One of the earliest app store success stories has announced in an email to its users that it will be shutting down its City Guide app from 15 December 2024, with the web version to follow in early 2025. The app, which was separated from the location check-in feature in 2014 as a separate app, Swarm, has continued to serve local recommendations to users.
The original app ushered in a wave of 'checking in' to venues, which was later mimicked by Facebook with Facebook Places. It had significant success in the early 2010s, with a reported total user base of 7 million in 2011, including the then-U.S. President Barack Obama. The check-in feature also appears to be Foursquare's focus going forward, which is sensible given that was the driving force in its initial success.
Foursquare's FAQ about the shutdown of the City Guide, states the following about the decision to shut down the service:
Foursquare has made the decision to say goodbye to City Guide in order to focus our efforts on building an even better experience in Swarm. This includes investing in new features and capabilities, with updates releasing early next year.
Swarm, on the other hand, is designed to focus on the check-in aspect that made Foursquare popular in the beginning. It rewards check-ins with stickers and other bonuses for repeated use of the app. One of the most popular features of Foursquare, which was also brought over to Swarm, was the ability for users to become the 'Mayor' of specific locations if they checked in frequently enough.
Once the City Guide app is shut down, it will no longer function and users will no longer be able to log in via their mobile devices. The web version, as previously mentioned, will be accessible until early 2025 when it will also be shut down.
Foursquare also confirmed that data on locations that have been added to the City Guide is also shared with Swarm, so this will not be lost during the process.
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