Foursquare has announced a radical change: The app known for its "check-in" function is splitting into two parts.
One app will keep the Foursquare name and serve as a way to explore your location, while the entirely new app Swarm will help you connect with friends, The Wire reported.
In a blog post, Foursquare pointed out that users tend to use the app either to meet up with their friends or to find certain locations, but never for both. The company is looking to "unbundle" the experience into two apps.
"The more we played with that idea the more we realized that there was a ton we wanted to do on both sides that we can't do if they are married together," Jon Steinback, Foursquare vice president of product experience, told The Verge. "It's like we were in a three-legged race and each side was slowing the other side down."
Swarm will be rolling out for iOS and Android platforms in the next few weeks with Windows following soon after, but the updated Foursquare app won't launch until later this summer.
When it comes to mobile devices, the new Foursquare will look a lot different--and it won't necessarily need you to check in anymore.
"In the near future, the Foursquare app is also going to go through a metamorphosis," said the company blog post. "We believe local search should be personalized to your tastes and informed by the people you trust. The opinions of actual experts should matter, not just strangers. An app should be able answer questions like 'give me a great date dinner spot' and not just 'tell me the nearest gas station.'"
The Verge noted that Foursquare will be squarely pitting itself against Yelp in the new update, when it focuses on guiding users to the best restaurants and other locations.
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