Version 5.0 is Foursquare’s biggest redesign in its three-year quest to “make cities easier to use”, and the result of a complete rebuild of the app from top to bottom.

The redesign is a bold step toward transforming Foursquare into a recommendation engine and standalone social network, and a bid to move well beyond its reputation as a fun “check-in” app.

Explore and Interact

Version 5.0 places less focus on the check-in function that Foursquare arguably pioneered, instead emphasising social aspects and recommendation tools to encourage users to “discover what’s nearby”.

Three simplified main tabs titled ‘Explore’, ‘Friends’ and ‘Me’ allow users to search for and view venue recommendations; comment on and like their friends’ check-ins and location photos; and update their own profile with photos, stats and lists.

Like/Dislike

A new feature of particular interest to businesses is the introduction of like and dislike buttons (in the form of hearts/broken hearts) to reflect the nuances of how people feel about places.

Foursquare’s head of product Alex Rainert believes this feature will “help us get better with providing these personalised recommendations.”

Web

Version 5.0 isn’t just an update to the mobile app but also an overhaul of Foursquare’s website, which now mirrors the mobile experience. Users can now browse an online activity feed featuring friends’ check-ins, photos and tips. 

Digging into Data

The redesign utilises the data the company has amassed from its 20 million users and over 2 billion check-ins over the past three years to help people discover, as CEO Dennis Crowley puts it, “how to explore Paris, what to do in San Francisco, or what to do in their parent’s neighbourhood.” 

Foursquare’s move toward a recommendations service based on user experience highlights the need for businesses to both monitor and be visible on the growing mobile social media scene.