When will the City Guide app be shut down?
The City Guide app will be available until December 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. It’s at this time, you will no longer have access to login to City Guide through your mobile device. However, you can continue to access City Guide via the web until early in the 2025 New Year (exact date to come). After that, City Guide in its entirety will no longer be available.
Why is the app shutting down?
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.
We are deeply grateful for your loyalty and support over the years. This decision was not made lightly, but it is a necessary step to prioritize key initiatives that we believe will have a greater impact and better serve our customers.
Will City Guide on the web still be accessible?
City Guide on the web will continue to be accessible until early 2025, with an exact date to come. We will keep you notified in advance of any changes.
I have my business listed on City Guide. Will there be any change to my listings? Will they be deleted?
No! Business listings currently appear in both City Guide and Swarm. Your business will remain discoverable on our Swarm app. We also distribute listings to our large-scale partners, as we are a major provider of Places data.
What will happen to my Lists that I’ve created in City Guide?
Your lists are safe and will remain available. After the City Guide sunset, you’ll still be able to access, edit, and create new lists on the web. This FAQ will be updated as we share more details about how Lists will work within the Swarm experience.
How can I export or download my data from City Guide?
You can export your data through your Foursquare account on the web or within the City Guide app.
To export your data on the web:
1. Login to your Foursquare account at http://foursquare.com/login
2. Go to Settings by clicking your name in the upper right corner
3. Click Privacy Settings
4. Click Initiate Data Download Request
5. Check for an email from noreply@legal.foursquare.com to verify the request was received
6. Once your data is ready, you will receive another email with a link to download your data
To help protect your privacy and maintain security, you must be able to login to your Foursquare account in order to export your data. If you are unable to login to your account, please follow the steps to reset your password. If you signed up for City Guide using an email address you no longer have access to, please contact your email service provider to recover your email account.
To export your data on the City Guide app:
1. Open the City Guide app and navigate to “Me” profile in the bottom right corner
2. Click on the Settings gear icon on the top left
3. Scroll down and click Request Copy of My Data
4. Click the Request Copy of My Data button
5. Check for an email from noreply@legal.foursquare.com to verify the request was received
6. Once your data is ready, you will receive another email with a link to download your data
Will I still have access to my data after the shutdown?
Yes. The option to export your data will remain available after the shutdown of City Guide, with no plans to discontinue it. If any changes arise, we’ll provide advance notice. To download your data after your access to City Guide is removed, please follow the instructions below.
Note: The data is inclusive of both your City Guide and Swarm data.
Export your data from the web:
1. Login to your Foursquare account using your City Guide/ Swarm login credentials
2. Go to Settings by clicking your name in the upper right corner
3. Click Privacy Settings
4. Click Initiate Data Download Request
5. Check for an email from noreply@legal.foursquare.com to verify the request was received
5. Once your data is ready, you will receive another email with a link to download your data
Export your data from the Swarm app:
1. On your mobile device, navigate to your user profile in the upper left corner
2. Click the gear icon to access Settings > Privacy Settings
3. Scroll down and click “Initiate Data Download Request”
4. Your data from both City Guide and Swarm will be exported and shared to your email address within 7 days
How can I delete my data and account?
To delete your data, simply login to your City Guide or Swarm mobile app or login to your Foursquare account on the web. Note that deleting your account on one app will delete your data from both City Guide and Swarm, and all tips, reviews, check ins, etc. will be lost. This deletion cannot be reversed.
Delete data from web:
1. Login to your Foursquare account
2. Select a reason for deleting
3. Click “Delete Account”
4. Reminder that deleting your account will delete your data from both City Guide and Swarm and this cannot be reversed
Delete data from the City Guide app:
1. Open your City Guide app and navigate to your profile labeled “Me” in the bottom right corner
2. Click the gear icon to access Settings
3. Scroll down and click “Delete My Account”
4. Login to your Foursquare account using your City Guide/ Swarm login credentials
5. Enter validation code
6. Choose a reason why you’re deleting your account and click “Delete Account”
7. Note that this cannot be reversed and deleting your City Guide account will also delete your Swarm account and all the data associated
How does Foursquare handle my personal data?
