Facebook Shuts Down ‘Facebook Places,’ Adds Location Tagging To Other Features
When Facebook announced a host of new tools and features earlier Tuesday, the company revealed that it would be integrating location-based data into the broader Facebook experience. As a side effect of this, Facebook is killing off the dedicated Places location-based feature within its mobile apps.
What this means is that you will no longer be able to simply check-in directly to a location on Facebook. Instead, you can add your location to a status update, while tagging any of your friends who may be with you. You can also add your location to photos.
It seems as though Facebook has conceded defeat to Foursquare in the check-in war. I’ve certainly seen far fewer check-ins from my Facebook friends in recent months, compared to when Facebook Places was first launched. On the other hand, Foursquare is growing by leaps and bounds and now has more than 10 million users. It raised $50 million in funding in June and has added several new features recently that aim to get the most out of location-based data, such as events and lists, which both add value to the simple idea of checking-in and telling your friends where you are.
However, given that Facebook has added location-based features throughout its platform — and now allows you to add your location using your computer — the social network is clearly not done with location-based features just yet. Indeed, the company is continuing its Deals service, where you will still be able to view available deals at a place once you have tagged your location in a status update.
A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch that:
Once someone tags where they are on Facebook, they will be directed to the News Feed. If the Place is offering a Check-in Deal, the title of the deal will appear below the News Feed story. You’ll then be able to click on the deal title and will then be taken to the claim flow.
What do you think about Facebook killing off Places? Did you check-in regularly?
I don’t think many will miss Facebook places especially that its being replaced with your location. I am not sure how the new location will work and if it will simply show you on a map or actually which store or place you are in but either way Facebook places never really took off and most that used check-ins were doing it on Foursquare or doing it on Yelp.
By going with location based wall posts instead of check-ins, seems like Facebook is now going after the twitter market and the now dead Google Buzz service. appsplit is an approved brand on Foursquare (http://www.foursquare.com/appsplit) and we’ve always enjoyed our partnership with them. Every couple of weeks Foursquare seems to add something new on their site, mobile apps or for brands. Recently they announced that brands will have access to a new site and web app to complete check-ins from and send to Facebook! Here is a quick summary of the email we received:
• You can now connect and broadcast to a Facebook page (not just an account).
• Pages can now check in from our website (foursquare.com), and you can add photos to your check-ins from your computer.
• You can still check in on your mobile phone via this newly designed mobile-optimized website(though you can no longer check in from the foursquare application).
• Big improvement for large organizations: Pages can now be controlled by multiple different managers, and one person can manage multiple Pages. No more sharing account log-ins and passwords!.
facebook Places vs. map me iPhone app. http://www.facebook.com/mapmeapp
automatically uploads your pics and your friends’ pics to both fb and Google
maps! Maps and photos together tell a
visually compelling story of your bike trip, vacation and night out with
friends. The big difference is map me
has an interactive map and time slider to recreate your summer vacation. What is
more fun? What is more user-friendly?