Foursquare announces Swarm, a standalone app for check-ins

Today Foursquare announced that it will be repurposing its mobile app to focus specifically on search, reviews and finding places to eat. As for check-ins, that’ll soon be handled by a new piece of software known as Swarm. This new application will focus on the social media side of things, giving users an easy way to locate and connect with their friends when out and about.

Since its inception, Foursquare has relied heavily on the power of the check-in, however the location-based social network has picked up some competition along the way. Platforms like Facebook and Google+ now offer nearly identical features, making Foursquare’s offering less unique. By introducing Swarm, the company can easily focus on helping people find and connect with their friends as quickly as possible.

Not stopping at a new app, the original Foursquare software is getting a makeover and will be relaunched in the coming weeks. As for Swarm, Foursquare didn’t announce a release date for it, but the company has set up a landing page where interested socialites can register to be notified when the app is ready to ship.