How many times have you driven yourself crazy trying to figure out where to go when friends come over? Well, our statistics show that people frantically search for nearby destinations quite often, be it for a casual dine out with friends, a romantic picnic, or a family get-together.
To solve the problem for most people, Foursquare Labs Inc. came up with its brilliantly useful app – the Foursquare City Guide. Using this app, you can now get access to the best food spots in and around your location, so you never have to settle for bland dishes at home.
Commonly known as Foursquare, this application provides you with customized recommendations of places you can go to near your location. Based on your check-in and browsing history, these recommendations are given, so they are sure to impress you. In this article, we will have a closer look at this wonderful app’s features, which has taken the internet by storm.
About The App
When Naveen Selvadurai and Dennis Crowley launched this app in 2009, they probably didn’t know they were granting the wishes of millions. Foursquare has a fascinating history behind its launch. Its primitive form was called Dodgeball, and it was Crowley’s brainchild for his graduate thesis.
This was back in 2000 where smartphones were non-existent. So the suggestions were mostly generated via SMS, and there was no app like we know today. Google found this to be an interesting idea and bought it in 2005. Four years later, it shut down the technology and replaced it with its own app called Google Latitude.
At that point, Foursquare Inc. became a private company and developed the necessary groundwork of Dodgeball to make it compatible and user-friendly with the latest digital gadgets. Hence came in Foursquare City Guide. Since most smartphones have an in-built GPS system in them, their work gained universal attention in months.
It helped to detect the user’s current location and scan around for the best destinations around them, all this in a split second. Now you know why you need Foursquare on your phone. If you are not convinced yet, keep scrolling to learn more about the app.
How To Download?
Foursquare is available for both Android as well as Apple users. On your Android, you can download the app from Google Play Store. Alternatively, if you have an Apple device, you can download it via the Apple app store.
The cherry on top is that it comes free of cost, so you don’t have to pay a single cent to avail of all its excellent services. However, if you want to have an over-the-top experience without any interferences and ads, you can purchase a premium version of the application.
Features Of The App
If you are looking for a place to go out to have coffee or tea, this app is all you need. For the night owls you love partying till dawn, the app also suggests the perfect spot to have a fun nightlife as well. The app can be of the most significant help for tourists. Not only does it detect your location, but it also customizes the list for each user according to their history and preferences.
From historical sites to the best tourist attractions in town, you get everything at your fingertip if you have Foursquare. The application has a list of resorts, sports centers as well as casinos apart from amusement parks. All you have to do is download it and open it when in need.
This hyped app is the reason behind mobile check-ins becoming an easy task and an enjoyable one. Not only does it help you discover new places, but it also keeps remembering your choices. So the longer you use Foursquare, the better the experience.
Other Notable Features
Local Search and Suggestions: One of its main features is the local search and suggestions. Foursquare lets you search for all kinds of destinations with the click of an icon; shops, nightlife spots, restaurants, and other popular places around you. Here is the best part – all these recommendations are personalized to fit your taste and convenience.
Tips for your Trips: Another prime feature of Foursquare is that it provides tips and proficiency simultaneously. When it suggests a destination for you, it also displays all the reviews and messages about that location written by other users to help you make up your mind.
Personalized Menu Based on Your Taste: Yet another fantastic feature of Foursquare is that it has a menu personalized according to your favorite type of food items. Hence, you get well-sought options while selecting food. You can use these filters to narrow down the recommendations further.
Use Pilgrim To Improve Its Performance
Yet another main trait of the app is that it makes use of Pilgrim, which is a proprietary technology that accurately detects the user’s location. Not only does it take into account your check-in history, but it also looks into the cell tower triangulation to find out about your location and present you the options accordingly.
The advantage of having Pilgrim is that it identifies the user’s interests and makes user-facing suggestions. It also measures the popularity of the venues around you before displaying them on your screen. Talk about precision: Foursquare has it all figured out!
Why Choose Foursquare?
Using its location service, the app activates push notifications of all the local favorites and potential locations. What makes Foursquare stand out more is that it asks its users to rate their experience at the recommended venue on a scale of 0.1 to 10. Here you can also indicate if you enjoyed the place, the ambiance, and any other information missing from the platform.
This helps the other users make a suitable decision, and others’ ratings also assist you in deciding the venue. Foursquare offers various levels for its users. The app has provided ten levels for Superusers. How do you become a Superuser? Foursquare assigns you the level of a Superuser when you apply for it and pass a test to convince them that you meet their criteria.
Once you become a Superuser, the platform will never be the same anymore. Not only do you have access to edit details about the venues, but you are also empowered to contribute much more to the quality of the app. Depending on the consistency and quality of their edits, they are promoted to the next level.
How To Use The App?
Use Foursquare to find the best place to grab any meal at any time of the day! Once installed, open the app and sign up with any account of your choice, namely Gmail account, Facebook, or your Apple Id.
Give it permission to access your location, failing which it would be of no use. The app runs in the background once you grant this permission to track your preferences and choices. This helps it stay updated regarding your taste and inclinations.
If you do not want this happening, you can go to the app settings and change the access permission only when you use it. You can also use the app’s search button to look for what you have in mind, like breakfast, lunch, dinner, or things to do. Don’t forget to use the filters, as they are crazy helpful in making decisions.
Tips
Foursquare is an expert when it comes to personalized suggestions in terms of food spot selection. There are some ways in which you can make the best use of the app. One of the most important tips is to read through the reviews that previous users have left for the displayed location.
This will give you an idea of the atmosphere and ambiance you should expect at this place and an opportunity to look for another one if it doesn’t fit your vibe. Most users also leave tips that can be extremely helpful for you before you choose a place; it helps you stay prepared, and in some cases, lets you know the dos and don’ts of that location.
An excellent tip that can change your experience on the platform is to become a Superuser at Foursquare. Being a premium user, you get access to ad-free usage of the app and better-personalized suggestions. There is also a provision in the platform where you can make a to-do list for yourself.
Conclusion
This or that? Here or there? Nothing feels better than having some confusion resolved. Make better choices by downloading the Foursquare app, and we assure you that you won’t regret it! This app will help you out when your friends come over out of the blue and demand dinner at the right place.
Or when you forgot your wedding anniversary and had to think on your feet about where to treat your loved ones. It’s always great to have someone to give you on-the-spot recommendations for venues that suit your taste.
