Foursquare Adds Photos and Comments for Check-Ins

Foursquare’s upgraded app should make brand and business presences on the platform more social, as users can now add photos and comments when they check in to restaurants and shops. The New York-based company’s enhancements are immediately available for iPhone users. The Android version will premiere later this week, and a BlackBerry app is slated for January.

The geo-social firm has partnered with Instagram, PicPlz, and Foodspotting to help with the picture functionalities. Foodspotting, a foodie community that lets users upload mobile photos, could be a particularly compelling new element for restaurant marketers on Foursquare. As one possible example, restaurant owners could reward patrons with a complimentary soda or appetizer if they upload a photo of their meal and show it to the waiter.

While Alex Rainert, head of product at Foursquare, stated the photos and comments are intended to chiefly make the user experience richer, he also briefly commented on how business presences could stand to benefit. “Certainly, as you could imagine users adding photos to their [Foursquare] tips on venues…And as we continue to build out our tools for merchants to communicate with users, you could certainly see that playing a role.”

Foursquare is also expecting to release new ad tools during Q1. “We are working on some interesting stuff for brands and business owners,” Rainert said.