Online dating portal OKCupid has updated its iPhone and Android apps to allow members to see other users of the service who are in their locality.

The upgrade will let members keep tabs on who is close-by and even start a chat conversation and exchange photos with potential dates.

The app also lets online daters the chance to put themselves out there, so to speak, by letting fellow users know that they receptive to overtures from those in the vicinity, if they're deemed to be compatible of course.

On top of that, the new and improved app will continually scan your location for potential dates and if there's someone who matches your interests and requirements, you'll get a notification recommending you give it a shot

The app obviously borrows parts of the location aware functionality from the phenomenally successful smartphone app, which helps gay men contact others who are in their geographical area at any one time.

The new OKCupid offers a world of possibilities for singles looking for love, or maybe just a quick liasion. By allowing users to just start up a chat with someone who is, for example, at the same shopping centre or bar, a whole new element to the online dating game has just been added.

Link: OKCupid (via TechCrunch)