Short on time? Here’s how to access Grindr in Turkey in 2023:
- 1. Install a reliable VPN — I’d choose ExpressVPN. It has strong privacy and security features, blazing-fast speeds, and a user-friendly interface.
- 2. Connect to a server — Choose one in a nearby country like Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, or Romania for the best possible speeds.
- 3. Log into your Grindr account — You can now access Grindr.
Grindr is one of the many websites banned in Turkey, so if you’re a Turkish resident or are traveling to Turkey, you won’t be able to network with the local LGBTQ+ community or keep in touch with your friends on the app — unless you use a virtual private network (VPN).
A VPN will help you get around this restriction by changing your IP address from a Turkish one (which will be blocked) to an IP address from a country that allows access to Grindr. Not every VPN on the market is great at bypassing government censorship. But through extensive research and testing, I’ve identified 3 of the best VPNs to use with Grindr in Turkey.
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Why You Need a VPN to Access Grindr in Turkey
People in Turkey aren’t able to use Grindr because the Turkish government has blocked the app. The block works by preventing users with Turkish IP addresses from accessing the app. Fortunately, you can simply use a VPN to get an IP address from a country that allows you to access Grindr.
A VPN is a service that sends your internet traffic through a virtual server before it goes to its final destination. When you connect to a VPN server, you’re assigned an IP address that belongs to the country where the server is located — and the VPN hides your real IP address. This way, websites will only see your VPN IP address and believe you’re actually in that country. For example, if you’re in Turkey but connect to a server in Cyprus, it will appear as if you’re in Cyprus and bypass Turkey’s Grindr ban.
Another good reason to use a VPN when accessing Grindr in Turkey is that it encrypts all of your traffic. This means that no one, including the government, can see the websites that you visit.
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Best VPNs for Accessing Grindr in Turkey in 2023
Quick summary of the best VPNs for accessing Grindr in 2023:
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for bypassing Turkey’s Grindr ban.
- 🥈2. Private Internet Access — Secure & customizable VPN for accessing Grindr in Turkey.
- 🥉3. PrivateVPN — Simple VPN that’s great for beginners.
- Comparison Table of the Best VPNs for Grindr.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Accessing Grindr in Turkey in 2023
ExpressVPN is the most reliable VPN for accessing Grindr in Turkey due to its massive server network, best-in-class security features, and blazing-fast speeds. It has 3,000+ servers located in 90+ countries, including in countries near Turkey that don’t block Grindr, like Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and Romania. While you can connect to a server in any non-restrictive country, I recommend connecting to a country that is closest to you to get the fastest speeds.
In addition, ExpressVPN also supports obfuscation across all of its protocols and servers. Obfuscation disguises your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic to evade government VPN detection.
On top of essential privacy and security features, ExpressVPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed, and it also offers advanced security features like:
- Perfect forward secrecy — Changes your encryption key with every new session, so even if a hacker obtains one key, they can’t gain access to any past or future keys.
- TrustedServer technology — ExpressVPN’s servers run on RAM memory, which means your data is never written to a hard drive and is wiped with every reboot.
- IP leak protection — ExpressVPN protects you against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks, which prevents your IP address from leaking through the VPN. I tested servers in multiple countries for leaks, and I never saw my real IP address.
- Threat Manager — This feature blocks trackers (which are common on sites like Grindr) and stops you from visiting malicious websites (handy if you accidentally click on a suspicious link sent by a chat partner).
All VPNs will slow your internet to some extent due to encryption, but ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol maintains the fastest speeds out there, allowing you to text and make calls on Grindr completely free of lag. I also like using ExpressVPN’s built-in speed test, which displays the fastest servers and takes just 1 click to connect to one.
ExpressVPN comes with some useful extra features like split-tunneling, which lets you specify which apps you want to send through your VPN and which ones you want to send through your local network. This means you can route just Grindr through your VPN and avoid slowing down your other internet traffic.
Note that ExpressVPN’s website may be blocked in Turkey. So if you’re visiting the country, I strongly suggest that you download and install ExpressVPN on your device before you arrive. If you’re already in Turkey, ExpressVPN support recommends that you use this mirror link to access its website (if the main one doesn’t work): www.get-express-vpn.com.
ExpressVPN has both monthly and yearly plans with prices as low as $6.67 / month. While it costs slightly more than other VPNs, ExpressVPN is easily the best VPN provider on the market. It allows 5 device connections, and all subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Secure & Extremely Versatile
Private Internet Access (PIA) has strong security, fast speeds, tons of configuration options, and plenty of servers in countries near Turkey. It also offers obfuscation through its Shadowsocks protocol, which allows you to choose from 7 different countries to route your traffic (including nearby Israel, Switzerland, and the Netherlands). While Shadowsocks is a great choice for bypassing Turkey’s firewall, I prefer ExpressVPN’s obfuscation method because it works in all 90+ countries and provides faster speeds.
It’s really cool how customizable PIA’s apps are compared to most VPNs. For example, it lets you choose between 128-bit AES and 256-bit AES encryption (the former will get you slightly better speeds due to less encryption, but it’s still very secure). You can configure your kill switch to prevent internet access if you’re not connected to a VPN — so you don’t accidentally go on Grindr unprotected. Its advanced split-tunneling also lets you exclude IP addresses, which can be useful for desktop users who access Grindr through their browser.
All of PIA’s apps are open source, which means anyone can look at its code for cracks in security. Additionally, PIA uses perfect forward secrecy and RAM-only servers, but it’s a little inconvenient that you have to install a separate browser extension to prevent WebRTC leaks. PIA’s no-logs policy has been audited, and it’s been verified in multiple court documents.
