Users can directly message other users or they can use the app's "Woof" feature, which allows users to express interest in another user's profile. The app is free to download.
Users can opt to purchase a paid membership, Scruff Pro, to access additional features. In , the app added a community for HIV-positive users called "Poz. In October, , the company launched Scruff Version 5, which included new communities, relationship types, sex preferences, and safety practices. In , Scruff stopped using third-party programmatic ads, such as banner ads , and moved to a revenue model based on subscriptions and direct advertising. As of August , Scruff does not require members to provide information about race or ethnicity.
In January , after multiple suspensions from Google Play, Scruff announced that it was banning profile photos featuring "sexually suggestive embraces" or members in their underwear or in swimming trunks. Scruff launched a live-streaming trivia game show called "Hosting" in March Users compete for cash prizes by answering LGBT-themed pop culture and history questions through the Scruff app. They can also view and send "Woof" notifications to other players. In , The Daily Dot named Scruff as one of the "9 best dating sites and apps for gay men.
TechRadar included Scruff on its list of "best dating apps In , the company added a traveler alert feature that notifies users when they reach one of approximately countries where homosexuality is criminalized, sends alerts to members about immediate safety concerns in these regions, and partners with the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association ILGA , on a web page identifying anti-gay laws in such countries.
In , chief executive officer Eric Silverberg said that Scruff has no plans to integrate with Facebook due to concerns about privacy and data mining.
