Swarm (app)
| Swarm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Foursquare Labs |
| Release | May 5, 2014 |
| Stable release(s) | |
| Platform | iOS, Android |
| Available in | 12 languages |
| Type | Social networking service |
| Website | www |
Swarm by Foursquare (stylized as swarm) is a mobile app that allows users to share their locations with their friends and create a record of their experiences in a personal lifelog. Swarm launched for iOS and Android devices on May 15, 2014. The app launched as a spin-off from Foursquare City Guide. In 2024, the city guide app was sunsetted.
Background
[edit]Swarm allows users to check-in to a given location,[3][4][non-primary source needed][5] and see who is nearby.[6] These check-ins are chronologically listed to create a personal lifelog for each user, which serves as a digital library for all the places they have been, in a searchable database that can be revisited and shared.
Splitting check-ins and general location sharing into 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.[7]
Swarm supports checking in with photos or stickers attached and allows broadcasting of check-ins to other social networks, including Facebook and Twitter. Swarm features include a shareable, personalized map; unique stats such as total lifetime check-ins, the number of unique categories visited, and data on streaks and 'mayorships' (a feature of the platform's gamification)[8][non-primary source needed]. Major features include messaging,[9] stickers,[10][non-primary source needed] challenges,[11][non-primary source needed], history search,[12] and merchandise.
Reception
[edit]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 [their] friends are and make plans".[13] The redesign was unpopular with some existing Foursquare users, who 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.[14]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Foursquare Swarm on the App Store". App Store. Apple Inc. September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ↑ "Foursquare Swarm on the Play Store". Google Play. Google. July 17, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Foursquare's Swarm App Tells Your Friends Generally Where You Are". Gizmodo. May 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Mentioning and checking in friends on Swarm", Foursquare Blog, May 20, 2014
- ↑ "Swarm now lets users check-in without sharing their location". TechCrunch. April 21, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ↑ "Foursquare's Swarm And The Rise Of The Invisible App". TechCrunch. May 15, 2014.
- ↑ "Meet Swarm: Foursquare's ambitious plan to split its app in two". The Verge. May 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Looking Back at Foursquare, the App That Made Life a Game". Muse by Clios (The Clios). January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ↑ Swarm Now Has Direct Messages But No More Plans, March 16, 2015
- ↑ "Swarm on Twitter". Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ↑ If every day is a game, then there should be prizes, right? Introducing Swarm Challenges.
- ↑ Crook, Jordan (August 8, 2017). "Swarm kills the clutter, focuses on logging location | TechCrunch". Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ↑ Sarah Mitroff (May 15, 2014). "Swarm review". CNET. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ "Some Loyal Foursquare Users Are Checking Out After Swarm Spinoff", NPR, July 30, 2014
External links
[edit]- Official website
- What is Swarm?, Foursquare Help Center
