Foursquare for Android gets a major makeover (pictures)

Foursquare underwent some big changes this year, splitting its existing app into two, Swarm and the "new" Foursquare. The updated app focuses on finding you the personalized recommendations no matter where you go.

The new main screen of the Foursquare app shows suggestions of places to check out around you.

This page changes throughout the day to show new recommendations based on meal time, location, and your personal preferences.

If browsing the places Foursquare suggests for you isn't helping you find what you want, there's still a search bar for specific queries. You can filter your results based on location, price, and your friend's endorsements.

One of the key new features in the updated app is Tastes. You pick from a list of pre-populated tags that span food dishes, types of businesses, and restaurant atmosphere to help Foursquare understand what you like. You can also search for anything you don't see.

After you identify the tastes you like, Foursquare will constantly search for places nearby that mention those tastes in their description and user tips.

If you didn't already know that Foursquare is tracking your every move, now you do. The app keeps tabs on where you go to always show helpful information about the Foursquare listing closest to you. You can see tips others have left and tap the check-in button to launch the separate Foursquare app Swarm.

Do leave a lot of tips about burger joints, bars, or spas? You're probably an expert in those types of places in Foursquare's mind.

Expertise is a new feature designed to reward you for leaving tips the community finds useful. You can earn an expert badge, which shows up on your profile page, in all sorts of business categories, such as bars, yoga studios, farmers markets, and many more.

Foursquare is best known for its gamification features -- ways to get you to engage with the app that feel like you're playing a game. The latest feature is a rating tool that lets you leave quick feedback for the places you've been. You're asked one multiple-choice question per place to help Foursquare learn more about your tastes.