The best things nearby, right now — right when you open Foursquare.
With today’s Android update, we’re giving you more recommendations, right when you open the app.
When you’re in a new city or neighborhood, Foursquare will show you popular places, sites, and must-see attractions. When you’re on your home turf, we’ll tell what spots are “new and notable” — places that have recently opened in your area.
To find something more specific, just type what you’re looking for in the search bar (things like, “shoes” or “tater tots”).
Open up Foursquare for the best things around you, wherever you are. Grab the update here.
Local tips, panels, parties, and perks – make the most of #SXSW 2013 with Foursquare!
Time flies! It’s hard to believe we’re gearing up for our fifth(!) SXSW adventure. To help you make the most of this year’s festival, we’ve put together a guide to SXSW 2013, along with some extra tips below.
- Go where the locals experts go. Use Explore to find the places the experts recommend you try while you’re in town. And don’t forget to check out our Best of Austin list to see the places people love most in the city. Save a few places so you can cross them off your to-do list later!
- Keep up with all your friends in Austin! Just getting out of a panel (or rolling out of bed)? Open up the app to see where your friends and colleagues are hanging, and check in when you’re at events, food spots, and bars so they can keep up with you.
- Get the scoop on the future of location. Stop by to hear our CEO Dennis Crowley talk about the future of Foursquare with Anil Dash. (What do you mean you want to see Shaq’s talk instead? Kazaam is soooo 90s!).
- Hear tales from the startup bus. Buspreneurs from across the country have been making their way to Austin on six startup busses, using Foursquare Explore to find great restaurants and cafes along the way!
- Discover a piece of NY in Austin. Made in NY is heading to Austin, with a day packed with everything from yoga and mini-meetups to roundtables, art+tech installations, and of course, a party.
- Speaking of parties… (That’s the whole reason you’re here, right?) Head to the Hype Machine’s Hype Hotel on Sunday for the Foursquare party, featuring DJ Bo Bliz. You can also open up the app to see all the SXSW events going on, powered by Sched.
Unlock awesome perks, just for checking in:
- Spotify - check out their tips about shows and music venues, and check in to the Spotify House or three spots on their Musical Guide to SxSW for the chance to get exclusive awards, like custom AiAiAi headphones or VIP entry to their Spotify Live show.
- Fader - Check in to the Fader Fort Presented by Converse! The first 50 people to check in each day get an exclusive Converse t-shirt, and one lucky person each day will even get some kicks.
- IFC - Save their Explore Austin list, and check in to the IFC Crossroads House @Vice Bar to score a Portlandia poster.
Get insider tips with these SXSW and Austin-themed lists:
- Spotify’s SxSpotify guide to music venues and bars
- IFC’s Explore Austin list
- Serious Eats has plenty of Austin lists, from editors picks to the best margaritas, kolaches, and coffee.
- The Wall Street Journal’s Where to Eat and Drink in Austin
- Have dietary restrictions? Search for lists like this gluten-free guide to eating in Austin.
- The ever-evolving Austin Eater 38
- The Austin Chronicle’s East Side Bar Crawl
- Foursquare’s Best of Austin lists
There’s a lot to look forward to! Check out our SXSW guide here and see you at our party!
Now you can check in at supersonic speed – just tap and hold!
Sometimes, you just want to check in quickly so you can dig into your meal or chat with friends. With the latest iPhone update, you can check in at lightning speed.
Now when you tap the check in button and see a list of places, just press and hold the place you’re at. You’ll see a green bar glide across the top of the screen and… voilà! We’ll check you in instantly. You can also long-press the blue button at the top of the screen when you open the app.
Remember: each time you check in, you’re teaching us about the restaurants, bars, and shops you like, so we can give you even smarter recommendations in Explore. And now that it takes just a split-second, it’s even easier to check in everywhere you go.
This #4sqDay, celebrate your favorite local businesses!
Spring has nearly sprung, which means 4sqDay is only a little over a month away! The first 4sqDay was held three years ago by an amazing group of people in Tampa Bay, FL who loved using Foursquare to spread the word about local businesses in their community. So this year on 4/16 (four/four squared… get it?), we’re going back to the roots of 4sqDay and focusing on celebrating local businesses around the world.
Here are just a few ways that you can help us support small and local businesses:
- Head to your favorite clothing boutique or local coffee shop on April 16, and check in to share the place with your friends.
- Check in at a new local business that’s recently opened in your neighborhood.
- Use Explore to find a place that’s new to you!
- If you’re a business, set up a 4sqDay special to share the love with new and loyal customers.
- Join forces with other people on Foursquare to do something really special – find a meetup near you. If you’re already planning a big meetup on 4sqDay, be sure to let us know!
Check out the greatest hits from 4sqDays past and visit foursquarestore.com to snag one of our new 4sqDay 2013 t-shirts. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the community-powered 4sqDay.com blog for announcements, also!
