Nextdoor wants to reinvent itself as an app for more than complaining

Nextdoor wants to be more than just the app people use to complain about their neighbors.

The app is launching a redesign on Tuesday aimed at making it a useful resource for folks, instead of a repository for whining and fears that can verge into racism and profiling. The company said it was focused on three new tools is the major redesign: Alerts, News, and Faves. The idea, the company said, was to make the app "more useful, more helpful, and more timely."

Alerts are exactly what they sound like: Urgent notifications on things like weather emergencies, traffic, or power outages. Along with relying on citizen reports and alerts from local agencies (e.g. fire departments), Nextdoor said it partnered with companies like Samdesk and The Weather Company to deliver real-time info. For News, meanwhile, Nextdoor said it partnered with more than 3,500 local outlets across the U.S., UK, and Canada, including the San Francisco Standard, The London Standard, and The Toronto Star.

Faves, meanwhile, is a new, AI-powered tool aimed at helping you best enjoy your neighborhood. The idea is you can ask for local recommendations — things like service providers, places to go, restaurants to try — and Faves will compile years of data on Nextdoor into a simple answer. The company said the tool was launching in select U.S. markets to start.

"This is a refounding moment for Nextdoor," said Nirav Tolia, CEO and Co-Founder of Nextdoor, in a press release. "Neighborhoods matter more than ever, and today we recommit ourselves to building the best product to enable neighbors to come together and build stronger, safer, and more connected local communities."

It'll be interesting to see how, and if, Nextdoor evolves with the redesign.