Foursquare gets Lists as Barack Obama starts checking in

Social location service beefs up its discovery features just in time for the US president's arrival.

Social location service Foursquare has rolled out a new feature: Foursquare Lists. It helps users to create lists of favourite or themed places and then share them with friends.

The lists can be created on Foursquare's website, although the company hints in its blog post that they'll be supported more in its mobile app in the coming months. For now, users can create lists individually, or make them collaborative with friends. They then appear in the To Dos section of the app.

"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," explains the post.

A number of brands have already launched Foursquare Lists, including Time Out, Travel Channel, MTV, People Magazine, Bravo and musician Alicia Keys.

The launch came as Foursquare signed up its highest profile user to date: US president Barack Obama. Well, the White House anyway: it now has an official account on the service to keep people posted on the places Obama visits in the run-up to the next presidential election.