New Dating Startup Ciao Date Focuses On Location-Based Dates

With more and more dating apps emerging, it is becoming increasingly difficult for new products to stand out from the pack and offer something new to singles.

We’ve recently seen an emergence of “on-demand” dating apps, which focus on generating offline dates rather than online activity.

A new app called Ciao Date touches on this new trend while also switching up the location-based focus most dating apps now employ to try and temper any security fears users might have.

Wanting to set itself apart from more hookup-orientated apps, Ciao has chosen a different route – focusing on the date, rather than personal profiles.

How does Ciao Date work?

  

The safety-conscious product first asks users whether they want to host a date, be taken on a date, or both.

It then lets members pinpoint their location and search for potential nearby dates in a map-style layout.

The map shows who else is nearby, and lets singles either “nudge”, “chat”, or “remove” the people they find.

Each profile shows a photo of the person, as well as the kind of date they are looking to go on, their budget and general availability.

The company says the app does not track users’ locations through their phone, only asking for the general area they are looking to date in.

Speaking about why he wanted safety to be at the forefront of the brand, Ciao Date‘s founder and lead developer Alexander Ziff said: “When it comes to dating apps and indeed modern technology, personal safety is the public’s number one concern, and rightly so.

“Mobile phones, tablets and even smart watches can now be tracked through multiple internet connections, and some dating apps have the ability to reveal the individual’s location to other users on that app.”

 

 

Singles using Ciao Date can also decide how to split the bill before they go on the date, to try and avoid any awkward conversations about paying.

And although Ciao Date focuses on face to face meetings, singles can choose to message within the app, but this feature is only unlocked if both parties want to chat.

This is designed to make it less likely that singles are inundated with unwanted messages from people they don’t want to talk to.

 Asked why he created Ciao Date, Ziff said: “I’ve always had a big interest in how technology can be used to benefit human relationships.

“Coupled with that, I realised that in the 21^st century — because people are so busy and in many ways there is less of a face-to-face community than in the past, it was more difficult to meet potential compatible romantic partners.

“I was aware how the current online dating sites and dating apps weren’t meeting the needs of a lot of people. It occurred to me that a new type of dating app that that was more about ‘romance’ rather than ‘hook ups’ was needed.

“I also realised that the way a lot of dating apps operate — by using phone tracking technology — is a huge worry, especially for a lot of women. I wanted to develop a dating app that puts the safety of women at the forefront, whilst creating a space for potential romances to bloom.”

The app is currently available around the UK, with a focus on big cities like London, and can be downloaded on both Android and iOS here.