Tinder is introducing a new location service which you might find creepy

Plenty of us have had our fair share of creepy Tinder experiences, but now the app is taking things a step further by introducing a location-based features which, in case you were worried, users can opt out of.

The new feature, promised earlier this year and reported on in-depth by TechCrunch, aims to encourage real-life interaction and to enable users to get a feel for their potential suitors through their choice of cafes, bars and restaurants.

This could actually end up being pretty handy for foodies and club kids - in some relationships, personal tastes can actually end up being a deal-breaker.

It's also not as unsettling as it sounds; the feature is already being trialled in three cities (Brisbane, Sydney and Santiago) and limits the 'places' it shows to social ones only - so that weirdly enthusiastic guy you quickly unmatched won't be able to track down your office building, or worse, your home.

In fact, Samantha Stevens - who led the development of the new feature, previously known as Tinder Places - says she has taken every precaution possible to make the feature as safe as possible.

As a female who designed this feature, I personally made sure that I would feel safe using it.

The places that you go say a lot about who you are as an individual. what you value, your hobbies, your interests. So being able to match with someone on tinder who shares those same things with you, we believe creates a more genuine match and a better conversation.

There's also a huge amount of control given to the user, who can choose to disable certain places if they choose.

Ultimately, despite the slightly creepy-sounding idea, this new feature just sees Tinder mirror other geosocial dating apps like Grindr and Bumble by offering users other tools to meet their perfect match.

You know the drill - it's time to start swiping.

h/t TechCrunch

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