, if you’re swapping saliva you’re at risk if the other person is positive for Covid-19.
We also asked, leading HIV awareness activist, Philip Baldwin who told THEGAYUK.com, that there is no evidence to suggest that “HIV positive people are more vulnerable to Covid-19” or that people living with HIV would be more severely affected.
However, he added, “HIV positive people, LGBTQ people and the population, in general, should aim to follow the Government’s guidance on social distancing and self-isolation.”
He continued,
“As we are not even supposed to be sitting or standing next to each other in restaurants or bars, I think it is a struggle to interpret the guidance as not prohibiting hooking up! However, the Government has currently only issued guidance. I suggest you follow it, for your own safety and that of others, but (at the moment) no laws have been passed to enforce it.
“It is therefore not illegal to hook up with people. This could change. It could be the case that, as in other parts of the world, legislation will be passed enforcing curfews in the UK.
“I urge you not to switch on your dating apps and start hooking up”
Philip went on to say, “It has to be noted that human beings are social creatures. We were not made to be stuck indoors for days, let alone months. Especially alone.
“Sometimes we all crave intimacy or escapism, particularly in times of fear. However, I urge you not to switch on your dating apps and start hooking up. Society as a whole, including the LGBTQ community, needs to observe the emergency health measures.”
If you’re living with HIV and you are concerned about the ability to get HIV medications during the current Covid-19 outbreak we’ve got some reassuring news for you. Click here to find out more
As it stands, all we really know is that Covid-19 is spread through droplets from when people sneeze and cough.
The reproduction rate of the coronavirus is pretty high (higher than the normal flu) which is why we’re being told to wash our hands for 20 seconds and to cough and sneeze into the crook of our elbow or into tissues.
“While Coronavirus isn’t an STI, the virus can still be transmitted by direct content between two people and if one partner is infected, there’s a strong chance the other partner would also contract the virus.
“The virus can enter through these droplets through the eyes, nose or throat if you are in close contact, which means it can be spread by touch if a person has used their hands to cover their mouth or nose when they coughed or sneezed.
So what are the chances of being infected if you come into contact with someone who has Covid-19? Well as Dr Chaudry explains, “Covid-19 is also a highly infectious virus, which means if you are in close contact with someone infected there’s a high chance you will also become infected”.
If you’re having sex at this time, the good doctor gives this advice,
“As for safe sex, I wouldn’t recommend getting intimate with someone you’re unfamiliar without protection regardless of Covid-19.
“Always practice good ole fashioned safe sex: that means wearing a condom if you don’t know your partner’s sexual health/history. Stay safe!”
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So what are the symptoms?
The symptoms to look out for are primarily a new cough or fever.
Feeling panicky, isolated or anxious during these uncertain times? We’ve created a resource page which has important phone numbers, articles and support groups listed. Click here to go there.
