Goose's launch event at Pearl Box in SoHo drew Chadwick's
Goose's launch event at Pearl Box in SoHo drew Chadwick's social-media circle as the app's invite-only model debuted Pop Crave/X

A new gay dating app called Goose hit the Apple App Store on 25 June with a feature its critics are already calling elitist. Users have to apply for membership before they can wave at anyone, message anyone, or browse the live map of nearby guys.

The app was founded by model and actor Derek Chadwick, who built a 1.7 million-strong Instagram following before pitching Goose as an alternative to Grindr's hookup-heavy reputation. Chadwick has positioned the platform as a non-hookup space centred on 'dating, making friends, and community'.

How Goose Works

Instead of the swiping mechanic that defines most mainstream dating apps, Goose users send each other 'waves' to signal interest. Mutual waves connect two people, but the app also lets users send a direct message without waiting for a wave, according to its Apple App Store listing.

The platform includes a live neighbourhood map that shows where other members are spending time in real time. Profiles carry photos, videos, ongoing updates, and stories rather than a single prompt about what someone is looking for. A vanish mode for disappearing chats and screenshot protection for private conversations are also part of the feature set.

The app is developed by Humanity Labs Ltd, according to its App Store registration.

Who Built Goose and Why

Chadwick, who is best known for his role in 'Scream Queens' and for founding clean-beauty brand Chaddy, teased the project on Instagram in May with a selfie video asking 'how come there's no cool gay dating apps in 2026?' He has said he has been single for two years.

He hosted a pre-launch party earlier this month at Pearl Box, a three-floor SoHo venue branded under the tagline 'for the boys'. The event drew social-media personalities and friends from Chadwick's network and featured a Goose ice luge, branded matchbooks, and a lighter-engraving station.

What Critics Are Saying About the Gatekeeping

Goose's biggest selling point, the application-based membership, is also its most divisive. The model echoes Raya, the celebrity-favoured platform where prospective users have been waiting years to join.

For US users worn down by hours of unproductive swiping on free apps, an invite-only community sounds attractive. But the structure raises an obvious question. Application-based platforms can deny entry without explanation, creating what critics describe as a two-tier dating market where some users are deemed worthy of curated romance, and others are left on the open apps.

There is also an influencer-economy question. Chadwick is launching the app with a built-in audience of 1.7 million Instagram followers, and the rollout has leaned heavily on his personal brand rather than on independent product reviews.

A Crowded Market for Gay Dating Apps

Goose enters a market in flux. Match Group shut down its Archer app on 17 June after announcing a $100 million (£76 million) minority investment in Sniffies, the map-based cruising platform that ranks as Grindr's closest competitor with three million monthly active users.

That decision left a gap for a non-hookup-focused option, and Chadwick's team has moved quickly to fill it. Whether Goose becomes a serious competitor or remains an influencer side project will depend on whether its membership gate produces the curated community it promises, or simply reproduces the exclusivity its target users were trying to escape.

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