Foursquare has refreshed its look and feel in a rebranding that attempts to focus on search and recommendations while it diverts fans of its familiar check-in function to its new Swarm app.
Will the new social media and location-based Foursquare website that provides local business, parks and other information draw more users? Time will tell.
Foursquare announced the major changes and update to its platform on Wednesday, according to a report. It's directing users to its Swarm app, where they can still use the check-in, badges and other customary Foursquare features that core users have become comfortable with.
The new Foursquare app will sync with Swarm and the company hopes this app will revitalize the brand and attract more users of its search app.
The company had tried to split up the products about a month ago, but there were mixed results because many had grown accustomed to the Foursquare features already in regular use, according to another report. The company decided to make the split to try to net a larger share of users, but now the company seeks to consolidate again, sort of.
It is unclear if Swarm will be able to siphon the same users of Foursquare, or if it will create its own unique social media universes. The new Foursquare app hasn't yet been released but images of what it will look like have been. The launch of the new app is expected within a few weeks.
Getting rid of the traditional check-in feature of Foursquare may have been the wrong move from the get-go, as some reports have suggested. The app was recently compared with Yelp and is said to be more like it with the new upgrade. Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley still thinks the Swarm move is a good idea, adding that in the first two quarters of this year the company will make more money than all of last year. Financial reports will tell the story later on.
Many believe the company will ultimately have a tough time integrating the user bases. Foursquare's CEO says the apps are either used for check-in or for discovery, and few users use it for both. There are plenty of other apps and companies building them that will compete for the local space against Foursquare. Some of its users may simply go to a different service altogether. It really remains to be seen.