Compare recommendations faster with our new Explore update on iPhone
Whether your go-to brunch spot is too crowded, or you’re walking around looking for dinner options after a movie, it’s great to be able to find places quickly. With today’s iPhone release, we’ve updated Explore to show you more recommendations on a single screen, so you can compare results and make decisions faster.
Just like before, we’ll show you the relevant info to help you decide: you can quickly see the ratings, friends who have been, money-saving specials, and useful insider tips. Tap through on a place to see even more, like directions and menu items.
You’ll see the redesigned look as soon as you tap on Explore. We’ll show you our top suggestions for places in the area, along with highlights like new spots in the neighborhood and places that are trending. As always, tap on the search bar up top when you’re looking for something specific.
Update the app now and give it a try!
Start saving money with new seamless Foursquare Specials for your credit card
For the past couple years, Foursquare and American Express have partnered to offer specials at over 100,000 different businesses to help people save money. These specials are super easy to redeem — Amex Cardmembers simply sync their card to their Foursquare account, check in, and pay. The savings automatically appear on their statement. Today, we’re excited to be introducing new seamless Foursquare Specials to all the other types of credit cards in your wallet.
To make saving money even easier, we’re working with First Data and CardSpring to expand our seamless credit card specials to Visa, Mastercard, and debit cards. And to kick things off, we’ve partnered with Burger King to bring you specials at their over 6,500 locations across the U.S. (just look for the orange and white card icon in the app!). Connect your card now in your iOS or Android app settings or on the web.
Help your friends find great places – send them a link to Explore!
Foursquare Explore helps you find great places nearby, or anywhere in the world. When you’re searching for tacos, shoe stores, or concert spots, we show places based on where you and your friends have been, and on over 3 billion check-ins. Now when you’re looking for somewhere to go using Explore, you can easily share your search with a friend.
When you search for something at foursquare.com/explore on your computer, you’ll notice a new link icon at the top of the results list. Click this icon to snag a short link, or share via Twitter or Facebook.
Fulham Football Club comes to Foursquare!
Fulham fans rejoice – your team is leaving awesome tips and running some great specials on Foursquare! Whether you’re checking in at the Cottage or yelling, “Come On You Whites!” at your television, make sure you like their page to see their tips and lists. You can also download the official FFC app for iPhone or Android, which uses Foursquare Explore to help you score awesome deals and find the best places near the stadium and in your town to watch the game.
When you can’t make it to a game, or when your beloved FFC are travelling on long away days, keep your eyes peeled for the team’s official check-ins and photos to get an insider’s view into what’s happening at the club.
Fulham fans around the world – you’re included, too! Look out for great rewards when you check in during Fulham matches at participating bars where Fulham fans tend to gather.
Come On You Whites!
Plan the ultimate dream date this Valentine’s Day… or just wallow in misery. Foursquare Explore can help either way!
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! Hopefully you’ve already made plans, but if not, never fear – Foursquare Explore can help you find the perfect flower shop or date spot. Try searching for things like ‘Italian,’ ‘French,’ or ‘oysters’ to find the most romantical place to take your sweetie on Valentine’s Day.
To make planning your fancy night out even easier, we’ve put together this handy-dandy tool for all you lovebirds out there. Head to foursquaredreamdate.com to find all the flowers, candy, and romance-inducing places in your city.
Happy (or not-so-happy) Valentine’s exploring!
Today’s Android update: three big changes to help you discover the best stuff nearby
At Foursquare, we’re constantly looking at how people use the app and making improvements to help people have the best experience possible. With the Android update that’s rolling out today, we’re making three big changes to the app, all around making it easier to find the best stuff nearby as soon as you open it up:
1. Finding places with Explore is easier than ever.
One thing we’ve noticed in the past few months is that people on Android are using Foursquare to search for places to go. So, we built a smoother search experience and moved Explore to the top of the home screen to make it easy to quickly find a place. Tap the search bar to find “nachos,” “Mexican,” or “margaritas,” or browse categories like coffee, food, and nightlife. Not sure what you want? You can still find all our top picks for interesting places in the area by choosing the “Best Nearby” option when you tap the search bar.
2. Quickly see friends and great places nearby.
Now when you open up the app, you’ll see a map up top that shows friends who are checked in nearby, along with places we think you’ll like. Tap on the map to expand it, and zoom around to see even more of your friends. We’ve also moved your nearby friends to the top of the stream so it’s easy to get a sense of who’s around.
3. Get to your to-do list and other essentials with the left hand drawer.
Instead of three tabs at the bottom of the app, you’ll now have a drawer (tap the top left corner of the screen) where you can easily get to your profile, lists, and settings. Now, when you save a great new place to your to-do list, it’s just a single tap away.
There are other things you’ll notice, like the check in button’s new home on the bottom left, a simpler way to add friends, and interesting insights every time you check in. And, we have more updates coming down the line, including an even better personalized map on your home screen. As always, we’ll continue to iterate and make improvements based on what people like and don’t like.
Download the Android update now!
Note: You’ll see the changes from this update rolling out over the next few weeks.