As pioneers in location technology, we believe it is our duty and responsibility to set best practices related to data privacy and the ethical use of data. The data we collect powers our apps responsibly, always protecting user privacy. Handling data is a privilege; we build our products with privacy-protecting features and hold our partners accountable. We are responsible in the collection and use of location data, and lead the industry in advocacy.
For more information about how Foursquare handles your data, please visit our Consumer Services Privacy Policy.
Is there an alternative app or service you recommend?
Yes! Swarm allows you to share your locations with friends and keep records of your experiences in a personal lifelog. You’ll find some similarities between City Guide and Swarm including the ability to view your City Guide check-in history within the Swarm app.
We’re also introducing exciting new features and capabilities into Swarm throughout the year (👀 some of which may look familiar to you) in order to unlock new use cases that may better support your needs.
Can I transfer my City Guide data to Swarm?
There’s no need to transfer your data as it’s already connected. This means that your City Guide credentials will allow you to login to Swarm, and your data will be pre-populated in the Swarm app, where applicable. For example:
1. Seamlessly login to both apps using the same login credentials.
2. View your City Guide check-in history within Swarm.
3. See your user generated content from City Guide tips, ratings, photos, etc. on individual venue pages in Swarm.
4. View the default list of “My Saved Places” within Swarm.
Since Swarm currently provides different features, some of your data may not be accessible within the Swarm app in the same way it was within City Guide. To export your City Guide data so your information is easily accessible, including your custom lists of places, follow these instructions here.
Will there be a replacement app developed by your team?
At this point in time, we do not have plans to develop a direct replacement of City Guide. We are, however, investing in our Swarm app to develop new features and capabilities that mimic functionalities in City Guide to improve user experiences. Stay tuned for updates.
How can I submit feedback on features that I want to see in Swarm?
As we continue to build better experiences for you in our Swarm app, we’d love to hear your feedback on what features and capabilities you want to see carried over from City Guide.
Submit your feedback, feature requests, and other innovative ideas to improve Swarm here.
Does the sunset of the City Guide app affect my ability to edit place information?
No! You can continue using the Superuser tools (now called Placemaker tools) to edit and update place information like you do now. As always, we greatly appreciate your loyalty and dedication to helping us provide highly accurate POI data to the Foursquare community.
Note: you can also make edits directly in the Swarm app.
Are my Superuser (Placemaker) tools going away when the City Guide website is sunsetted?
No! Your Superuser (Placermaker) tools will remain available to you on foursquare.com and through the Swarm app. Exciting enhancements to your tools are on the way, giving you even more powerful ways to contribute to building the world’s most accurate datasets. Stay tuned for updates.
Why is the name changing from Superusers to Placemakers?
Foursquare recently open-sourced a version of our Places dataset, enabling developers, businesses, and communities worldwide to build better location-based experiences. To better reflect the role of this powerful community, we’ve decided to change “Superusers” to “Placemarkers” which recognizes your position as the guardians and curators of our open Places dataset.
Please join our Placemaker Discord (formally Superuser Discord) to get live updates from us around your Placemaker tools, Swarm, and more.
How can I become a Foursquare Placemaker?
Becoming a Foursquare Placemaker means you are a part of our global open source community, contributing to building the most powerful and accurate places dataset in the world.
To learn more or join the waitlist to become a Foursquare Placemaker, visit here.
How can I contact support for further questions or technical issues?
For general questions about the sunset of City Guide or for technical support, please contact us here for assistance.
Will there be any customer support available after the shutdown?
Yes. We will continue to offer customer support to answer any questions you may have after the shutdown. Please submit a ticket through our support portal at any time to reach our City Guide Support Team.