Íslendinga-App
In short: Íslendinga-App is an Icelandic phone app that lets two people check how closely they are related, using the Íslendingabók genealogy database. Users can bump phones to see whether they share recent ancestors. Reported since 2013, it is an example of a hyperlocal tool linked to dating in a small population.
Key facts
| Type | Service |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Iceland |
| Launch | Developed by three University of Iceland software engineering students who won a university competition for a new use of the Íslendingabók database; Arnar Freyr Aðalsteinsson is named as the developer [BuzzFeed News, 2013] |
| Launch | Created through a competition run by deCODE Genetics with the University of Iceland, making Íslendingabók available on mobile; Android only at the time [Reykjavik Grapevine, 23 April 2013] |
| Fact | Users enter a name to see how closely they are related, using Íslendingabók, and can bump phones to reveal their relationship [Global Dating Insights, 30 August 2022] |
| Fact | Íslendinga-App lets couples check whether they share recent ancestors, in a country of roughly 380,000 people [Dating Industry Insights, 9 April 2026] |
About Íslendinga-App
Íslendinga-App is an Icelandic mobile app that draws on Íslendingabók, the online genealogy database of Iceland's inhabitants. Users type a person's name to see how closely they are related, and two users can bump their phones together to find out whether they are more closely related than advisable. It was widely covered in the press as an anti-incest app.
BuzzFeed News reported that the app came from a University of Iceland competition to find a creative new use for the database, won by three software engineering students, with Arnar Freyr Aðalsteinsson named as the developer. Another report from April 2013 said the app resulted from a competition run by deCODE Genetics with the University of Iceland, and that it made Íslendingabók available on mobile devices. At that time it was available on Android only.
In April 2026 Dating Industry Insights cited the app as an example of hyperlocal dating technology, built for a population of roughly 380,000 descended from a small founding group. DII noted that there is no public disclosure of active users or matches facilitated. The app's current availability and ownership have not been confirmed.
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Questions about Íslendinga-App
What is Íslendinga-App?
It is an Icelandic phone app that uses the Íslendingabók genealogy database to show how closely two people are related.
How does Íslendinga-App work?
Users search a name to see how they are related, or bump phones with another user to check whether they share recent ancestors.
Who made Íslendinga-App?
BuzzFeed News reported it was built by three University of Iceland software engineering students who won a competition for new uses of Íslendingabók, which was run by deCODE Genetics with the university.
Where is Íslendinga-App based?
Íslendinga-App is based in Iceland.
Also known as: Islendinga-App, ÍslendingaApp, Íslendingabók app.
Sources
- BuzzFeed News: There's An Anti-Incest App In Iceland So You Don't Sleep With Your Cousin
- Reykjavik Grapevine: Iceland's anti-incest app
- Global Dating Insights: Iceland faces online dating challenges due to population size
- Dating Industry Insights: Hyperlocal Dating: The Real Threat to Tinder's Global Ambitions