"As a 40-year-old man, I have not had the luxury of growing up in a much more open and accepting society we enjoy now. I grew up in a very traditional era where everything is black and white and toxic masculinity is constantly shoved down my throat every single day. I had carried these expectations on my back for so long that I have more or less internalized the fear of being 'found out.' So even if the world today is much more accepting of the different colors in the spectrum, I have always been a bit uncomfortable with being openly gay. It is sad but I am still not ready yet. I'd like to think that I will be, someday. Therefore, when I discovered Surge, I felt as if 30+ years of burden and grief were lifted off my shoulders. It is not the panacea to all my worries, yes. But to have an outlet where I can just be myself with no expectations and meet strangers who understand and not look at me weirdly gives me such profound relief and wonder. Of course, the membership fees can be quite pricey, I'll admit. However, the sense of community and belongingness I feel on Surge is definitely worth it, for me." - Banker, 40
Surge Review USA October 2026
- No ads on the app
- Private messages only after matching
Surge USA in 10 seconds
- Dating app for gay men looking for casual or serious relationships
- No ads present on the app
- You can only upload a limited number of photos on your profile. See profile quality
- Photos and videos vanish immediately once viewed to ensure security. Learn more
- You can only send private messages to people whom you've matched with
- Premium membership is very affordable – you can also buy credits to use on the app
- Free to download for iOS and Android devices
Find out if Surge is the right service for you or if there are better options.
Better than Surge
Who is Surge for, and not for?
- Gay men who are into casual flirting
- Singles looking for casual or serious dating
- Those looking for casual sex and hookups
- Gay men who want to fall in love and find a life partner
- Those searching for erotic adventures and casual encounters
- Straight singles looking for serious dates
Surge pros & cons
- Secure and encrypted messaging with matches
- Great app design that offers easy usability
- Members are vetted for authenticity
- Signing up takes only a minute
- Not much members active outside major cities
- Uploaded profiles go under approval process and can take 24 hours
- Mobile app sometimes takes a while to load and experiences glitch issues
What Surge really costs in the USA
Payments are charged to your preferred app store's account upon the confirmation of purchase. The account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user. Take note that the auto-renewal feature may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase.
How to cancel your Surge subscription →
Is Surge right for me?Who is signed up on Surge in the USA?
Exclusively on DatingScout: online member numbers for dating services are usually far off, so we estimate how many people are really on Surge from traffic data and interest, updated monthly, with history.
Most of the members are from the United States, but there are people from other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Finland, Indonesia, France, Israel, Kenya, Egypt, Russia, Ghana, and Germany who join the site.
The population is mostly on the younger side, but there is membership across all age groups. As it is a gay dating app, there are no women here, only gay men with different orientations but ultimately would like to date other gay men. Most members register using their Facebook accounts, but there are also those who opt using their email addresses.
Where Surge is most popular in the USA
Strongest regions
- Wyoming100%
- Louisiana48%
- Kansas44%
Last data update: October 2026
How does Surge work?
Surge is a dating app designed for gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals to connect and build relationships
New members have the option to connect via Facebook for quicker registration
Premium subsription allows you to view who liked your profile, send power messages, and more
Signing up at Surge
★★★★★ 3.0/5
Required information
- Name
- Date of birth
- Location
- Profile picture upload
Optional information
- Profile bio / greeting
Verification
No verification is required to sign up at Surge.
Making contact on Surge
★★★★★ 3.0/5
- Swipe left to dislike users and swipe right to like
- A match happens when you like a person and he has liked you back or vice versa
- You can only chat with people you are matched with
- You can send photos and videos via chat that vanish immediately after a few seconds
- Use a "Power Like" to have an easier time matching with other people
- Everybody can send messages for free
- Surge has a chat function
Profile quality
★★★★★ 3.0/5
- Profile photos must be a clear headshot of you or else it will be rejected by the admin team
- You can upload five public photos and three private photos
- You can connect your Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify accounts
- Only premium members can see the private or locked photos of their matches
- You can change your location to see other members that are not within your vicinity
- Profiles are moderately detailed
- Profile pictures are visible to everybody for free
The Surge app
★★★★★ 3.0/5
- Tasteful design and layout
- Available on iOS and Android version
- Free to download on the App Store and Google Play
- Has an average of 33,000 Apple users and 87,500 Android users monthly
- 100 MB in size; still lightweight and doesn't strain your mobile phone
Surge has a distinct look and branding to it that when you see a sliver of a screen, you immediately know that it's Surge. With its use of cool blue and dark grey tones, the app has a unique, muted, yet still youthful feel to it. Despite Surge's tasteful and classy design, its features are not confusing and hard to navigate around at all. In fact, the app has one of the easiest usability of all the apps that we have tested. With simple features and well-organized buttons, the user experience is definitely friendlier than some.
