Verifying your account via SMS is a necessary part of the account creation process. If you are an existing user who has not yet SMS verified, we may prompt you to do so at certain times. Phone numbers are an important part of our anti-spam measures and are used for verification purposes only. We do not share your number with marketing companies and will not use your number to send you any texts or messages other than the one-time SMS Verification code.
How to SMS verify an account
- To verify your account, simply follow the SMS verification prompts on your screen.
- If you are an existing user who created your account prior to SMS verification, we may prompt you to do so. We do not currently have a way for you to proactively SMS verify before we ask you to do so.
- There is no need to enter your country code as it should already be filled out.
- If you live in a region that has a specific area code, make sure that you enter it before typing in your phone number.
If you can't receive SMS messages
We confirm your phone number by sending a code via SMS. This means that you must have a device which can receive SMS messages, like a mobile phone. We cannot verify via landline, certain internet-based/ voice over IP phone services, or certain texting apps. If your number is not compatible with SMS, you will need to use another number.
If you aren't receiving a verification code or get the “Invalid phone number” error message
- First, make sure you entered the correct country code, area code, and phone number.
- If you're still not receiving a code, it could be getting automatically blocked as potential spam by your mobile carrier. To prevent this, contact your mobile carrier to ensure that “Message Blocking” is disabled.
- Sometimes there are brief connection issues with sending an SMS - if you don't receive a code or get an error message, it's worth trying again in a few minutes. You'll also want to make sure that you have proper reception on your phone and can currently receive SMS messages to the number you are adding.
- If none of these troubleshooting tips work, or if you are getting an “invalid phone number” error, it could be that your number is not compatible with our SMS system and you will need to use another number.
- We are unable to work around our SMS process, and cannot manually verify a number for you. The only way to complete SMS verification is to use a valid number.
If you get the error “Phone number used too many times”
- Please wait 24 hours and try again.
- You can only verify a maximum of 3 accounts to any phone number. If you have already used your number on 3 accounts, you will need to delete one of the accounts and wait for 24 hours in order to use the number on a new account.
If you get a code but didn't request one
It's likely someone got confused about their number or accidentally entered yours. Usually, this mistake is quickly discovered and you won’t get any more texts. If you do get repeated texts, we recommend blocking the number you're receiving the verification text messages from so that they stop coming through. (You’ll want to unblock later if you do decide to use Grindr).
If someone asks you to send them your code
Do not ever share your SMS code with anyone else. If you get a message that says "I just sent you a code from Grindr, what is it?" this is a scam! They are trying to use your number to verify their account. If this happens, please report the account immediately from the app.