Foursquare Bot: Places Nearby

Friends ask where to meet, and you hunt for an address across three apps. The Foursquare bot handles it inside the conversation: it finds restaurants and other places nearby and sends the address to whoever you are chatting with. 📍

It is an inline bot, so it works in any chat and you do not have to open a separate dialogue with it.

Searching without leaving the chat

Inline mode works like this. In the message field you type the bot's name followed by a query, such as "pizza near me". The bot shows options above the keyboard.

1. Type the bot's name in the message field of any chat.
2. Add a query: a type of place or a venue name.
3. Pick a result from the list. A long press shows a preview.
4. Tap the card, and the address goes to your contact.

Location: allow it or not

To show places nearby, the bot has to know where you are. On the first send it asks for location access. Telegram asks explicitly, and the decision is yours.

You can decline and put a city name in the query instead. Accuracy drops, but your coordinates stay with you. 🔒

Who it helps, and when

• Groups of friends choosing a dinner spot.
• Business trips, when you need a cafe near the hotel fast.
• Dates and meetings, where an exact address beats a screenshot.
• Travel, when you want to share a find in a group chat.

Wording a query that finds the right thing

Short queries work better than long ones. Type the kind of place and the area: "coffee downtown" or "sushi near the station". For a specific venue, start with its name.

When there are too many options, add a detail: "with a terrace", "breakfast", "open late". The bot does not promise every word will count, but it sets a direction. Try two or three phrasings before giving up.

In a group chat, send a shortlist of two or three options and let friends vote. That beats arguing over a single pin. 🗳️

What to keep in mind

The bot has existed for a long time as a showcase of what Telegram's bot platform can do, and place data can go stale. Confirm opening hours and phone numbers before a trip, especially outside big cities.

If nothing comes up, change the query: add a city or narrow the cuisine. Sometimes a different spelling of the name helps. 🍕

A little courtesy helps too: when you send an address, add a word about the time, the floor, or the entrance. The bot gives a point on a map, and the details are up to you.

A cheap insurance before you leave

Before you set off, open the chosen address on a map and check the route. An address sent to a chat is visible to every member, so do not post your home address in a group.

If a place has closed or moved, that is not a bot error. Venue data changes faster than databases update.