It is available on iOS and Android version. It is also free to download on Apple's App Store and Google Play. Currently, Surge has an average of 33,000 Apple users and 87,500 Android users worldwide monthly.
It takes up about 100 MB in size. However, the app still remains lightweight and won't cause any strain on your mobile phone at all. In fact, it can run on background and still won't drain your battery too much, or cause any trouble at all.
Our field test
★★★★★ 3.0/5
Design & usability
The Surge app comes in calming blue tone that is also appropriate for the flirty gay men on the app. Its functions all work fine and the buttons are easy to use and understand.
The app has attracted many investors because of its great security features such as fingerprint lock and account verification methods.
The design suits the purpose well and could compete with the other more popular dating apps out there in these aspects.
Special features
Surge, in its very core, is a fun app with a simple premise--to find your match. This basic tenet has dictated what features the app can offer you in a very simple and easy manner. To explain, here are some of the app's features that can help you find a match quicker:
Showing interest 1
Power LikesPaid
Having a Power Like is a major advantage. Matching can take time. Interacting with others, even more so, since the interest must be mutual before you can start chatting with each other. Surge provides a shortcut with the "Power Like" feature. Once you avail of "Power Likes," you can use these to immediately notify the person that you like him. He, in turn, can decide immediately if he likes you back or not.
Safety and privacy 3
UnmatchFree
Even in real life, sparks tend to wane and die out completely. Online dating isn't safe from this. Let's face it, people change, so do their decision and likes. They can unmatch with you or you with them, completely erasing your chat history. However, life goes on and so does swiping.
Fingerprint SecurityFree
To safeguard your activities even more, you can opt to enable fingerprint security. Your device, however, must have a fingerprint sensor in order to avail this security measure. It is still a nice feature to have, just in case!
Private ModeFree
You can turn on the private mode so your profile is only visible to others that you've liked. Surge provides absolute discretion should you need it with this feature.
Final results
“In today's society that puts tremendous pressure for a person to be pigeonholed into something that can be easily explained, Surge provides its users a reprieve from that. After all, humans are complex creatures with complex needs and wants.”
Alternatives: Better than Surge
Compare Surge with other dating sites
6 Surge experiences from real users in the USA
- Simple, intuitive app interface
- Easy registration and use
- Scammers and fake profiles are widespread
- Locations are often inaccurate or overseas
- Low response levels from other users
- Poor support response to scam reports
The app itself is intuitive and easy to use. You're not bombarded with ads like similar apps.
The distance measurement is inaccurate. I'm in the US thinking I'm chatting with a guy 137 miles away. It turns out he's in Russia. Same with three other guys, Russians. A 5th guy I believed was 30 minutes away turned out to be on the other side of the country. Of the 2 guys I decided to pursue building relationships with, both were scammers. One hit me up for money so he could see me, the other trying to bait me into fake cryptocurrency trading.
Easy to join.
Response level is very low, contacts are generally from other countries and not local guys. You can’t delete people.
Easy to use
Entire site is scammers and fake profiles. Out of a hundred matches maybe 2 have actually been real. Everyone else is fake using fake locations and they are obviously overseas as their English is very poor as soon as you deviate from the scripted rehearsed responses they are accustomed to. Throw them a curve ball question they don’t get asked normally and see how they answer or randomly answer a question in a way that makes no sense and see what they say. Half of them are bots you’re talking to the other half are scammers in India or China.
Cancelling your Surge subscription
How you can cancel
- Via your profile settings on Surge
Contact details
| Company | Surge Gay App s.r.o. |
|---|---|
| help@surgeapp.com | |
| Address | Rohanské nábřeží 678/23, Karlín, 186 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic |
Do subscriptions auto-renew?
Subscriptions renew automatically, cancel at least 7 days before your current term ends.
Money-back guarantee
- Surge does not offer a money-back guarantee
Do your credits expire?
Credits expire after 180 days.
Is Surge right for me?Surge FAQ
How do I message someone on Surge?
