Foursquare is set to discontinue its flagship city guide app by December 15, marking a major shift for one of the App Store’s early success stories. The company announced that the move will allow it to “focus our efforts on building an even better experience in Swarm,” its separate check-in app. While the city guide app will go offline at the end of the year, the web version will remain active until early 2025.
This decision reverses a strategy introduced a decade ago, when Foursquare split its popular check-in service into two apps. The city guide app retained the Foursquare name and provided users with reviews and local recommendations, while Swarm became the go-to platform for checking into locations. Now, Foursquare is refocusing its efforts on Swarm, with plans to roll out new features and capabilities throughout the year. Some updates are expected to include familiar features from the original app, with more changes coming in early 2025.
The company has not provided a clear explanation for the shift in focus back to Swarm. Earlier this year, Foursquare laid off over 100 employees as part of an effort to streamline its operations. Dennis Crowley, Foursquare’s founder and current co-chair of the board of directors, commented on the change in a post on Threads. While noting that the company is “doing fine,” he admitted the decision has left him feeling disappointed.
