Foursquare users have been informed via email about the sunsetting of Foursquare City Guide. After years of guiding people through cities, recommending local gems, and inspiring countless adventures, the Foursquare City Guide app will shut down December 15. Foursquare says it made the tough decision to focus their efforts on building an even better experience within the Swarm app.
Foursquare City Guide to Sunset: What’s Next?
City Guide App: The City Guide app will be unavailable after December 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET.
City Guide Web: The web version will shut down in early 2025.
Your Business Listings: Your business listings will remain visible on Swarm and continue to be distributed to Foursquare’s partners.
Why Foursquare is Making This Change
The company believes that by concentrating resources on Swarm, they can provide you with a more robust and feature-rich experience. Furthermore, they are excited to introduce new features and functionalities to Swarm throughout the year, some of which may feel familiar to City Guide users. (Hint, hint)
The Foursquare Legacy
Foursquare, founded in 2009, was a pioneer in the location-based social networking space. It gained popularity by allowing users to “check in” at various locations, earning points and badges. These check-ins were shared with friends and followers, creating a social layer to physical exploration.
At its peak, Foursquare was a cultural phenomenon, particularly among tech-savvy urbanites. It fostered a sense of community and gamified the experience of discovering new places. However, as social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook integrated location-based features, Foursquare’s popularity began to wane. While it remains a valuable platform for businesses to manage their online presence, its heyday as a consumer-facing social network has passed.
Swarm
Foursquare Swarm was launched in May 2014 as a spin-off from the original Foursquare app. The goal was to streamline the check-in and social sharing features, allowing the main Foursquare app to focus on local search and recommendations.
Swarm was designed to be a more focused and streamlined experience for users. It emphasized features like:
* Check-ins: Users could still check in at locations, earning points and badges.
* Lifelogging: Swarm created a personal log of places visited, allowing users to revisit memories and track their travels.
* Social Sharing: Users could share their check-ins with friends and see where their friends were going.
* Gamification: Swarm retained elements of gamification from the original Foursquare, with leaderboards, challenges, and rewards.
While Swarm has maintained a dedicated user base, it has not achieved the same level of mainstream popularity as its predecessor. However, it continues to be a popular choice for those who enjoy tracking their adventures and sharing their experiences with friends.
