Foursquare has added a new element to their social experience, as their all new Foursquare Lists went live today.
Now you can categorize your favorite places into convenient, sharable lists that you can use to document travel experiences, plan future trips, suggest restaurants to friends and much more.
For instance, you could make a list of all the best places for Indian food in your town or all the best bars that you visited on your spring break trip to Palm Springs. If you’re doing research for a trip to Los Angeles, you could compile a list of all the museums and celebrity hotspots you want to hit while you’re there.
Users who go to their profile page will now see a large box called “Lists.” In that box, Foursquare has provided the user with suggested lists to get them started. These pull from recent and popular check-in locations, for instance, Foursquare suggested that I take my various check-ins at bars and beer stores and turn them into a “popular nightlife” list. You can create that list automatically if you want to.
If you choose to create a list from scratch, here’s what it’ll look like:
You can title the list any which way you like, and from there you can add a description, photos, and create tips for each location added to the list. Foursquare Lists seem to be a good way to make use of the “Tips” and “To-Do” functions that have never gained as much popularity as the default check-ins have.
Once you’ve made a list, you can choose to make it open for editing. This way, friends can keep a collaborative list going between as many people as desired.
Just like everything we do at foursquare, Lists are all about sharing with your friends. Want to plan a trip to Paris? Create a blank list and share it with your friends who know the city best. They can load it up with all their best suggestions. Think your buddy will love your list of best food trucks in Los Angeles? It’s simple to share it with him. And, best of all: the lists are alive. If friends later add more places to a list you follow (like the Hipster Coffee Shop Explosion list), you’ll see everything they drop in.
Once you choose to “follow” a particular list, you can share it with other Foursquare friends or share it to Facebook and Twitter.
Collaborative lists look like another push toward a “more social” feel to Foursquare. Back in July they added a new notification system that alerts users whenever friends comments on check-ins, people perform one of your tips, the location you’re checked-in at starts swarming, and much more.
