Foursquare brings check-in badges back with Swarm update

 By 
Karissa Bell
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Almost exactly a year after announcing it was splitting its app in two, Foursquare appears to be walking back some of the less popular changes made when it introduced its new app for check-ins, Swarm.

The company updated Swarm on Monday with new features that bring back some of the original Foursquare app's features, such as new badge-like stickers.

Mayorships, which also disappeared in last year's Foursquare relaunch, will also be making a comeback.

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In the original Foursquare app, users earned special badges when checking in at certain locations or on specific dates. Checking in at multiple airports, for example, earned you the "jetsetter" badge. Going to Mexican restaurants unlocked a badge called "hot tamale."

These badges, which many longtime users of the check-in app prided themselves in collecting, were removed from the main Foursquare app and never made it to Swarm. Instead, Swarm introduced stickers, a feature that was meant to create a similar experience -- users could unlock new stickers through check-ins. But the number of stickers paled by comparison to the old badges.

Monday's update attempts to fix some of the issues with stickers by adding 100 new ones, including some directly related to the app's previous badges.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"Like with badges, you check in where you go to unlock stickers," the company wrote on its blog. "But we’ve taken it up a notch by letting you use (and show off) those hard-earned stickers. Add them to check-ins, photos, or send them in messages."

The company also announced it would be bringing back the ability to become mayor of a location -- another of the original Foursquare app's signature features -- in a future update. Current check-ins will count toward those new mayorships.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The update also adds a somewhat hidden menu item that allows you to view all your old Foursquare badges. You can find it by scrolling down the bottom of your sticker selection and selecting the door icon.

Whether the update will be enough to get longtime Foursquare users interested in the service again remains to be seen. The company has faced declining user interest and a wave of employee departures over the last year.

You can check out the latest version of Swarm on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Swarm's Apple Watch app, which lets you check-in from your wrist, is also now live.

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