During the past year, many mobile social networking fans have at least wanted to adopt the Foursquare app. However, in its earliest incarnation, its only availability had been for the iPhone and in the form of a web interface which was not so simple to navigate. Foursquare then called upon its development staff to design apps for other mobile platforms, which resulted in a new app for the Android.

April 2009 saw developers Joe LaPenna and Chris Brummel begin coding the app in their spare time. At first, they needed to reverse engineer the workings of the iPhone version to discover how to set up an Android app based upon it. Then, according to Mr. LaPenna, they needed to migrate the app to Android using Foursquare’s beta API. After working on the app for several months, LaPenna, Brummel, and Foursquare’s app manager, Naveen Selvadurai, completed the engineering to the point that consumers could comfortably install and use Foursquare on the Android.

Although the Foursquare for Android resembles its iPhone predecessor, the new version contains features not found there. The Android app includes, for example, integrated maps and one-click check in with friends that iPhone users do not have. These interfaces make the new variation more user friendly and social by allowing a user to see where friends are and find out what they’d like to do more quickly than users of the old version. Other than that and the unique Android look and feel to the app, it treats friends check in lists and badge displays the same as its iPhone cousin.

Foursquare could have set up its Android app to run in the background on that platform, but chose to do otherwise. Foursquare claims it gives the devices better speed and battery life since the program would not be running when the user is otherwise occupied. This does show logic based upon the company’s previous ideas, though, as those who use it generally prefer to check in manually with others in the process of seeking information about with whom to meet and where to go.

The fact of the Android version of Foursquare being open-source and in the app store now will excite those who wish to adopt it earlier than most since Android phones have gained popularity. The developers have posted user information on the Google Code Page and as documentation for first time users. The Android App can be found for free in the Android Market or downloaded from the Google Code Page to be installed by more advanced users to suit their specs. Of course, as users grab the app and give feedback to Foursquare, the company plans upgrades in the future, beginning with revisions of the app’s performance and user interface, although the developers continue working on which aspect to advance first. Thus, as Foursquare’s mobile connectivity app spreads into new territory with an Android app, more people will discover new ways of setting up meetings with friends and making socializing on the go easier.