You need to be a match in order to be able to send a message to that person. You must keep on swiping. When the person you like has liked you back, the chat feature will automatically be enabled. In short, you must mutually like each other to be able to chat.
I was notified that someone likes me on Surge but I can't see who.
Only in the Premium membership are you allowed to see who liked you. If you are a standard member, you just need to keep swiping and hope for the best!
One of my chats disappeared.
If one of your chats on Surge has disappeared, it can only mean two things: either the user has deleted his account or used the "Unmatch" feature. That's not a good sign but that's online dating for you. You can still keep on swiping to look for better prospects.
How can I edit my profile on Surge?
To edit your profile, just hit the profile icon on the top left-hand corner and select “Edit Profile." You can edit your name under which you want users to see you, your birthday, your weight, and your height. You can also edit the About section, saying a few witty words about yourself or what you’re looking for. Finally, you can set your relationship status.
In this section, you can also add up to eight photos (5 public, 3 private).
How do I unmatch someone on Surge?
If you are not feeling the spark, you can either unmatch him instantly while on the Messages tab by swiping left or in the chat window itself by hitting “More” and then “Unmatch." A message pops up to confirm your decision so you don't have to worry about unmatching someone by accident.
How come my photos keep being rejected?
Surge prides itself as a visual app. The developers wanted clear pictures of their members' faces for transparency. In their studies, it has been shown that users that have high-quality headshots on their profiles will get more matches. That is the main reason why nature shots, kitten photos, and group pictures are usually rejected.
Are there any rules for public photos?
As a visual app, Surge requires clear photos of its members' faces for profile pictures. However, this rule is laxer when it comes to public photos. As long as you are recognizable on them and they have no explicit content, these are allowable.
Someone stole my photos on Surge and uses them as their own. What do I do?
In cases like this, you can report the user and contact the app's moderators. The team will immediately look into it and take the necessary steps if needed.
What does being verified mean on Surge?
A check icon appears on some members' profiles. This means that the administrators have confirmed that the profile is authentic and went through photo verification.
I deleted my Surge account and can't reset my password to log in again.
Deleting your account is a serious and permanent action. That’s why you’re going to need to create a brand new account with a brand new e-mail address. You can't register with the same e-mail twice.
How do I cancel Surge premium membership?
You can cancel your Premium membership at any time. To cancel it on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch:
- Go to the App Store on your iOS device.
- Scroll to the bottom.
- Tap Apple ID (your Apple ID email).
- Tap View Apple ID. Log in if it asks you to.
- Scroll down to Subscriptions and tap Manage.
- Select Surge and set the auto-renewal slider to Off or select Unsubscribe.
To cancel your subscription on your Android device:
- Open the Google Play Store app. Search for Surge.
- Select Cancel or Unsubscribe.
- Confirm.
Premium subscription is valid for 30 days depending on the subscription type selected. Payment is charged to your iTunes or Google Play account at the point of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of your current subscription. No cancelation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. Deleting the app and/or your account does not cancel your subscription.
What is included in the premium membership?
Surge offers a lot of exclusive features for its premium members. You can see who liked you, have an access to the whole history of your likes and dislikes with the possibility to change your mind later, change your location to see what the guys are like anywhere else, set up more filters, reverse your previous dislikes, and send stickers.
How do I message people?
On Surge, you just can't automatically message anyone. You must swipe through the profiles to like and dislike people. Only after you get a mutual like with someone, a "Match," would you be able to chat.
Can I delete messages?
Sadly, you can't delete messages on Surge. You can only delete the whole conversation by unmatching with the user. However, this is a permanent and irreversible action.
I got a new message notification but I don't see it.
This could mean that the user either unmatched you or deleted their account on Surge. To double-check, try logging out and then logging back in.
You did not find your question? Ask us!
Thank you for your question. We will answer it as soon as possible.
Security
- Does Surge sell your data?
- No, Surge does not sell your data.
- Was Surge hacked in the past?
- No, Surge was never hacked.
- How accurately does Surge track your location?
- Surge tracks your exact location.
- Do your Surge profile pictures or profile information appear in Google Search Results?
- No, your Surge photos and personal information will not appear in Google Search Results.
- Who can view your pictures on Surge?
- All Surge users can view your pictures.
- Is your phone number required for signing up at Surge?
- No, you can sign up at Surge without a phone number.
- Can you erase your personal data on Surge?
- Yes, Surge provides an option for users to erase their data.
Why can you trust us?
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- We have carefully reviewed over 3,580 dating services
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