Location app Foursquare to focus on exploration

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NEW YORK — Foursquare is best known for letting smartphone users tell others about the restaurants and other places they are at, but people are increasingly using it to find nearby places to go to. Now, the mobile app is getting a makeover that turns the focus to this sort of exploration.

In an update Thursday, Foursquare is revamping its app so users can find nearby spots without having to search for them. The app will recommend bars, restaurants or shops based on what places you frequent or what your friends like.

Recommendations will change based on where you are, so you could get different suggestions while traveling to new places, for example.

Other new features include letting people “like” check-ins, venues or comments. And photos will be larger and more prominently displayed.