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Foursquare teases new maps and discovery features, redesigned app coming 'this week'

Foursquare teases new maps and discovery features, redesigned app coming 'this week'

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It appears that Foursquare will be launching a new version of its location-based app this week, according to a rather suggestive tweet posted on Saturday.

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foursquare redesign screenshot
foursquare redesign screenshot

It appears that Foursquare will be launching a new version of its app this week, according to a rather suggestive tweet posted on Saturday. The social network has been teasing its redesign for much of the past week, with a series of tweets carrying the hashtag #allnew4sq. These posts included screenshots and cryptic messages, but didn't mention a potential launch date until June 2nd, when Foursquare announced that the revamped app will indeed arrive sometime "this week."

The past month has seen a slew of changes for the location-based network, which recently unveiled a new web-based History page, and began integrating its check-ins more tightly within Facebook. Details on its forthcoming redesign remain unclear, though Foursquare has provided some clues in previous tweets, including a glimpse of its new maps layout (now powered by OpenStreetMap), as well as hints that it may include a more focused recommendations engine.

The Next Web speculates that the service may be looking to pose a more serious challenge to Yelp and other discovery services, by leveraging its database of 20 million users and two billion check-ins to generate more targeted recommendations. It remains to be seen to what extent Foursquare pursues this strategy, though it's worth noting that the company has been making strides in this direction, as evidenced by its launch of a web-based "Explore" function earlier this year.