Recon Review 2026: Fetish Filters, Premium from $12.99, No Google Play App

Recon launched as a website in 1999 and added an iOS app in 2010, according to Wikipedia. Its App Store description calls it a kink and fetish network "exclusively for gay, bi, queer, trans and curious men into gear and fetish".

The operator is T101 Limited, the App Store seller. T101's own site describes itself as London-based and lists two brands: Recon and Fetish Week London.

A UK company named T101 Limited has been registered since 1999, but its filing does not name Recon, so the link rests on the shared name.

Wikipedia cites a figure of 189,000 active users in 2018, taken from T101's advertising guide. No newer published figure was found, so treat it as dated.

The App Store description also mentions articles, a podcast, a home feed and event listings, so Recon is a content and community hub as well as a profile grid.

Joining is free. The App Store description says standard members can view only photos in the main profile gallery, while access to additional galleries needs Premium.

Recon's help centre lists the Premium perks: unlimited profile views, access to "over 3.5 million additional member gallery photos", filtering of member lists, Premium search, Top 100 lists including Top 100 Cruised, and alerts when friends or favourites come online. Some are web only.

Free members therefore face a profile-view cap. The help pages checked do not state the number.

App Store reviewers say features that used to be free moved behind the paywall. One reviewer wrote that only two members who cruised them are now visible without paying.

The US App Store lists two price ladders for in-app purchases. Recon does not explain the difference on the pages checked.

Per-30-day figures are our arithmetic from the listed prices. The second ladder is about 8 to 11 percent higher; the reason is not documented.

Web prices were not visible without an account. Do not assume they match the App Store. Whether terms auto-renew, and what refunds apply, are not stated on the pages checked. Apple handles refunds for App Store purchases.

The App Store description says members choose their top five interests from a list of 30 kink and fetish categories and show them on their profile. A filter then narrows search by those interests.

Wikipedia lists categories such as bondage, leather, rubber, bears, bikers, chastity, feet, watersports and sports gear. Profiles also carry stats, a text description and extra galleries, including images sent privately as "hidden" photos.

The "cruise" is Recon's way of signalling interest. Members can also add friends, follow favourite profiles and get home-feed alerts for new photos and event plans.

This structure is what a general grid app lacks. See Recon vs Grindr for the side-by-side.

Grindr large grid app, FetLife kink social network, Sniffies map-based cruising, Feeld open-minded dating" width="1000" height="332" loading="lazy" style="width:100%;height:auto">

T101 says its Fetish Week London event has run since 2010. Wikipedia adds that Recon produces fetish events in cities including London and Paris, and has published a free print magazine.

The app lets members find events, add themselves and see who is going. Event galleries and post-event photos are posted on the home feed, per the App Store text.

A 2026 listing reported by event press puts Fetish Week London at 5 to 12 July 2026, with a Recon members' opening party. We treat that as reported, not confirmed by T101 pages.

Event strength varies by city. Wikipedia notes critics say apps like Recon have cut trade at leather bars, while many venues advertise on it.

Recon's help centre lists three routes: a web browser, a progressive web app (marked "Recommended") and an iOS app that needs iOS 17 or later.

The iOS app stays subject to Apple's rules. Recon says publicly available explicit imagery is restricted there even after age checks, while browser and PWA users can view everything once verified.

On Android, Recon's help centre says: "Due to ongoing censorship issues, Recon was removed from the Google Play Store", with no plans to return. Android users install the PWA from the browser. Older descriptions of an Android APK no longer match the current install guide.

The help centre also describes a "new Recon" switch-over, after which the old app stops working. Unverified guest accounts were due to be deleted from 7 June 2026.

Recon's location article says it never stores exact coordinates. It rounds latitude and longitude to three decimals, roughly a 500 metre grid, and shows only approximate distances. Members can also enter a location manually.

The same article warns that frequent use from one place can reveal routines, especially in sparsely populated areas.

In 2019 Pen Test Partners showed BBC News that exact locations could be found through trilateration on several gay dating apps, Recon included. PinkNews reported that Recon said it had changed its apps to obscure precise locations since being warned.

No two-factor login is documented. The help centre's password article covers strength rules only. Block and report tools exist, and the help centre warns about spam messages that ask for card details for "age verification".

Photos are stored in the EU, but a GDPR help article says they are accessed by a moderation contractor in India. That article is undated, so confirm current practice in the privacy notice.

UK members must complete age verification since 25 July 2025 under the Online Safety Act. Recon uses Persona: most people take a selfie, and a government ID may be requested if they look young.

Recon says it keeps only the method used and the pass or fail result. Persona deletes data after the check, and keeps failed attempts for 7 days. No ID or selfie check outside the UK is documented.

Accounts can be deactivated for up to 3 years plus 30 days before automatic deletion. The help centre also describes an automated data-access request and says backups are put "beyond use" after deletion.

Choose by what you want the app to do. Recon is a fetish-matching network with paid gallery and filter access.

• Grindr: a much larger general location grid for gay, bi, trans and queer people with paid tiers. Fetish is a side feature.
• FetLife: a free-to-join kink social network open to all genders, built on groups and events rather than a hookup grid. See FetLife vs Recon.
• Sniffies: a map-based cruising site, free with ads.
• Feeld: open-minded dating with a single paid plan.

For wider options see Best Fetish Dating Sites.

This review rests on documents checked in October 2026: Recon's help centre, the US App Store listing, T101's site, the UK company register, Wikipedia and press coverage of the 2019 location findings. Recon's own terms and privacy pages did not load for this review.

No account was created, no Premium plan was bought and the product was not used directly. Sub-scores therefore reflect documented features and third-party reporting, so confidence is lower than for a product used directly.

Web pricing and refund terms were not visible. The App Store figures are as of 8 October 2026.