Initially, the site was available only in German and hence it used to have a majority of users being from German-speaking countries. The website and apps are currently available in six languages. The German-speaking community remains the largest community but not the majority. It has been operated by Planetromeo B.
In , the site name was changed from GayRomeo to PlanetRomeo and in it was changed again to simply Romeo. The Romeo website, iOS app and Android app are commonly used mainly by the gay community to find friends, dates or love. In Germany, due to its high number of registered users, Romeo is often called the "Gay Registry Office" schwules Einwohnermeldeamt or "The Blue pages" Die blauen Seiten , [ 7 ] referring to the well known telephone directories the yellow pages and the white pages.
In a satirical reference to the Nazis ' compilation of lists of homosexual men in the s, the German newspaper " Taz " announced: "The pink lists are back". To access Romeo, users referred to as Romeos create a profile which can include a physical description, a list of sexual preferences, personal interests and one or more photographs of themselves.
Aside from personal messaging , Romeo offers users the chance to create Club and Guide profiles as another way of connecting with gay men sharing similar interests. For example, a bar or sauna creates a Club or Guide profile, to which Romeos either can join and or link their private profiles. The administrators of the Club and Guide profiles can send direct messages to their members.
Club members exchange news or discuss various subjects in the club's forum or via a newsletter. Clubs also exist for supporters of political parties , members of religious groups and employees working in particular industries; some clubs have a more playful and sexual orientation. Any user can create a club-profile.
