Foursquare Swarm
 | |
| File:Swarm app checkin screen.jpg The check-in screen on iOS | |
| Developer(s) | Foursquare |
|---|---|
| Operating system | iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8.1 |
| Website | www |
Swarm is a mobile app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8.1 that allows users to share their locations within their social network. A spin-off of the older Foursquare application, Swarm allows users to check-in to a given location,[1] as well as make future plans with friends and see who is nearby.[2]
Swarm is a companion App to Foursquare 8. Location and check-in data collected in Swarm are used to improve a user's recommendations in Foursquare. Splitting check-ins and general location sharing in to the separate Swarm app was designed to let the main Foursquare app focus on exploring and discovering information on locations, in a Yelp-like fashion.[3] Swarm supports checking in with photos or stickers attached to it, and broadcasting a check-in to other networks like Facebook or Twitter.
Swarm does away with the more competitive game-like aspects of Foursquare check-ins, such as badges, points and competition against all other users of the service to become the "mayor" of a venue.[4]
Features
Swarm for iOS and Android devices on May 5, 2014. A version for Windows Phone 8.1 launched on August 13, 2014. It introduces a number of features not previously found in Foursquare:
Neighbourhood sharing and check-ins
Unlike previous versions of Foursquare, Swarm does not require a user to "check in" in order to share their location with their friends - a new feature called 'Neighborhood Sharing' can constantly share a user's general location in the background. Rather than pinpointing a user's position on a map, 'Neighborhood Sharing' keeps a user's location intentionally "fuzzy", sharing only their distance away, and approximate neighbourhood or area, with their friends.[5] 'Neighborhood Sharing' can be enable or disabled at any time by swiping right on the yellow bar at the top of the screen.[6]
If a user wants to share their location more precisely, they can "Check In" to a specific venue and this location will be shared with their friends. Users can write a message with their check-in and mention (or check in) their friends at the venue with them.[7] It is also possible to include a photo, as well as cross-posting the check-in to Twitter and Facebook. A user's location is only shared with their other friends on the service, unless they also choose to share their check-in with their Facebook friends or Twitter followers.
A user's location is never shared publicly - it is only ever shared with their friends in Swarm, unless they specifically choose to share their check-in to Facebook or Twitter.
Messaging
In March 2015, a new private and group messaging feature was added to Swarm. You can now send a message to one friend, a group of friends, or all your nearby friends (even if they don’t have Swarm). When you’re messaging with someone, you can also see where they are on a map for easy coordination.[8]
Stickers
Swarm adds a new feature not found in Foursquare - stickers that a user can attach to a check-ins to quickly express how they feel or what they are doing. New Stickers can be unlocked as the user checks in at different types of venue.
Mayors 2.0
Foursquare's Mayorships have been reimagined in Swarm. Instead of competing with everyone on the service to become "Mayor" of a venue, users now compete with their friends only. If a user and their friends have been checking into the same venue, the person who has been there the most lately gets a crown sticker. Mayors 2.0 means that places can have many different mayors, one for each circle of friends, instead of just a single mayor at each place.[9]
History search
Swarm lets a user search their past check-ins from their profile page. Users can search by venue name, city or by type of place, and can also search for people who may have been checked in with them in the past.[10]
Reception
CNET described the app as a "bold move", and praised it for removing some of the "clutter" of Foursquare and focusing on letting the user "quickly see where your friends are and make plans". Since launch, Swarm has suffered a poor reaction from some existing Foursquare users, who have complained about its lack of gamification elements, and the need to download two apps for what used to be contained in a single Foursquare app.[11]
References
- ^ "Foursquare's Swarm App Tells Your Friends Generally Where You Are", Gizmodo, 5/01/14
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Foursquare's Swarm And The Rise Of The Invisible App", TechCrunch, 2014-05-15
- ^ "Meet Swarm: Foursquare's ambitious plan to split its app in two", The Verge, 5/01/14
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Foursquare's new Swarm app means the death of badges & mayors", Venturebeat, 5/09/14
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Back to basics: Swarm redefines the Foursquare check-in to help you meet nearby friends", The Next Web, 2014-05-15
- ^ "More on Swarm: an easier way to share where you are. Introducing neighborhood sharing", Foursquare Blog, 2014-05-14
- ^ "Mentioning and checking in friends on Swarm", Foursquare Blog, 2014-05-20
- ^ "One-tap messaging in Swarm: an even faster way to meet up with friends", Foursquare Blog, 2015-03-12
- ^ "Mayorships and more: How Swarm is going to make your experiences more fun and playful", Foursquare Blog, 05/09/14
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Back to basics: Even more on Swarm: search all your past check-ins.", Foursquare Blog, 2014-05-15
- ^ "Some Loyal Foursquare Users Are Checking Out After Swarm Spinoff", NPR, 2014-07-30
External links
- Official website
- What is Swarm?, Foursquare Help Center