CHINA: Two of China’s most popular gay dating apps—Blued and Finka—have suddenly vanished from the country’s app stores, sparking a wave of anxiety and sadness among LGBTQ users who relied on them for connection and community.
As of Tuesday, both platforms had disappeared from Apple’s China App Store and multiple Android marketplaces. People who already had the apps installed could still use them, but new downloads were blocked. Both apps remain available through their official websites, though neither company has explained the sudden disappearance.
Apple confirmed to Wired that it removed the apps “based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China,” adding that the company must comply with local regulations.
A Shrinking sace for connection
For many, the elimination of Blued and Finka is not just about losing chances to find a date or companion; it’s about losing linkages and opportunities for connection.
Introduced in 2012, Blued became the country’s biggest and most used gay dating platform, with more than 40 million users worldwide. It expanded to become a livestreaming and health services platform, though it maintained its online space where gay men in China could willingly and openly meet.
In 2020, Blued’s parent company acquired Finka, a younger app popular among queer youth.
While homosexuality has been legal in China for decades, public expressions of LGBTQ identity have become increasingly difficult.
Over the past few years, the government has shut down advocacy groups, censored queer representation in media, and even cancelled Shanghai Pride, the country’s biggest LGBTQ event, in 2020.
One LGBTQ community organiser, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said he was “extremely shocked” by the removal of the apps.
“The living space for sexual minorities has been shrinking for years,” he said quietly. “But hearing this news now—it’s heartbreaking to realise that even online, our space is disappearing.”
Uncertain future for LGBTQ visibility
It’s still unclear whether the disappearance of Blued and Finka is temporary or permanent, but their removal has already rattled users across China.
One frustrated WeChat user said that Blued made countless people realise they weren’t alone, and, according to him, the app brought a group from the margins into the light.
For China’s LGBTQ community, the loss of these apps feels deeply personal—a blow not just to digital freedom, but to the fragile sense of belonging many had built online.
