Recently, the popular social check-in app Foursquare debuted a brand new logo and refreshed app called Swarm. Users can no longer check-in via the Foursquare app that we’ve all come to love and know since its inception five years ago. While the app is admirable in its design, it’s extremely questionable whether longtime Foursquare users will flock to it. As a longtime Foursquare user, I think their new app and design will be going the way of Google Plus–over and out. Here’s why.
1. Foursquare’s new app inconveniently requires you to download the brand new Swarm app.
Late last week when I was attempting to check-in to Foursquare on my Samsung Galaxy smartphone, I tapped the app icon on my phone and was immediately transported to the Google Play store. The old Foursquare app is apparently not even accessible any more. Users are now forced to download Swarm to access any of our old Foursquare functions or data. This is a huge inconvenience.
2. The Swarm app’s interface is COMPLETELY different from the old Foursquare app.
You know how Facebook users complain every time the newsfeed changes? That’s how I feel about Swarm and Foursquare, except the two apps have almost nothing in common. While I can appreciate that Swarm is intending to be an upgrade from Foursquare, I can’t make sense of its new interface. I can’t even find the new check-in button, which was the key feature of Foursquare.
3. The check-in feature Foursquare and Swarm are built upon is already in use by other social media sites.
Foursquare may have been one of the first apps to popularize the ability to check-in to locations, but since then Facebook, Google Plus, Yelp, and a host of other social networks have added this feature. I have continued to use Foursquare over the years out of habit and loyalty. I do have years of check-ins, badges, and mayorships stored in Foursquare’s database that would be fun to check out and analyze at some point, but with the new challenge of having to figure out their new design, I feel less inclined to continue using their service.
July seems to be a key time of year for rebranding. Airbnb recently debuted a new logo and accompanying website, the former of which as been target to much mocking. While Foursquare’s new logo isn’t as controversial, its decision to switch to an entirely new app is. I’m convinced that this will be the nail in Foursquare’s (or…Swarm’s) coffin. It pains me to say this, Foursquare, but it’s time for us to break up.
Any other Foursquare users out there? How do you feel about the new Swarm app?
You are not alone Suzi. Here at Favrit, we have also been scratching our heads to make sense of Foursquare’s decision to split and alienate the carefully built up audience that likes the check-in. While our research has also shown us that there is a large segment of the population that is not too keen on the broadcasting of their every move via check-ins, turning a brand’s focus around is very hard, and Foursquare has succeeded in carving out an incredibly powerful position. We believe it would have been a much better call for Foursquare to use the new Swarm brand for the new functionality & focus (instead of trying to transfer its core competency to the new brand…).
We have seen other users who have expressed disappointment, we are even helping some of them rebuild their lists inside our app (www.favritapp.com). We built Favrit to capture the audience that does not care for the check-in, but still likes to keep a record of the places they love. It looks like for some, the desire to check-in may not be strong enough to withstand the Swarm disruption
Sounds like a great solution! I love hearing your insight and am curious about your new app. I’ll give it a try and see what I think. Might even do a follow up post 🙂
I had the same experience with Foursquare, and honestly tried to get it to work…I couldn’t. So I have become more active with my yelp account. Way easier and still keeps track of the places I love
On a side note, while I had to upload swarm, my daughter didn’t she still has the old Foursquare..which is weird