What 8hues is
Updated October 2026
8hues is a map-based social community for adult (18+) gay men — a place to find each other, host something, and talk, built around a live map of who's nearby. Two things are non-negotiable here: your privacy is a setting you control rather than one we chose for you, and your expression — how you present, what you're into, who you are — is your own.
The map and the messaging are tools. What people do with them is theirs, and it is not new: men have found each other this way for decades. 8hues provides the geography and the privacy to use it safely; it doesn't invent the reason.
Alongside that, the things people most often ask for: a location change that costs nothing, a colour scheme you actually pick, and a way to know who you're talking to.
Side by side
| 8hues | Typical map apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Change your location | Free, always | Usually a paid upgrade |
| Colour schemes | 8 to choose from | One |
| Profile reviews | Yes — votable, optionally anonymous | No |
| Read receipts | Yes — with Plus | Varies |
| Incognito browsing | Yes — with Plus | Usually paid |
| Video rooms (1:1 & group) | Yes — with Plus | Rare |
| Location privacy control | You set the fuzzing radius | Varies |
| Price | Free, with an optional Plus tier | Subscription |
Why the location change is free
Wanting to look at another area isn't a premium feature — it's how you plan a trip, or check a city before you get there. On 8hues, travel mode is free and always will be. Type a city, browse it, come back. Nothing to unlock.
Eight colour schemes
The name is the feature. Green, teal, blue, indigo, purple, pink, red, orange — the whole app recolours to whichever you pick, and the choice is stored per person, not per device default. Because you got options.
Knowing who you're talking to
Every profile carries its own stats and a reviews tab, where other members leave feedback, vote it up or down, and can post anonymously if they'd rather. It's the public-consensus signal that faceless profiles never give you — and the single most common complaint about map-based apps is not knowing who is on the other end.
Privacy by default
- Your exact coordinates never leave the server. Other members see a randomised point inside a radius you control, from 250 feet up to 13 miles.
- Photos have their GPS and camera metadata stripped twice, in your browser and again on our server. Remove one and the file is deleted, not just hidden. Photos sent in a private chat open only for the two of you.
- Safety mode, for anyone who wants it and automatic where being gay is a crime, puts you only somewhere within about 13 miles, hides your distance, and keeps you off guests' maps.
- Blocking is mutual and immediate — you disappear from each other's map, chat and feed.
- Messages are not keyword-filtered. Moderation is report-driven, a person reads every report, and an intimate image shared without consent comes down within 48 hours with one request.
Common questions
Is 8hues free?
Yes, to use. Seeing the map, messaging and changing your location are free and unlimited, and no card is needed to join. 8hues Plus is an optional paid tier that adds incognito browsing, read receipts, video rooms and an ad-free map.
Do I need an app?
No — it runs in your browser, and installs to your home screen if you want it to, with notifications.
Does 8hues charge to change your location?
No. Travel mode is free and is not part of any paid tier.
8hues is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any other app. Comparisons describe the category generally; verify any competitor's current features and pricing on their own site.
Terms & Privacy · Safety · Remove an intimate image · 18+