Foursquare for Android updated with better map experience

Foursquare for Android has received a minor but vital update that has spruced up the way you can search for interesting places in your area. Exploring and discovering new places wherever you are is all set to become easy as Foursquare’s improved Maps function will let you search for places in only a particular area now.

“We’ve updated the app to give you a better map experience. Now when you’re on the home screen looking at friends and interesting places nearby, or searching for “iced coffee” or “egg sandwich” in Explore, we’ll show you a map that you can expand, swipe, and zoom,” reads the “What’s new” section of Foursquare’s page on Google Play.

Better Maps experience

You can now simply swipe and zoom to redefine a new area for Foursquare to search. All you need to do is move around on the interactive map from the explore page and hit “Redo search in this area” for the discovery service to show you establishments nearby for you to try out.  You can zoom further and deeper into an area to find stores and restaurants in a particular part of the city or even on one single street.

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Foursquare has gone full throttle to give a better experience to users regardless of the platform they are on. Android, though, has received a slight preferential treatment by Foursquare, and we’re not complaining!

Only last month, Foursquare released an update for its Android app to giver users more recommendations about establishments and businesses. Users who are in a new city or neighbourhood will now be able to see popular places, sites and other attractions. When in their own locality, the app informs them about the newly-opened places. Say, you’re just out of a movie theatre and are looking for some place to eat. The updated app will show you restaurants that others typically go to after a movie. Those looking for something in particular can type what they’re looking for in the search bar. Those keen on trying the app can head to the Google Play store to download it.
 
After noting that people were increasingly using the app to search for places to visit, Foursquare said it built a smoother search experience. The “Explore” option was moved to the top of the homescreen to allow users to find a place instantly. All the users have to do is tap the search bar and input search words such as “nachos”, “Mexican” or “margaritas”, or look through categories such as coffee, food and nightlife.

Those unsure of what they’re looking for can still find Foursquare’s top picks for interesting places located in the area by choosing the “Best Nearby” option. When you open the Foursquare app, you will see a map at the top that shows friends who have checked in nearby, in addition to those present at other places of their choice. Zoom out of the map to look around to find more friends. Furthermore, Foursquare has moved the “Nearby Friends” option to the top of the stream so users can know who is in their vicinity.
 
Another addition to the app is the “Drawer” option. It replaces the three tabs at the bottom of the user interface. Users can tap the top left corner of the screen and view their profiles, lists and settings.

You can download Foursquare for your Android devices from the Google Play Store here.