The ability to end the guessing game and pick a fellow Jew out of a crowd has just become that much easier.

An app has been developed to allow Jewish iPhone users to confirm whether a person standing nearby is of the faith or not and, in the process, connect single Jews with others looking for love.

The Yenta app, which uses navigation technology, works in a similar way to Grindr, which is used by some members of the gay community.

The free app lets users log their location and check if other Jewish singletons who are hoping to meet someone are “checked in” at nearby spots including bars or coffee shops. It then allows users to chat and even arrange a meeting to get to know each other better.

The creators of the app said that they had developed it because “for reasons we couldn’t understand, Jewish dating sites remain pretty archaic”. Their programme, they said, skips the need to trawl through long profiles “that make users feel as dating is their second job”.

“Yenta focuses on who is Jewish and single near you right now so you can go ahead and start an immediate conversation and meet the person within minutes,” they said.

“It’s serendipity at its best, whether at school, work or local hangout you can instantly see who is Jewish, single and wants to meet near you.”