Foursquare has launched a major update to its iOS app, rethinking the location-based service as a discovery tool instead of primarily a way to see what your friends are doing. Search is much more prominent in the app, and it suggests nearby attractions as soon as you open it.
The New York-based company that pioneered location-based apps says it redesigned the app based on its data -- which includes 3.5 billion check-ins over the past four years -- to find out the "most interesting things going on around you."
Foursquare 6.0 is organized into four main parts:
Search, which is front and center when you open the app.
A map that highlights nearby friends and "interesting" places.
A revamped feed with your friends' check-ins from around the world, with personalized recommendations mixed in.
A brand-new, and extremely prominent, check-in button (see below).
In a blog post, Foursquare explains that its recommendation engine is designed for people who don't have time to sift through dozens of reviews when they're looking for a place to have lunch. The top places are always at the top of your results when you perform a search.
Similar to other current social apps, Foursquare 6.0 makes the app's navigation accessible by swiping from the left. Notifications are in the top right -- exactly like the most recent update to the Google+ app.
Have you browsed the new Foursquare yet? What do you think of the update? Let us know in the comments.
