Use Grindr Without Fear in Indonesia with a VPN

Being a member of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Indonesia is a difficult task. Same-sex intercourse is legal in the company except for Muslims in Palembang as well as the province of Aceh, but those who are a couple do not enjoy any sort of legal protections that opposite-sex married couples do.

Just scratching the surface here, Indonesia still outlaws same-sex marriage, and visitors receive no legal protection from hate crimes against the LGBT community. The profound and personal act of ‘coming out,’ which holds great significance in many Western countries, is a rare occurrence in Indonesia due to the fear of social backlash and exclusion.

The Indonesian government has been harassed by the Human Rights Watch and other human rights’ organizations for not standing up for the rights of citizens in the last few years.

As recently as 2017, 141 men were arrested for attending a ‘gay sex party’ in Jakarta while another 51 were taken into custody at a sauna located in the same city.

Given the evident actions and prevailing bias, it’s quite evident that a dating app such as Grindr would face a clear case for being prohibited in Indonesia. However, even though the government enforces restrictions, it doesn’t imply that Grindr becomes inaccessible to those who are intrigued.

 What is Grindr?

Grindr is a mobile networking  app based on geolocation. Its primary purpose is to help gay and bisexual meet each other in the same area and it is available in both the Apple App Store, Google Play, and the ITunes App Store.

Using the geolocation function of smartphones, this application can detect individuals near each other. This allows them to easily see one another’s profiles by swiping through images. Afterward, you can initiate conversations, share photos, and even plan in-person meetups if that’s what you prefer.

It is currently the largest and most popular gay mobile app community in the world, available in close to 200 countries. It was launched in March 2009 and reached 3.6 million users online daily by early 2018.

In various nations, even those with conservative views on homosexuality, thriving Grindr communities have emerged. Grindr, known for its LGBTQ+ focus, expanded its reach in 2011 with the introduction of Blendr, an app catering to all sexual orientations. Blendr encompasses features geared towards fostering “non-sexual friendships”.

 The VPN workaround for Grindr

A virtual private network (VPN) is mainly used to encrypt data that a third party cannot intercept or spy on sensitive information. A VPN works by using encryption at both ends. A secure connection between the client and a remote server located outside Indonesia.

The remote server decrypts web requests from the client, adds a local IP address to the request, and forwards it to the Internet.

In the case of Grindr, the remote IP address guarantees that lndonesian watchdogs will not realize the connection is coming from inside their own country. Thus, it is safe to browse Grindr safely while located in Indonesia.

The process to setting up your VPN to access Grindr in Indonesia is as follows:

1. Select and download the VPN client app of your choice.
2. Install the client onto your Internet-capable device of your choice.
3. Open a new connection.
4. Find a remote server that is outside of Indonesia that has strong speeds and a reliable connection.
5. Connect to the server and verify it by checking your new IP address.
6. Launch the Grindr app.

 Best VPNs for Grindr in Indonesia

1. NordVPN — Premium VPN With Cheap Prices on Long-Term Plans

Key Features:

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market — and you can get super cheap prices when you sign up for a long-term subscription. One thing to note, however, is that when it’s time to renew your subscription, prices do increase quite significantly.

I was particularly impressed with the high performance of every server I tested. Just because a VPN has thousands of servers doesn’t mean they all work. Servers can still struggle to unblock local sites — and some can even fail to connect completely. However, I easily unblocked Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max on multiple servers in the US and UK.

I did, however, have issues with using NordVPN’s native Fire TV app. Although it worked and unblocked some streaming services, it sometimes had issues unblocking Netflix US and kept crashing. I also found that NordVPN’s user interface for desktop devices was less user-friendly than ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.

NordVPN has the following security and privacy features:

• AES 256-bit encryption
• A kill switch that cuts your internet access if your connection to a VPN server drops suddenly
• Built-in ad and malware blocker, so you don’t need a third-party ad blocker
• Fully audited no-logs policy (audited by PwC) – NordVPN doesn’t store any personal or identifying data while you’re connected to the VPN

In addition, NordVPN includes Threat Protection that protects you from viruses, infected websites, and trackers – and it works whenever you have the NordVPN app open, even if you’re not connected to a VPN server.

You can stream, torrent, and browse for free for up to 30 days with NordVPN’s money-back guarantee. It has plans that cost as little as $2.99 per month. To ensure that you’ll really get your money back, I tested NordVPN’s money-back guarantee. At first, the support team tried to give me an extended trial period — but they initiated my refund right away after I told them I wasn’t interested in the extension. I got my money back in 6 business days.

Get NordVPN

2. Surfshark — Best Value for Money with Unlimited Device Connections and Fast Speeds

Key Features:

Surfshark offers the best value for money out of every premium VPN on the market. You can connect an unlimited number of devices with a single subscription (which means you can connect your entire family and even friends!).

I tested Surfshark’s unlimited connections on 2 PCs, 2 phones, a Fire Stick 4K, and an iPad. My connection remained reliable on all 6 devices. Even while I was actively streaming on all my devices, my average speed was 112 Mbps — fast enough for UltraHD quality.

When I saw the price of this service, I thought it couldn’t possibly have top-grade security features for such a low price, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Surfshark has the following security and privacy features:

• AES 256-bit encryption on all devices, with ChaCha encryption available for Android users
• Wireguard VPN protocol enabled by default
• Diskless, RAM-only servers to protect your privacy (no data can be physically extracted from any servers)
• Kill switch (although this isn’t enabled by default)
• IP and DNS leak protection

Surfshark offers two-factor authentication (2FA) on your account. This feature requires you to enter an extra code before you can log in to ensure that only you (and those you share your account with) can access your account.

While Surfshark does have slightly fewer global servers than rivals such as CyberGhost and PIA, I didn’t experience any issues during my tests. I easily connected fast working servers every time, and I had excellent speeds for streaming Netflix in Ultra HD, downloading torrents, and browsing the internet.

You can try Surfshark for yourself with the 30-day money-back guarantee. It has plans that cost as little as $2.21. Requesting a refund is easy with Surfshark’s live chat feature. Although the support team asked why I wanted to cancel my subscription, I had no problem getting my money back (and it only took 4 days!).

Get Surfshark

3. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN stresses security above all else and is a strong VPN for mobile. It has 2048-bit encryption, an automatic kill switch, and built-in leak protection.

It also is a great VPN for torrenting, with P2P functionality and port forwarding at its disposal.

Get it Now

4. SaferVPN

SaferVPN supports multiple forms of encryption, including PPTP, l2TP/IPSec, IKEv2, and the always-popular OpenVPN.

With 760 servers in more than 35 countries, SaferVPN is a strong candidate to work well with Grindr in Indonesia. It also has a no-logs policy to reduce the threat of ever being tracked.

Get it Now