The app was created by Udi Dagan.

'The idea for Split was born on a frustrating night, about a year ago, when I  ran into my ex-girlfriend in a bar,' he said.

'After a few awkward minutes, I  hurriedly gathered my friends out of there and into another pub down the street, where I literally bumped (that’s right, SMACK!) into another ex… Not a good night.'

He said the evening gave him the idea for app to avoid it happening again.

'We all have people in our lives we’d rather not meet by chance, in various settings and for different reasons. 

'Whether it’s social, work-related, or family, it’s rarely about disliking the person, and more about sparing ourselves (and them) those awkward, embarrassing situations that arise from the different types of relationships between people,' he said.

The firm says the app can also be used to keep an eye on work colleagues and even family members

However, he admitted the app has annoyed many - until they realise how it can be used.

'During the process of designing the Split app and defining its implementations, it was really interesting to see how people reacted to the idea of an app that’s primarily targeted at avoiding other people: At first, most would twist up their face, and say something to the effect of ‘not very nice’ and ‘antisocial behaviour’. 

'But then, when I gave examples of different situations where it could come in handy (my favorite is still ‘imagine running into your parents on a first date’), all of a sudden a lightbulb went on and some sort of revelation was noted – ’Oh, I see... That’s actually pretty useful!'