• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, March 27, 2017

Uber and Airbnb both did it, so why not Grindr?

Yes, the pioneering dating app for gay men, which debuted in 2009, three years before Tinder, is launching its own online magazine, Into, whose title may or may not be a naughty double entendre.

The launch is part of a larger push to position Grindr as a multifaceted lifestyle brand, rather than just a “gay hookup app.”

Into will publish a variety of curated user-generated editorial content, with a particular focus on LGBTQ lifestyles and social issues, including travel, culture, nightlife and entertainment. It draws on the vast local knowledge of LGBTQ communities around the world about their own cities and attractions.

The magazine won’t shy away from the grittier realities global LGBTQ culture. For example, the magazine is producing a video series about gay immigrants and refugees who communicate via Grindr.

While Into doesn’t carry any advertising at launch, Grindr is in talks with potential ad clients about branded content and sponsorships for the magazine.

Grindr claims to have signed up over 10 million users, with 5 million to 6 million monthly active users and over 2 million daily unique visitors. Last year, the company sold a controlling stake to Chinese gaming outfit Kunlun, which took a 60% stake in the gay dating app for $93 million.

As noted, Grindr isn’t the first app to get its own magazine.

Last yearm Airbnb, the room-sharing app that allows homeowners and renters to host paying guests, launched a new custom publication called Airbnb Magazine, produced in collaboration with Hearst Magazines. The magazine features stories from Airbnb hosts and travelers, focusing on different cities around the world. The magazine will be distributed to hosts, as well as other travel-related venues.

In 2015, ride-hailing app Uber tested an in-car magazine for passengers, titled Arriving Now, in New York City. It also published a magazine for drivers, called Momentum.