Not everyone tagged in the group shot has to be an Instnt user (though those who aren't will receive an invite to join and can then take part in any group chats) and there's no limit on the amount of friends in the picture, other than the length of your selfie stick.

So, is there strength in numbers? Primarily intended to help daters get over the common awkwardness of one-to-one meets, group dating removes that pressure and also might allay some people's worries about safety when meeting strangers, plus it increases the chances of an interesting night out or new friendships even if sparks don't fly.

On the flip side, such a concept means there is a danger that a mass first date ends up in clashes over who is attracted to who and someone left feeling like the last kid to be picked for the netball team, though that's arguably a hazard of offline meets in pubs and clubs anyway. Group dating: the way forward?

The app is available on the Instnt website and iTunes.

Images: Insntgroupdating.com

Is mass dating the way forward? New app matches whole groups of friends, not just couples