PIA is slightly slower than ExpressVPN, but the differences didn’t really affect my online experience — even on distant servers. During my speed tests, videos and web pages loaded quickly, and text messages were sent with no delay.
Grindr is notorious for having very aggressive ads, so I love that Private Internet Access includes an excellent ad, tracker, and malware blocker (PIA MACE). Unlike ExpressVPN’s Threat Manager, PIA MACE blocks annoying ads so you can have a smoother online experience. During my tests, PIA MACE successfully eliminated practically every ad on Grindr.
Private Internet Access offers very budget-friendly plans that start at just $2.19 / month. It lets you connect up to 10 devices, and all plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. PrivateVPN — Easy-to-Use VPN for Grindr
PrivateVPN’s apps have a minimalistic and intuitive interface, which makes it a great beginner-friendly VPN for bypassing Turkey’s Grindr ban. It has servers in fewer countries (60+) compared to ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, but it has excellent coverage near Turkey so this isn’t a serious concern. PrivateVPN also offers really good obfuscation with its Chameleon protocol, which is very simple to enable and is able to consistently bypass Turkey’s firewall.
It’s not as fast as either ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access, but I found PrivateVPN’s speeds more than satisfactory for using Grindr. My chat messages were sent instantly, and I only had to wait a few seconds for video messages to load.
PrivateVPN has all the standard security features of a good VPN and even lets you choose between 128-bit AES and 256-bit AES encryption, but it lacks advanced security features such as perfect forward secrecy and RAM-only servers. It also has no built-in WebRTC leak protection either, and I wish it had extra features like split-tunneling or an ad/tracker/malware blocker.
At $2.00 / month, PrivateVPN offers one of the cheapest deals on the market, it lets you connect up to 10 devices at the same time, and all of its plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full PrivateVPN review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for Accessing Grindr in Turkey in 2023
Access Your Grindr Account With ExpressVPN Now
How to Choose the Best VPN for Accessing Grindr in Turkey
- Works with Grindr. All of the VPNs I recommend can reliably bypass Turkey’s government restrictions, have obfuscation tools, and allow you to use Grindr.
- Fast with nearby servers. For smooth chatting, video messaging, and video calls on Grindr, I only recommend VPNs with very fast servers in nearby countries like Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Romania, etc. In my tests, ExpressVPN always had the fastest speeds.
- High security and privacy. All of the VPNs I recommend come with industry-standard VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption (scrambles your data), a kill switch (disconnects your internet if your VPN connection drops), IP leak protection (prevents your IP address from leaking through your VPN), and a strict no-logs policy (to prevent the VPN from storing your data).
- Good mobile apps. Most people use Grindr on their phones, so I picked VPNs with feature-rich and intuitive Android and iOS apps.
- Value. All of the VPNs featured on this list provide subscription plans that are highly competitive. Not only do these plans offer great value, but they also allow for a minimum of 5 device connections. Additionally, each of these VPNs offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try out their services risk-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to sign up for a Grindr account?
There are only 3 easy steps to sign up for a Grind account:
- Find and install the Grindr app from the App Store (iOS) or from Google Play (Android).
- Open the app and follow the in-app instructions to sign up using your email, Facebook account, Google account, or Apple ID (for iOS).
- Log into your account to start chatting and swiping on Grindr.
Does Grindr work in Turkey?
No, since the government in Turkey has blocked access to Grindr. So, people with Turkish IP addresses won’t be able to get on the app or website. But a VPN can help you bypass this restriction by routing your traffic through a private server in another country that doesn’t block Grindr. When you connect to a VPN server, you get an IP address from that country, making it appear as if you’re accessing Grindr from outside of Turkey.
ExpressVPN is my top recommendation for bypassing the Grindr ban. It has many servers in nearby countries that will allow you to freely access Grindr, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and Romania. It’s also fast, has easy-to-use apps on both desktop and mobile, and provides great privacy and security features including IP leak protection, a kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy.
Are VPNs legal in Turkey?
Yes, it’s technically legal to use a VPN in Turkey. However, the Turkish government attempts to restrict VPN usage by blocking access to VPN websites and all of your VPN traffic. This means you need a VPN that is able to evade detection, like the ones on my list.
Also note that while using a VPN is legal, using one to access a banned website could get you in trouble.
Can I use a free VPN to access Grindr in Turkey?
Maybe, but either way, I generally don’t recommend using free VPNs. This is especially true in restrictive countries like Turkey, which practice internet surveillance and block VPN traffic. Free VPNs seldom have great privacy or security features to protect you from prying eyes and often won’t work at all in the face of VPN blocks. What’s more, free VPNs frequently limit user speeds and data usage.
Using an affordable, paid VPN instead will save you a lot of time and headache. You can purchase a subscription to ExpressVPN, which is the best VPN on the market, for as low as $6.67 / month. If you’re looking for even cheaper rates, Private Internet Access has prices that start at $2.19 / month, and PrivateVPN is also very affordable ($2.00 / month).
What is the best VPN to use in Turkey to access Grindr?
ExpressVPN is my top pick because it’s super fast and has servers in many nearby non-restrictive countries, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and Romania. It also has great mobile apps and comes with top-notch privacy and security features like IP leak protection, a kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy.
The other VPNs on my list are also great alternatives. Private Internet Access is feature-rich and super versatile, and PrivateVPN is beginner friendly.
How to access Grindr in Turkey?
The easiest way is by using a VPN. Turkey bans users from visiting Grindr’s app and website, but you can bypass these restrictions by connecting to a VPN server in a country that doesn’t censor the internet. To access Grindr in Turkey, just follow these 3 easy steps.
