In an era of widespread online dating and casual hook-up apps like Tinder, it can be intimidating for a devout young Muslim to go looking for romance on the Internet.

But a B.C. entrepreneur is hoping to change that with Salaam Swipe, a matchmaking smartphone app devoted to accommodating the nuances of Muslim religion and culture. The app takes into account the intricacies and expectations a Muslim man or woman faces when searching for love, so they can bring home someone to impress mom and dad.

Khalil Jessa, the app's Canadian creator, says it's designed specifically to help young Muslims find someone with compatible faith and values.

"The only criteria is you have to self-identify as a Muslim," the 26-year old told CTV's Canada AM.

It can be tough for devout young Muslims to meet potential romantic partners outside their immediate social circle. Men and women are often segregated from each other at mosques, weddings and other social gatherings. And in a diverse, multi-ethnic country like Canada, it's hard for a single Muslim to spot someone whose beliefs align with their own.

"All these separations make it difficult for people to meet each other," Jessa said.

The B.C. native calls Salaam Swipe a "merge" of his Muslim and Canadian backgrounds. "I know what we face and I knew that if I could get this out in front of people, it would do very well," Jessa said.

The free smartphone app launched Monday in the Apple Store, and includes with a wide range of categories to help users find a compatible match. Under the "Religion" section, for example, users can specify which branch of Islam they follow, if any, and whether they're willing to convert if they're not practicing the faith. Users can also specify whether they are liberal, moderate or conservative in their beliefs. "We expect that people will take their own personal values and input them into the app," Jessa said.

And just like Tinder, Salaam Swipe allows users to swipe through potential matches until they find someone they like. If both parties are into it, the app announces a match and allows the two to message each other.

Jessa says he doesn't have any download numbers yet, but activity on Salaam Swipe has been "through the roof" since it launched.

When asked what his parents think of the app, Jessa responded with a laugh and a big smile. "They're really happy."